This is my first time at Mt. Amakasari this year. First of all, I'm ready
to check the remaining snow. My gear is NNNBC. The forest road beyond Amakasari-so
is covered in snow from the start. There is not even a single sign of exposed
asphalt, and it continues all the way to the campsite. There really was
a lot of snow this season. From the campsite to the trailhead is a blanket
of snow. Around the trailhead, the snow is still firmly connected to the
upper slope, so it looks like you can ski down from anywhere. That's it.
This time, I followed the trailhead. Of course, there is no exposed trail,
so I changed into snow spikes and started stomping. The NNNBC boots and
Montbell Snow Spike 10 (pictured above) are a great match. I use them handy
on crunchy snow. It takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes from the parking
lot to the end of the steep climb. From there, I changed back into my skis,
but what should I do? Normally, I would go up a little from there, and
do Step Soulful round and round between the trees at the perfect slope...
but today I'm going to continue climbing from there and aim for just below
P2. The weather is nice. And the view is good too. I want to see Yukikura-dake
and Asahi-dake. The slope increases from the middle, and I take the ridge
route. Thanks to the heavy snowfall here, it feels flatter and gentler
than usual. Well, if you're walking with crampons, the ridge is the only
option. The view while walking is amazing! I arrived at a vague shoulder
(?) and went up another step towards P2, and took a long break under a
large Erman's birch, which is the highest point of the day. Using this
as a base, I immediately tried Step Soulful on the steep slope above, but
the snow that fell the other day still seems to be "fresh". It
was tough. I wonder if I could push with force with plastic boots? No no...
But what about!? If you're going down on skis, this is plastic boots world,
yeah yeah. So, safety first on the way down, we did the whole thing with
diagonal sideslips and stem/kick turns. Now, as a ski school teacher, the
first thing I say is, "Skiing isn't about turning, it's about learning
how to brake." "The main thing you use to brake is not the downhill
ski, but the ski on the mountain side." "The outside edge."
"Use the back edge from the heel of your ski to brake effectively."
I thought to myself, "I told you so well..." and by doing exactly
that, I was able to descend safely without any trouble and while having
fun. VIVA practical techniques! From the campsite, we followed the forest
road to the car. 10:40. I started walking at 6:10, so it took four and
a half hours. Skiing at Mt. Amakazariyama has begun again this year. April
22, 2025
