I call this one "There's a snowboarder behind there somewhere!"
Just another average powder day at Seki Onsen. We absolutely tore this place a new one, although in some places we had to wait for some skiers to cut us a track out of the flat gullys.
I would love to know how this bergschrund looking crack formed. I would have thought it would have filled with snow from the previous nights 50cm-odd dump. It definitely looked a bit slidey, which is why you want to come here with your probe, shovel and beacon (and a friend equipped with the same). I guess it explains why they had the crazy single chair shut.
I didn't get many actions photos as it was such a sick powder day, I didn't want to waste time taking photos when there was powder to be had. Also, typically for Japan in winter, the light was really flat.
Ski Patrol was really friendly, telling us where to go for the best snow (er, everywhere that day!) and giving us "yeeeewwwwwsss!" when they were on the lift and we were underneath, I think his name was Atsushi (sorry if I got that wrong). The only low point of the day was when his big brown labrador tried to hump my leg outside the lunch hut, but I repressed the urge to kick him as he may have been needed to sniff me out from underneath an avalanche later that day!
This video has some footage shot at Seki Onsen. My entry into the "white room" at about 4mins, 50 secs and the descent at 5mins, 25 secs are the main ones.
