Week 3 - Exposure

We arrived at night after travelling all day from Niseko to somewhere on Honshu – the main island. Being dark, we had no idea what the mountain, resort or surrounding areas looked like. This resort with only a few old chairlifts was described to us as being a place for off-piste.

The resort was protected by a series of above ground tunnels

True enough, the locals that arrived in big number s each day (a dozen or so cars could be seen in the car park most days) were all kitted out. Touring skis, skins, snow shoes, shovels, avalanche transceivers, probes, etc. I had never been anywhere previously where such a high percentage of skiers and boarders were fully kitted out.

First day was fresh snow after a long blizzard and with a very high avalanche danger so we were quite limited in where we could go. Firstly, not knowing the area and secondly because the top lift was closed (snowed in I believe).

The 'monument' - a natural spring that freezes in winter, near the base of lift #2

The winds picked up again and blew with great gusto for most of the time we were there. Our lodge, once a great hotel, was now more akin to something from the past Russian empire and had been let deteriorate into a shell of its once glory. Concrete cancer had us wondering whether it would collapse in the gale force winds that blew most nights. The double glazed windows were sealed with packing tape and although you couldn’t feel much of a breeze entering you could see the snow building up on the inside window sills. Our suites were large with traditional tatami mats and rice paper room dividers. The hot water was only warm and then there was the gas. At the lower two levels of this 6 story building were a series of onsens. Each with differing levels of Hydrogen Sulphide (rotten egg gas). More about the onsens in a minute. At night the gas would rise through the building. I assume random bubbles of gas were causing this because some nights I was awoken being hardly able to breath due to the level of gas entering my suite. We were sleeping on level 4 and yet the gas could rise that far. Shutting off as many internal doors as possible, limited the gas penetration but it was not pleasant.

Heavy rain came soon and most of my group of 6 went down the mountain to fill in a day doing other things. I don’t know what they did but Paul brought back a stomach bug with him. He was really sick (from both ends) for a couple of days, and then Peter got it. Paul decided he couldn’t face the smell, the food or the lack of skiing any more and checked out 3 days early. Another 3 followed in his wake a few hours later. Peter got better a day later and also wanted out so we two (the last of the 6) checked out 2 days short of our week and headed to the nearest city to revive (breath fresh air). We had about 2 hours of bus rides to get us to that city and the entire way I had stomach cramps. The bug was trying to get me to evacuate from both ends but being on a public bus, I decided to fight the urge. I imagined what labour pains might be like as my internals twisted and expanded in knots. One day later I had successfully fought the little nasty off. I heard later the other 3 had eventually succumbed, one by one.

The week (actually only 5 days) was “interesting” to say the least. I think I experienced the strongest winds ever in my life. Watching people trying to cross the car park was a laugh as they held their bodies at 45-degree angles into the wind. The snow was not good. There was some reasonable off piste terrain but I never got to it and there was not a lot of vertical especially when it took 3 slow chairs to access it. Oh yes, you had to climb up to every lift.

Base of lift #2 View from top of lift #2

The hotel (now called a lodge) was like something out of a cross between The Shining and The X Files. Although there were some Japanese staying there, the wide corridors were usually totally empty. The fittings and décor of a gone-by era were falling apart like the building itself. The onsens, I said I would mention them again, were an experience in themselves.

Our accommodation - above the base of Lift #1 Top of lift #3 - looking towards another resort

Those at ground level were actually situated apart from the main building and were accessed by a frozen corridor (Ice Station Zebra comes to mind). The waters, smelly and opaque may have been good for you but that’s debatable. There were both indoor and outdoor onsens at this level.

If you went down into the basement (eerie, it was) there was a large onsen without the opacity. The bathing was rapid because the water was not even tepid while the onsen water was deliciously hot. However, yes there is a “however”, your body appeared florescent green when immersed into the onsen bath and any movement would disturb flakes of some black substance from the floor of the bath. These looked like leeches swimming around you in the water where your body was green. All very X Files to me.

The food was constantly providing us with new delicacies

The staff were all very friendly and helpful, going out of their way to help with our limited Japanese. This was not Niseko, there were no English signs or menus or instructions. The food was full-on Japanese and there were some surprises – some delicacies that I had not encountered in all my trips to Japan.

Would I return? I don't think so. But still I won’t tell you where it is, best you find out yourself when on that big adventure.