Photo Gallery: Hokkaido’s Heli Debate

“I have every right to be annoyed,” Leif Whittaker writes in the October 2015 issue. “I’ve been hiking for an hour up a corniced ridge in Rusutsu, Japan, but a white and red AStar helicopter just swooped overhead and deposited a group of skiers on the summit ridge above me.”

In “Hokkaido’s Heli Debate,” Whittaker investigates a brewing issue on Japan’s north island, where backcountry and helicopter skiers are squaring off over the shadowy trees and sunny bowls of Shiribetsu-dake (3,632 ft.). “Can there be enough for everyone?” Whittaker ponders.

Here’s a photo gallery from Whittaker’s trip, shot by contributing photographer Freya Fennwood. To read the entire story, grab a copy of the October 2015 issue, available at backcountrymagazine.com/store.

Tess Golling drops into the debate on Shiribetsu-dake, which locals refer to as “Avalanche Mountain” due to its steep, 30- to 40-degree slopes. [Photo] Freya Fennwood

Adam U finds the quieter side of Shiribetsu-dake. [Photo] Freya Fennwood

Tess Golling buzzes down another run on Shiribetsu-dake. [Photo] Freya Fennwood

Digging out the Shokatan Hut, where the Hokkaido Backcountry Club—the business behind the Shiribetsu-dake heli operation—hopes to run cat-assisted ski trips on Hokkaido’s Shokatan Peninsula. [Photo] Freya Fennwood

Nightlife in Shokatan Hut, featuring cold sake and fried gyoza—Japanese dumplings—after a day skiing thousand-foot descents among silver birches. [Photo] Freya Fennwood

Gaman-san and Horiuchi-san, Hokkaido’s original heli-ski pioneers, often based out of the Shokatan Hut in their heyday. [Photo] Freya Fennwood

Adam U leads the seaside walk alongside the Sea of Japan. [Photo] Freya Fennwood

Leif Whittaker reports on the debate in Hokkaido while digging into his research. [Photo] Freya Fennwood

Adam U and Tess Golling go for seconds. [Photo] Freya Fennwood

To read the entire story, grab a copy of the October 2015 issue, available now at backcountrymagazine.com/store.

Comments

Les says:

October 2, 2015 at 2:04 pm

I did the cat-assisted BC trip with HBC. The cat-assist just gets you up the long road (covered in 20 feet of snow) to the cirque above. From there, it’s all leg-powered. 2,000 vert to the ridge, a lot higher if you are going up Shirebetsu. Amazing place. We had it all to ourselves (no helis — though one was flying around doing some recon, but not sure who it belonged to). Dying to get back there in the future.

- adventures365.ca says:
  
  October 19, 2015 at 4:42 pm
  
  It was just the paparazzi taking pictures of us as usual! You must be used to them following you around by now.