Dos and Don’ts: ○ DO: check the mountain reports. Whether you’re trying to plan a trip for a group with a variety of ability levels, or sitting in your hotel room at 4am trying to decide which hill to hit, a quick look at the mountain reports can make your job much easier. With details on facilities, conditions, runs, access, and anything else you need to know SnowJapan is a great online English resource. ○ DO: talk to the locals. You never know when you’re going to make new friends, and they may just have some good advice for you. Sometimes a little Japanese practice on the lift turns into learning about that secret spot the locals keep on the down low. ○ DO: push your limits. Hit that run you’ve never tried. Try that trick you never land. The worst that’ll happen is you fall down. No big deal, brush it off and move on. This doesn’t mean getting yourself hurt or overreaching though. Regardless, you’re well protected right? Because you’re smart and wearing a helmet right? Good. Wear a helmet. × DON’T: sit in the middle of the run. This goes for everywhere. We all get tired, but snowboarders get a real bad wrap for this. If you’re new to snowboarding (or skiing) and you get tired, pull off to the edge of the run and make sure there’s good visibility from above. Don’t sit below landing zones, just below rises that might hide you from anybody above you, or in the middle of the piste. If you fall, dust yourself off and get up. If you need to recover, do it off to the side. Better yet, take a break inside. × DON’T: be afraid to fall. Fear of falling is one of the easiest ways for your skills to progress at a snail’s pace. You’re strapped to a piece of wood falling down a mountain covered in frozen water trying not to die; you’re probably gonna fall over. If it’s happening a lot that means you’re learning something. Be smart. Wear a helmet. × DON’T: be an off-piste idiot. We all love slackcountry, fresh lines and deep powder. The difference between “clearly safe” and “uh oh...” is grey and fuzzy for some, and a hard line for others. Exercise good judgment, read the avalanche reports, talk to locals, and don’t put yourself in too much danger. If you’re going truly off-piste, then you should know what you’re doing (avalanche certification is available in English here), have a similarly educated friend with you, be kitted out with your probe, shovel and beacon, and know how to use them. Going backcountry without this knowledge and equipment is stupid, dangerous, irresponsible and evident of a profound disrespect for everyone else and for the mountain. Be safe!
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