Hokkaido Iwaonupuri Backcountry with Climbing Dog Noopy Member

Have you ever seen a dog running down a snowy mountain chasing its owner down a slope?Enjoy snowboarding with your dog.It sounds very tempting, but it takes preparation and mindset to make it happen.Mari Mizukami, a professional snowboarder who has been out shooting BC with her dog for the past few years.What kind of preparations did she make and what kind of trip did she do?Backcountry with your dog, spelled out in his own wordstrip.

Photo: MZK
Text: Mari Mizukami


A pet dog who apparently likes snow.First to Satoyama

Every year, I climb and ski in the mountains near Furano and Niseko in search of good snow, and a few years ago a new member joined this trip.It's my beloved dog, Noopy. Although it is a large dog breed, it is a little small because it was a premature baby due to illness.However, he is fast on his feet, good at playing ball, and seems to have confidence in his motor nerves.

When Noopy experienced fresh snow for the first time in Asahikawa, he was running around with joy that he had never seen before.He sprints at full speed, then dives right into the fluffy powder, hitting the snow like a snowboarder and enjoying the powder rising up.

The fact that I like snow so much is convenient for me because I go to places where it snows in winter.Because we can enjoy snow trip together.However, backcountry climbing takes hours and is dangerous.You will spend the day in the snowy mountains.whether you can follow

"Let's try it anyway! 』

In order to ascertain that, I started Noopy's snow mountain training from Satoyama.

Since the snow sticks to my face and body, I put on goggles, boots, and clothes, attach a beacon to my backpack, and climb the snowy mountain with full equipment.He decided that he needed a strong and sturdy lead.Luckily, the Leeds Dog Supply leashes that I usually use are very durable, and the color is easy to stand out, making them perfect for snowy mountains.

I decided to let him carry his own water, food, goggles and beacons, etc., and put a backpack filled with them on his back. It is putting the cart before the horse if bringing a dog increases the burden on them.Let me take care of myself.

It is necessary to train hard with your heart as a demon

In the snowy mountains, tacks do not work at all.Start with training to learn it.Even if the slope is too steep to climb and the child is stuck, he does not immediately go for help, and teaches him how to climb on his own.

In order to let the children experience how the snow cornice collapses under their own weight, I made them walk on the edge of a small 30 cm cornice with a stern heart.After experiencing the collapse of the snow cornice, he stopped walking near the snow cornice.He also taught a lot of BC terms for the dangers of snowy mountains. "Get in the line!" will cause him to return from a no-track location to a nearby line location.

I stayed there for about XNUMX hours for satoyama training, but I didn't flinch and kept wagging my tail all the time.

Seeing this, I decided to take Noopy as a BC member.The mountains we have climbed together so far are Mt. Tokachi, Mt. Furano, Mt. Kiritachi Pass, Mt. Tsukiyama, Mt. Tanigawa, Iwaonupuri, Nitonupuri, Mt.

Each mountain has various episodes, but this time I would like to talk about Iwaonupuri.On this day, I started climbing early in the morning to ski the shot of Iwaonupuri, which I had been aiming for from before.

Noopy who did an unexpected activity

Iwaonupuri had climbed Noopy many times, so he seemed to have memorized the route, and was a little proud while walking in the lead.In fact, I had been climbing every day for several days in order to aim for the best moment when the weather and snow quality were in order.

This day is THE DAY.

Maybe because of his instinct to ensure safety, he didn't walk in the back most of the time, and was usually in the second row.He would occasionally look back, hopping back and forth between the tail person walking at the back and the lead person walking at the front, reassured him that he was doing okay. climb again.The appearance of him going back and forth many times was a presence that gave him healing as his companion.

Although I was climbing smoothly, the slope was steep and there was a possibility that the snow would collapse.When I looked up, I saw a companion trying to cross over us.He tried to use the radio, but found himself walking with radios for his companions upstairs.Even when he shouts, his voice doesn't reach him at all.

"What should I do…"

Then, Noopy, who was climbing ahead, heard my voice, came down and rushed over.

I immediately put a powered radio in Noopy's backpack and yelled "GO! GO!"This is also one of the BC terms I taught Noopy. ``GO! GO!'' means ``Follow the line and go to the other member''.

"I wonder if it will go well..."

For a short while, Noopy ran up the slope with the radio on his back and delivered the radio to his companions in no time.My friend noticed and took out the radio from his bag.It was thanks to Noopy that we were able to safely communicate with each other by radio, meet up at a rocky place, and change our walking route a little.

They have good hearing, are fast on their feet, and have many times the physical strength of humans.And Noopy, who recovers from mistakes, was raised as a member of the crew as a very strong member to go to the backcountry.

After doing a pit check and confirming the safety of the snow, I moved to the other side to start sliding down the chute I was aiming for.

On a slope with no lines, you can't tell what kind of snow it is until you try it.Especially on this slope, the wind hits quite a lot.If you're lucky, you might be able to slide down the finest slopes with accumulated snow.Amidst a mixture of anxiety and expectations, I dropped.

I hit the slope I was aiming for.It was an exhilarating turn with speed and snow.

Noopy member watching over.As I slid down, Noopy ran down as fast as I could.When I hike again from the bottom, it climbs with me again.What a great companion.When my steps slowed down, Noopy walked in front of me as if he sensed it.

On my second hike, I reached the slope I was aiming for the most this time.When I slid before, the snow was too hard and the powder didn't rise, so I was about to slide down when I got off, but this time, the snow looks like it's going to be a pleasant spray.

I safely arrived at the summit of Iwaonupuri with Noopy.And from here, Noopy moves to face the cameramen, and I'm the only one who slides down the rocky chute.A slope with no tracks.It's a little steep and my heart beats fast, but that makes the turns feel better.


It took a moment to slide down.

The weather was good, the snow was good, and the members were great.I was able to take good photos and videos, and it was the most fulfilling day of the season. I am also grateful to the members who climbed with me.

Important things to do when climbing mountains with your dog

Going backcountry with a dog is fun, but of course it can be tough.So there is something I would like to tell people who want to climb mountains with their dogs.that isIt is not a question of whether the owner wants to climb with the dog, but rather of whether the dog wants to climb a snow mountain with the owner.It's important to find out how your dog feels.

Once, when shooting on a slope with many holes, Noopy fell into the holes.I climbed down the hole to help, but it was hard to lift.I went to the same place the next day, but left Noopy in the car parked where I could see the slope, and didn't take her with me.

From inside the car, Noopy yelled, "Gang-gang!" as we climbed. When he got back in the car four hours later, I thought he would be happy with his tail wagging, but he turned his back and just glanced at me with side eyes...Even if he goes to see his face from the front, he turns away from the other side...

"Wow, it looks like a human (laughs)."She seems to have become very upset about being left behind.I learned from this incident that he really loves snow mountains, so now I try to take him with me as much as possible unless it's a very dangerous place.

And if your dog seems to like climbing snowy mountains together, it would be a good idea to let him walk through various snow shapes in the nearby Mt.And in the snowy mountains, do not help anything except in an emergency.Sometimes he can't climb well and has to wait for more than 30 minutes, but if he doesn't get help, he will learn "how to get out of this situation" by himself.Even if someone doesn't come to pick you up and you feel lonely, it's a necessary process to climb a snowy mountain, and it seems that such an experience leads to self-confidence.

Winter is about to begin.I can't wait to see more interesting episodes of Noopy this season.


Photo: MZK

Mari Mizukami
Born July 1976, 7.He has been a professional snowboarder for 17 years.
A yoga teacher who runs the Aoto yoga studio in a house that has been completely DIY in Katsushika Ward.In winter, he mainly skates in the backcountry with his dog, Noopy, based in Hokkaido.
Sponsors: GNUsnowboards, Norrona, spy, Hestra, SBN, HiKOKI, Aoto Yoga Studio
https://instagram.com/yogasnowboader

Climbing Dog Noopy
Sponsors: leedsdodsupply
https://instagram.com/noopy_doggy