The Himalayas are a series of magnificent mountains stretching 2,400km from east to west. Gunsan, which attracts climbers from all over the world, was also an attractive place for snowboarders. Photographer Tsukasa Uozumi and three snowboarders started a Himalayan trip six years ago in search of the high-quality snow that falls on the mountain ranges and unexplored slopes. This time, for the third time, I was finally able to ski to my satisfaction... I will share my current journey in two parts. The first part is a summary of the trip written by a photographer, and the second part is a diary written by one of the participating riders, Takaoki Hashimoto, also known as Hussie, about the daily events, and I would like to tell you about the real episodes of this trip.
Text & Photo: Tsukasa Uozumi
4,000 days of shooting at a base camp over 9m
I want to snowboard in Nepal, which I am used to.
I want to go into the mountains with my familiar Nepali.
I want to travel with friends who are used to skiing.
This is the starting motivation.
Before departing, I shared with everyone, ``Snowboarding, not expeditions.''
Ski on the right snow at the right time without worrying about altitude or peak hunting. That means sticking to snowboarding instead of climbing.
The theme of the trip was decided to be ``HIMALAYAN SNOWBOARDING REGION'' (the boundary between mountain climbing and snowboarding in the Himalayas), with the feeling of looking at the slopes of climbers and snowboarders as the boundary line. In other words, they went to the Himalayas to ski, not to climb.
This is my third trip to Nepal, starting 6 years ago. The only high-quality snow we seek comes from the monsoon (monsoon cyclone) that comes from the Indian Ocean over the Himalayas around the beginning of March.
Therefore, the best time is limited to early March every year, and our actions depend on the size of the monsoon.
The timing for my first trip was perfect. However, the scale is like a disaster. After three days of continuous shoveling, an avalanche occurred and the lodge was partially destroyed. In the end, we were forced to descend the mountain in a rescue helicopter that had come up on a sunny day.
On our second trip, we arrived a little earlier, and as the low pressure system approached, it started to snow. However, another bomb cyclone was forming, and it was predicted that there would be various risks if they did not return to the mountain while they could. After many meetings until the end, we decided to descend the mountain.
And this is my third time, why am I going again?
This is because there are countless slopes that have been seen but not skied on.
My head was full of fantasies, and my experience of Himalayan snowboarding at Machhapuchare Bagh and Annapurna Bagh was not tangible.
The members have remained the same since we first spoke: Hasshi (Takaoki Hashimoto), Kei Nakanishi, Masaaki Go, and myself.
In conclusion, this was our third time, and for the first time we were able to stay at ABC (Annapurna Base Camp) full time and ski every day.
Face the mountains as much as possible on an ABC basis. Almost every day, it snows in the evening, and the clouds lift and the sun appears in the morning.
Ski from the edge of the northern slope that runs from ABC to MBC (Machapuchhre Base Camp). It's simple in words, but it's huge.
You can stay in ABC for up to 10 days (requires trekking permission). We hold meetings the day before and decide which slopes we can ski and which slopes we can reach based on our altitude, physical strength, and physical condition.
“I wanted to do this!”
At least that's what I thought.
However, there are some things you need to be careful about when snowboarding in the Himalayas.
"Height disorder"
The area we operate in is an area between 4,000m and 6,000m.
Of course, you will be operating at an altitude that does not exist in Japan, and in conditions of low oxygen concentration.
Naturally, if you continue to hike and ride ``as usual,'' your body's oxygen levels (spo2) will decrease, leading to problems such as inability to sleep, shortness of breath, and loss of appetite. After that, symptoms become more serious, such as difficulty breathing at rest, coughing, and difficulty walking. Even people who are normally confident in their physical strength may find themselves unable to move at all depending on the altitude.
The full story of this trip will be published in my own Photo Book next January.
First, I would like to tell you about one episode from that trip, Hussie's experience of being unable to move as he wanted due to ``height disorder''.
