2007.08.17

Canyoning in Hakuba

We’d been itching to get a group together to go canyoning and now was our chance. Jack & Ayumi were up from Gifu prefecture and guests were still at the lodge recovering from all the partying. Add a few locals and we had a fifteen-man strong group to brave the rapids. First stop was Evergreen where everyone got suited up – Summer in Hakuba is pretty hot but the water in the canyon has its source high up in the mountains so a wetsuit helps delay the onset of hypothermia. It also helps you slither over the rocks as you make your way down the rapids like a seal.

Then it was off to Ochikura, a canyon that drops down from high above Tsugaike. First obstacle after walking down into the gorge was a pretty scary flying fox death slide followed by a series of rapids and waterfalls. The highlight was probably the superman slide down the wall of a 10m waterfall into a deep plunge pool. Unfortunately the other group that day had the camera so we didn’t get any pics from within the canyon itself but here are some from another group that did it.