Recent high pressure in Hakuba has presented the opportunity to ski some of the bigger lines in the valley. We decided to take the opportunity and go after the Y Couloir. The Y is the definition of a classic descent; aesthetic, huge vertical, easy access and visible from just about anywhere in Hakuba. It only takes about three hours to climb, but provides a whopping 6,300 vertical feet of descent (including 3,250 within the walls of the couloir). Despite slow climbing due to challenging snow on the ridge, we were able to reach our line in reasonable time. The skiing provided a wide variety of snow conditions, ranging from powder to wind buff to corn to frozen crust. Overall, a successful and satisfying day.
