Features
Car Danchi 6: On Location in KusharoBy Neil Hartmann
The Car Danchi filming style has always combined searching for new locations and the unwritten rule we must have fun wherever we go. Over the last seven or eight years we have made some great "discoveries,” opening up new areas for ba...
Niseko CatsBy Aaron Jamison
Niseko snowcats are found deep in the snowy mountains of the north island; they detest crowds, preferring to travel in small groups, away from busy ski resorts in search of bottomless powder and steep, forested terrain. Follow their tracks, and you&rs...
Getting ‘Wrecked’ in MicronesiaBy Tim Rock
Truk Lagoon's undersea world is a Mecca for “wreckies.” Micronesia has more wrecks on land alone than most places have in total. Then under the sea it gets even better. There are ships, planes, trucks and tanks covered in coral and surrou...
Risk & Reward in the BackcountryBy Backcountry Guides in Japan
Training and preparation are paramount to playing safe in the backcountry, and recently guides and instructors are putting more emphasis on group dynamics and decision-making for when things don’t go according to plan. It’s ...
Lights, Powder, Action! Part 2: Interview with Jeremy JonesBy Gardner Robinson
Over the last decade, Jeremy Jones has been perhaps the biggest name in big mountain snowboarding. He has appeared in numerous extreme ski films with Teton Gravity Research and other productions. The jaw-dropping action in these films features Jones a...
Lights, Powder, Action! Part 1: Interview with Neil HartmannBy Gardner Robinson
For those of us growing up in Portland, Oregon, Mt. Hood was our home mountain. On weekends we’d drive up Highway 26, through a tunnel of giant evergreens, passing through Zigzag and Government Camp on our way to Meadows or Timberline. Sometimes...
Photo Essay: PilgrimageBy Gardner Robinson
pilgrim [ˈpɪlgrɪm] n 1. A wayfarer, a foreigner, a stranger, a homeless wanderer, a traveler. 2. One who embarks on a quest for something sacred. 3. A person who undertakes a journey to a sacred place as an act of religious devotion. ...
Light and Fast in the Central AlpsBy Robert Self
I am not sure who had the idea to run the main ridge of Japan’s Central Alps, but it could have been me. I am certain, however, who it was that suggested we forgo the convenient bus and the ropeway to the ridge. That was my friend, Tony. &...
Mizugaki’s Precious StonesBy Eddie Gianelloni
Having scoured the globe for rocks to climb, imagine my excitement when I discovered a priceless gem not far from my new home in Japan. Before moving to Japan, I spent hours searching for places where I could get on some rock. I wanted to be we...
Manta Madness in Okinawa DreamlandBy Tim Rock
“If you want to dive in Okinawa, you must go south to Ishigaki. That’s where the mantas are.” I had heard this for years and now I was actually here at the famous, and curiously named, Manta Scramble…known as the place ...
A Focus on Fun—Celebrating 50 Years of K2 SkisBy Bill Ross
There are brands out there bigger than the products they make. They make good stuff, of course, but a company becomes iconic when its products, brand and logo create a feeling—even a passion—in the people who use them or aspire to use them...
Night Dancing with a Kyushu Sun GoddessBy Lee Dobson
According to myth, Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, and her brother, Tsukiyomi, the Moon God, once soared across the sky together. After her brother killed another goddess in a fit of rage, Amaterasu, so disgusted by the act, chose never to be seen again w...
Where the Trail EndsBy Pat O’Keeffe
Free riding the Hidden Kingdom The Upper Mustang District in Western Nepal is on the radar of most adventure travelers. However, due to high permit costs and the expense to get there, not all make it to this beautiful corner of the Hi...
Field of Dreams: Inakadate Tanbo ArtBy Gardner Robinson & Rika Cook
“If you build it they will come...” This famous quote from the movie “Field of Dreams” could just as easily be attributed to the locals in Inakadate, a small village in northern Japan. In the Hollywood version, Kevin Cost...
Explore the World of GeocachingBy Rob M. Dupuis
“Geez! Why can’t we find this thing? It should be here.” “I know!” “What’s your radar reading?” “Says we’re standing within a meter of it.” “Mine too. How about Google Maps?&r...
Pohnpei: A rare Micronesian gem By Tim Rock
Above and below the water, Pohnpei is a diverse island that remains unfettered by the trappings of mass tourism—it is truly a Micronesian jewel. Pohnpei’s dragonback mountain range rises into the clouds forming a...
Exploring Lush KosraeBy Tim Rock
Most people haven’t heard of this little Pacific island, but those who visit never forget hiking to hidden waterfalls, searching an endemic forest for a lost city, snorkeling a maze of mangroves or diving amidst rich corals and sharks....
Deep Turns in TohokuBy Gardner Robinson
This Hakkoda Mountains in northeastern Japan are a place of incredible beauty. Over the years locals have gained a healthy respect for these temperamental mountains, whose moods swing from gentle to terrifying on a whim. Paul Vanderheiden was drawn to...
