舎川 朋弘 Tomohiro Tonegawa

舎川 朋弘 Tomohiro Tonegawa

Representative of Color Sport Club, a backcountry pioneer in Hakuba, Japan

Bio

Tomohiro Tonegawa is an early pioneer in the backcountry scene. Since the early 1990s​,​ he has been exploring outside the slopes and pioneering the mountain skiing scene. He also has a sense of humor about living in a tent​,​ and after working abroad​,​ he pioneered the development of the entire Hakuba area that has become synonymous with his work. His pioneering work continues to this day.

Message

My nickname is Tonnesan. I am known for giving careful tours​,​ however​,​ there are times when my mischievous and playful side more forcefully comes into play. When this happens​,​ I think to myself​,​ “This is probably a good moment. The timing is surely a sign that the mountain is in good condition.” In addition to ensuring your safety​,​ we provide you with an understanding of the field conditions at any given time​,​ drawing out lines of the run and setting a tempo. We also offer a wide variety of routes and a high level of skills that will lead you to the areas and routes that we have pioneered. I am someone who has seen the Hakuba and Japanese backcountry scene change over the years​,​ and I hope you can join us. We'd love for you to ask questions like​,​ "Tonnesan​,​ what's the best place to go when the conditions and weather are like this?" I have much to teach and have appeared in the backcountry media and have written books on the subject. Some of my guiding may be a little over the top​,​ but that's because the conditions are so rare and good. We at Color Sports Club have many routes in the Hakuba backcountry that we have pioneered ourselves​,​ so we are able to go to the field with the best conditions for each day. We have a lot of routes to choose from​,​ which is widely known by our guests who have visited us. We want our guests to enjoy the mountains forever. We hope you will continue to enjoy the Hakuba backcountry with us in the future. Please invite your friends who are interested and join us. We all look forward to seeing you soon.

Guide Q&A

Q: What is your most memorable experience in nature?

Soundless sound.

Q: What does nature represent to you?

Refreshing.

Q: What has nature taught you?

To be neutral.

Q: What do you hope that people will get out of experiences with you as a guide?

The preciousness and beauty of nature. The most important thing you can learn from it is "imagination" and "human power".

Highlights

Japan Mountain Guides Association​,​ Mountain Guide Qualification Stage II Ski Guide Certification Stage II Shinshu mountain guide (Hakuba mountain guide association member​,​ deputy secretary general of the association) Member of the Mountain Distress Rescue Team of the Association for Mountain Distress Prevention in the Northern North Alps Avalanche Worker Level 2​,​ Japan Avalanche Network (JAN)​,​ a non-profit organization 1992: Founding of Color Sports Club 1996: Became the first person to ski the two peaks of Mt. Karamatsu back-to-back Languages: Japanese​,​ English

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