Mt Shiraoi-dake & Mt Sapporo-dake BC Video

Here is a video made by Maxwell Downman of our Back Country Ski Trip to Mt Shiraoi-dake & Mt Sapporo-dake on Feb 9th - 10th - 11th of 2013.

Click this link for the video of the BC trip to Mt Shiraoi-dake & Mt Sapporo-dake

Wakasagi Ice Fishing

On Saturday Feb 23rd 2013. 6 members of H.I.O.C enjoyed a fun time ice fishing for "Wakasagi" on the river at Shintotsu town. When we got there the weather was very windy and really cold so we decided to fish in the glass huts they there which made things comfortable and was very warm.
We were all beginners at Wakasagi fishing so we didn't catch so much but had a good time and enjoyed

Leon at the office with the fishing gear

The fishing huts on the river

The fishing huts

Our fishing hut, nice and warm

inside the fishing hut

Leon trying to bait his hook and not doing a good job

All the rods in the water waiting to catch a fish

Got one !

Got another wakasagi

More wakasagi

Leon got one

The fishing huts

Ice fishing outside

Ice fishing outside but really cold

Everyone trying ard to catch a fish

All done for the day and ready for an onsen

Waiting to eat our catch

Wakasagi

Yummy wakasagi !

The fishing huts in the early evening

Outside the onsen

The onsen

Haykujoijki Cave Snowshoe Trip

On Feb 17th 2013 The Hokkaido International Outdoor Club enjoyed a fantastic trip to one of Hokkaido's magical places the 'Haykujoijki Cave' with it's magnificent natural ice sculptures .
It took about an hour to snowshoe to the cave. Once there we spent about two hours there looking around and having lunch. After lunch we snowshoed out taking a different from the one to cave. We took a route that lead us to the top and above the cave to a flat plateau which had a great view of nearby mountains and area. From there we snowshoed down and out and back to where our cars were parked. The route back took about 2 hours.

At the start of the trip to the cave

The group on the way to the cave

The route to the cave

In front of the cave

Haykujoijki Cave

Haykujoijki Cave

Haykujoijki Cave

Haykujoijki Cave

Inside Haykujoijki Cave

Inside Haykujoijki Cave

Inside Haykujoijki Cave

Haykujoijki Cave

Haykujoijki Cave

Leon Roode at Haykujoijki Cave

Outside Haykujoijki Cave

Having lunch outside Haykujoijki Cave

Having lunch outside Haykujoijki Cave

Having lunch outside Haykujoijki Cave

Heading up to the top of Haykujoijki Cave

Snowshoeing up to the top of Haykujoijki Cave

Snowshoeing up to the top of Haykujoijki Cave

On top of Haykujoijki Cave

On top of Haykujoijki Cave

On top of Haykujoijki Cave

On top of Haykujoijki Cave

Heading down from top of Haykujoijki Cave

The route down and out

Snowshoeing out from Haykujoijki Cave

Snowshoeing out from Haykujoijki Cave

Snowshoeing out from Haykujoijki Cave

Snowshoeing out from Haykujoijki Cave

Snowshoeing out from Haykujoijki Cave

Back at the car park from Haykujoijki Cave

Back in Sapporo after a 3 hour drive from Haykujoijki Cave