A Story of Survival, Snow, Recovery and Hokkaido’s Winter Waves, Way East – Trailer
Mountainwatch | Aaron Jamieson
At first, the idea was just a tiny seed, the glimmer of an adventure combining shared passions and a love of wild mountains and oceans. Hokkaido takes all the unique culture and wonder of Japan and blends it with a pristine wilderness to create a truly special piece of the planet. And it attracts special people.
My lifelong passion for snow, mountains, and surf is what led me to Hokkaido in the first place and the idea for this trip was borne shortly after my arrival. Almost a decade later, after spending a few weeks with Lena and Aline, I knew I had found the team to actually do it.
With risk, comes reward. Camp under a starry night sky. Image:: Aaron Jamieson
Long days hiking in the mountains, camping in the snow, enduring the wind and cold – coupled with surfing in water cold enough to break the will of even the most seasoned veterans – takes a certain energy that only a team of truly positive and dedicated adventurers and friends can bring.
This project was really about blending passions. The mountains and the snow, the oceans and the waves, their energy and the point at which they meet. Our trip would take us through the mountains to the ocean and along the twisting coastline to the apex of our adventure – the floating mountain of Rishiri Island.
To the rest of the world, Japan is something of an enigma and it quite often seems as though it is hurtling towards the future while still staying rooted in the past. Having stood at ground zero, just days after the tsunami decimated thousands of lives along the east coast of Japan, I understood all to well the powerful effect this has had on the country and my home for over a decade. Our journey would bring into focus the after effects of the tsunami and the opinions of the people we met about where their country is headed and what changes have already been made to their policy around energy and environment.
With effort, comes discovery. Image:: Aaron Jamieson
But while much of the world watches, with a purely scientific perspective of where the disaster leaves us, what I draw is the spirit of the people and their perseverance. I believe that no matter the scale of disaster and no matter the severity of the situation – the human spirit perseveres and nowhere in the world will you find a more unified people in perseverance and cooperation.
I’m not certain that the nuclear disaster that followed the tsunami won’t have a lasting effect on my life, or the lives of those I cherish. I am, however, certain that my own actions and decisions will. And it’s for this reason that I choose to pursue what I love, with who I love, and to share my stories in the hope of bringing joy to the lives of a few others, and hopefully lighting the flame for them to pursue their own dreams and passion.
One team, one dream. Image:: Aaron Jamieson