If you're planning to ski or snowboard in Japan, you've probably heard about avalanche beacons. You may have packed a beacon, probe, and shovel before your trip. But there's a good chance you've never heard of COCOHELI. That's not surprising. Outside Japan, very few riders know what it is. Yet within Japan's mountain community, more than tens of thousands people have joined the system, and it has become a familiar part of backcountry safety culture. So what exactly is COCOHELI? And why does it exist in Japan? Japan's Mountains Are Different Than Many Visitors Expect When international riders think about ...
