Training Report - Tohmaru Pass

The temperature was around minus 14 degrees Celsius at the Tohmaru Pass (610m). The weather was good at the east side of the peninsula where Furubira lies. On the contrary, it was snowing hard at the west side where Kamoenai lies because of the mountain range situated in the ridge of the Peninsula Shakotan.

Mr.Takahashi, Dr.K and Tesseract participated in this training.

For Mr.Takahashi, it was return match for the last training at the Kenashi Pass (refer to: Kenashi Pass 4). He was very motivated to defeat Tesseract.

In warming-up, we were getting altitude talking together.


Approaching the summit, we didn't much accelerate and were watching each other to choose a right moment for a breakaway. However, none of us didn't accelerate up to the final approach to the summit. We have decided the sprint point of this climbing would be the entrance at the Furubira side of the avalanche shelter on the summit.

In the final approach to the summit, Mr.Takahashi began to attack. Tesseract went after him immediately. At the exit of the last avalanche shelter, Tesseract accelerated. Mr.Takahashi reacted immediately. Tesseract was leading the group but ran out of the force and at the last moment, Mr.Takahashi passed Tesseract. This time, Mr.Takahashi beat Tesseract.

Sprint scene. Mr.Takahashi won with a gap of a wheel.


We crossed the summit and began to descend in the direction of Kamoenai. At the Kamoenai side, it was snowing hard.

However, we didn't reach the foot of the pass because we had ceased from advancing in this direction, reason for which it was not comfortable to ride with studded tires as there are too many avalanche shelters. As in this region, it snows a lot, there are many such facilities. So we turned and climbed up the Tohmaru Pass again from the Kamoenai side.

We have decided the sprint point of this climbing would be the entrance at the Kamoenai side of the avalanche shelter on the summit. Mr.Takahashi and Tesseract began their fight. They didn't accelerate immediately but were observing each other to find out a right moment. In an unguarded moment of Mr.Takahashi, Tesseract took place in the lee. Shortly after, they entered the last avalanche shelter. Tesseract accelerated near exit of the avalanche shelter where the road was snow covered. Mr.Takahashi reacted immediately. However, after having gone out of the shelter, Tesseract accelerated again. Tesseract took the first place this time. By the way, the snow height is enormous. Is that almost 5m? Sure, it doesn't match up to the Snow Corridor in Tateyama (Toyama, Japan) but still impressive.


We passed the avalanche shelter at the summit again. The weather was good at the Furubira side. We have prepared for long descent: windcheaters and face masks.


On the descent Tesseract likes, he tried to increase the gap. However, the velocity was always around 50km/h also in the corners as they are not so tight. He chose not to do drifting as he didn't have confidence in doing that while riding faster than 45km/h. So he couldn't increase the gap and they were in visible contact in the long straights.

After the training.


This day, we came to Furubira, the foot of the Tohmaru Pass from Otaru or Sapporo by cars. After putting back the bikes in the cars, we went at a hot spring in Furubira.

The traveled distance was 30.24km, the average speed was 15.9km/h and the maximal velocity was 56.0km/h.