In the winter of 2018 we offered a rotating tap trip to Hokkaido in Japan. With all of the stories about the deepest, driest snow and storms that would dump meters upon meters of snow, we simply had to experience this for ourselves. Needless to say we were blown away. Japan consistently lives up to its reputation, so we added Hokkaido to our yearly offerings. In addition to legendary powder, Japan offers a unique cultural experience with amazing food, wonderful hosts, and beautiful hot springs (onsen). There's nothing quite like grabbing a bite of sushi out of your pack before dropping into deep Japanese feathers!
This trip will include 6 days of skiing based out of two locations on Hokkaido - Niseko and Furano. Both of these locations offer virtually infinite options for backcountry tours or "sidecountry" laps at numerous local ski areas. Each day we will travel from our lodge via 4x4 van to find the best snow. En route we will grab lunch at one of Japan's famous quirky convenience stores (a unique cultural experience in its own right!). After a full day of powder skiing, we will soak in one of the local onsens followed by an amazing dinner. This will be the general day to day flow.
We combine two areas on Hokkaido to give us the best options to find great powder in a variety of terrain: Niseko and Furano. Niseko is the bustling center of skiing on Hokkaido but has easy access to a plethora of backcountry terrain and some of the most famous powder on Earth. Furano is quieter and is more backcountry oriented with outstanding touring in the trees and beautiful alpine terrain on the volcanoes.
Our trip includes the following:
- Professional guiding
- All ground transportation during the trip (starting in Niseko and ending at New Chitose)
- Welcome dinner in Niseko
- All breakfasts
- All dinners in Furano (included with our lodging--some of the best food we've ever had!)
- Any lift tickets utilized during the trip
- An optional cultural day in Sapporo following the trip
Not included:
- Airfare
- Lunches
- Alcohol
- Dinner on nights 2 and 3 in Niseko
- Transfer from New Chitose airport to Niseko
- Onsen fees
- Miscellaneous incidentals
Day 1 - Meet in Niseko in the early evening for a briefing and welcome dinner
Day 2 - Ski in the Niseko area
Day 3 - Ski in the Niseko area
Day 4 - Morning skiing in the Niseko area then drive to Furano
Day 5 - Ski in the Furano area
Day 6 - Ski in the Furano area
Day 7 - Morning ski in the Furano area then drive to the Hotel near the New Chitose Airport
Jeff Ward
Larry Goldie
Joshua Cole
Proficiency in alpine touring or splitboarding
Advanced level skiing or snowboarding ability
