2016 Japow trip confirmed
Skiing in Japan (or ‘Japow’ as it’s now known) is the destination for deep powder skiing as is evident by last season when they received some of their deepest snow pack ever. Some resorts average over 14 metres a season! This is because moisture pools in the Sea of Japan and is cooled by the cold air-masses coming in from Siberia. The result or this is literally tons of snow.
The skiing and riding in Japow is split into 2 distinct areas: the northern island of Hokkaido, with it’s amazing tree skiing and HUGE dumps of snow; and the southern island of Honshu with the Japanese Alps in Hakuba and snow monkeys.
Because of its abundance of snow and varied terrain Backcountry Skiing Canada has arranged a trip to Japan this January to check things out, and we want you to come with us! We’re looking for advanced/expert skiers and boarders who want to experience the north island of Hokkaido for 2 weeks of riding some of the world’s deepest and driest snow. We will be exploring 3 distinctive zones in Hokkaido that are renowned for their abundant powder: Niseko, Sapporo and the Furano area. We have our own private transportation and will have the ability to choose the best local resort for the conditions of the day. We can hit up to 11 different resorts in the 2 weeks. If you want to experience some of the best snow on the earth and experience the distinctive Japanese culture, then this is a trip that shouldn’t be missed.
Here are all the details, book early as things will no doubt will up fast:
Dates:
Session 2: January 20th to February 3rd 2016 (max 18 guests).
Price:
Starting at $4,350 USD per person (based on 6 people in the group).
Deposit:
$1,000 USD non-refundable deposit.
Group Size:
There is a maximum of 6 guests per group, led by 2 guides; one from The Adventure Project and one local guide. We can have a maximum of 3 groups per session.
Minimum Ability Level:
Advanced to expert skiers and boarders. You should be comfortable riding in tighter trees and in deep powder (the powder is nice and light though, with an average water content of only 4%). You should be comfortable riding double diamond terrain in variable snow conditions.
Mandatory Equipment:
Guests must have an avalanche beacon, shovel and probe (plus pack) and uphill capability (skis with touring bindings/skins or a splitboard/skins/collapsible touring poles or powder board with snowshoes/collapsible poles). If you’ve not used any of this gear before, then no problem, you will be given comprehensive training in their use.
Program Focus:
The main goal is to explore the island of Hokkaido for 2 weeks, trying to ride as many resorts as we can and riding as much deep powder as possible. We will also be immersing ourselves in local Japanese culture and enjoying the many culinary delights Japanese cuisine has to offer.
Education is the other vital component of our program. Our focus is on avalanche safety and education and we will constantly reinforce these principles out on the mountain. Our program starts with a mandatory, comprehensive avalanche safety training session which includes (but is not limited to): theory; single/multiple burial training; probing; strategic shoveling and snowpack testing and analysis.
Any skiers looking to improve their freeride technique can be given regular feedback on the mountain and we can get out the video camera for some video analysis sessions. All in all, our program is very detailed and potentially rewarding on many different levels. You’ll have fun and probably learn a lot.
Location:
Hokkaido in Japan. We will be exploring the powder capital of Japan for 2 weeks, using our own private transportation to explore 3 distinct zones in Hokkaido: the Niseko area for 5 nights; Otaru/Sapporo area for 3 nights and the Furano area for 5 nights. We will use these locations as our bases to explore the surrounding ski areas. There are up to 11 resorts close to our accommodation. We need to keep the resorts that we are going to somewhat secret….. Mysterious I know! When you sign up for the trip, you will be given the full itinerary with all of the potential locations listed.
How to get there:
Your ultimate destination is to get to Sapporo for the start of each session. Most international flights will fly to Tokyo Narita International Airport and then you will take a connecting flight from the Tokyo domestic airport at Haneda, to fly to Sapporo New Chitose Airport. Relatively few international carriers outside of Asia fly direct to Sapporo. Please check with your travel agent if you have any questions on this. Transfer from Sapporo New Chitose Airport to our accommodation in Moiwa is not included, but can easily be done through White Liner.
Itinerary:
Day 1 (Wed 6th Jan) – Arrive Sapporo. Transfer to Niseko from New Chitose Airport. Stay 5 nights @ Moiwa Lodge. Triple share rooms, with breakfast included.
Day 2 (Thu 7th Jan) – Niseko
Day 3 (Fri 8th Jan) – Niseko
Day 4 (Sat 9th Jan) – Moiwa
Day 5 (Sun 10th Jan) – Rusutsu. Pick up vans in evening, 10 day rental from Niseko Auto.
Day 6 (Mon 11th Jan) – Niseko/Kiroro (55.4km/58min drive). Ski a resort on the way to Otaru 27.5km/ 35min. 3 nights @ Grand Park Hotel Otaru. Double share rooms, with breakfast included.
Day 7 (Tue 12th Jan) – Otaru area skiing
Day 8 (Wed 13th Jan) – Otaru area skiing
Day 9 (Thu 14th Jan) – Otaru/Furano 148km/2hr 24min – potential rest/travel day or night skiing at Furano till 8pm. 5 nights @ The North Country Inn. Quad share rooms, with breakfast included.
Day 10 (Fri 15th Jan) – Furano
Day 11 (Sat 16th Jan) – Furano area skiing
Day 12 (Sun 17th Jan) – Furano area skiing
Day 13 (Mon 18th Jan) – Furano area skiing
Day 14 (Tue 19th Jan) – Furano/Sapporo (113km/2hr 2min) Return to Sapporo for overnight stay and explore. Suggested Sapporo hotel – Sapporo Ekimae Nest @ $36 per person per night, twin-share.
This schedule is subject to change and revision. These are the options that we are looking at. We will choose the best resort for the conditions of the day. Having our own transportation will allow us to be as flexible as possible.
Inclusions:
- Guiding from The Adventure Project and an expert local guide.
- Comprehensive avalanche safety training.
- Accommodation (triple share) at the Moiwa Lodge in Niseko for 5 nights. Includes all breakfasts.
- Accommodation (twin-share) in Otaru at the Grand Park Hotel for 3 nights. Includes all breakfasts.
- Accommodation (quad-share) at the North Country Inn, Furano, for 5 nights. Includes breakfasts.
- Transportation around Otaru and Furano resort in private 8 seater van.
Exclusions:
- Airfares.
- Lunches and dinners.
- Lift tickets (budget $600 USD max for 2 weeks).
- Transfer from Sapporo New Chitose Airport to accommodation in Niseko (try Whiteliner, approx. $30 USD – http://www.goodsports.co.jp/wh.....;
- Accommodation in Sapporo (suggested Sapporo hotel – Sapporo Ekimae Nest @ $36 per person per night, twin-share).
- Transportation in Niseko area.
- Any additional taxi, bus or train services.
- Rental equipment.
- Gratuities for The Adventure Project staff.
If you are looking for something a little more “undiscovered” and more exotic then consider our trip to Gulmarg India to ski the Indian Himlayas and lap backcountry routes from the highest lift serviced resort in the world!