Every true powder junkie has dreamt of visiting the fabled land of Hokkaido, where it always snows, virtually every week, for 4 straight months.
- And its always champagne*.
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And there’s no one there to ski it.
We at backcountry logistics believe that Hokkaido offers the easiest access to the least crowded deep powder skiing in the world. For consistency of snow and lack of people, it truly is second to none. In Simon and Paul’s first season here, it snowed 30 feet from the first fall (Nov 9th) to Jan 31st, and it didn’t slow down much after that (Simon just gave up measuring it!). And locals were complaining at the poor season. No kidding.
But yes, there is a down side. So much snow means poor weather most of the winter. Low pressure follows low pressure, dump follows dump, and a spell of clear weather is rare until at least February. This makes the alpine out of bounds until late winter/early spring, and winter touring is only rewarded if you know where you’re going. If you do, you will ski the best trees and sub alpine lines of your life. The snow will blow your mind, and as a bonus the culture is perfect for the ski tourer: hot springs are everywhere, which ease the pain after a long day in the hills, the food is fantastic and the people extremely helpful. Costs are not as bad as you probably expect, either. Hotels are reasonable as are restaurants. Touring food is a little difficult to find however, and some staples of the western diet are either difficult to get, expensive, not up to standard or all 3! Still, Japanese food is delicious, the beer drinkable and the karaoke optional.
The Highest mountain is Asahidake (2290m) which is in a volcanic range that runs 50km north to south in the interior of Hokkaido and has contains the best touring on the island, especially in spring. The access is great, with 2 roads climbing above 1000m leading to various touring possibilities, and a couple of ski hills that can give gondola access to the tree line. The other ranges are the Furano range, highest peak of which is Ashibetsu at 1726m and has some of Hokkaido’s most extreme skiing, with many unskied shutes. Site of an avalanche fatality in 2004/5 and rarely skied, the rest of the range however is more mellow and all below tree line, with some of the best intermediate tree skiing in the world, and vertical drops of close to1000m (3300ft) of solid fall line powder common. The Hidaka Range is the least explored. It receives less snow and the access is harder, but the rewards are big as you will be guaranteed to be the only one amongst the many peaks between 1500-2000m. Finally there are the volcanoes scattered around the island. Mt Yotei, on the coast next to Niseko in the South West, is the most famous. A massive cone, climbing from just above sea level to 1,898m, it is a must do for all self respecting Hokkaido skibums. Clear days are rare however, and when its on there will probably be a few people joining you. But the volcano is big enough to accommodate many more, so fear not. A clear day on Yotei-san, with coastal views and fluffy powder for a leg burning 1500m of vertical, is one of the highlights of Hokkaido.
* Just stay away from the coast, with its crowds and heavy (for Hokkaido) snow. |
