Guided Ski Touring in Japan
Join Mark Klassen for a guided powder skiing or snowboarding adventure to the legendary deep snow and mystical forests of Japan. I have eight years experience skiing in Japan, exploring areas like Niseko and Furano on Hokkaido but Hakuba is my favourite area to tour in Japan!
Our 2024 trips are now full. If you are interested in getting on the 2024 waitlist, or want to join our 2025 Hakuba trips please email me for information.
If you want to get excited about skiing in Japan, check out the photo gallery:
Face shots on Tengupara
THE TRIP
We will spend 6 days exploring all the best touring and off piste zones. Some days we will access the backcountry with lifts in the morning and on others we will tour from the road.
Japan is well known for its incredible snow and fantastic terrain but to top this all off we base in the incredible Motoi Lodge, situated in a secluded forest near the base of Tsugaike ski area. The Motoi is one of the all-time favourite accommodations for all my guests, and I consider it one of the premier ski lodges anywhere.
Japow!
THE SNOW
I have never seen it snow anywhere like I have seen in Japan. The snow is incredible, once a northerly flow sets up across the Sea of Japan we can expect cold powder dumps of 5-50 cm a day for days on end! My first night ever in Japan it snowed 65 cm in town overnight!
In between these systems you can get clear weather, which would allow us to travel further afield and to higher elevations. We can also get a (usually) shorter-lived warm system where the snow is denser but still good skiing. This warm system often precedes the colder snow, which sets up well for more stable avalanche conditions.
Heading out for another day of touring
THE TERRAIN
The terrain in Hakuba is the best I have seen in Japan. The defining feature here is the forest. It is truly special to experience skiing through the buna and dake-kamba trees. There is also open alpine terrain at higher elevations that give big, steep runs. Some of our trips will start at one of the various ski areas with a ride up the lifts and we start our tour from top. The last run may be down the piste. We will also tour straight from from the roadside.
Expect trips that involve an average of 1200 m elevation gain over the day and 6-8 hours in duration. This may include several shorter runs or one long one.
Sushi night
THE LODGE
Motoi Lodge is in a quiet forest near the Tsugaike ski area, about 15 minutes drive from Hakuba. It is run by Hajime Kobayashi and his family. The Motoi is a small, traditional, family-run inn. It is intimate, cosy and serves an outstanding menu.
It has a similar vibe to a backcountry lodge in BC. Breakfasts and dinners are at the lodge and are included in the price. The food is an outstanding blend of traditional and modern Japanese cuisine prepared by “O-Kamisan”, who was trained in France.
For more Hakuba pics please go to my Facebook albums: 2015 / 2016 Week 1 / 2016 Week 2 / 2019 / 2020
THE NITTY GRITTY
PREREQUISITES
You need to have done some previous ski touring or split boarding and be able to ride powder in the trees. If you have backcountry touring experience and are comfortable with a black diamond run at a ski hill then you will enjoy this trip!
DESCRIPTION
An all-inclusive 6-day powder ski touring / split boarding trip to Hakuba, Japan.
LOCATION
Hakuba is on the island of Honshu. It is a 3 to 5 hour journey from Tokyo via train, bus, or airport shuttle.
DATES 2024 - no spaces availble - Contact Me to get on a waitlist
Trip 1: January 21-26, 2024 (6 days skiing) FULLY BOOKED
Trip 2: January 28-February 2, 2024 (6 days of skiing) FULLY BOOKED
Dates 2025
Tentative 2025 dates are:
Trip 1: January 25-31
Trip 2: February 2-7
PRICE
The 2025 price is still unconfirmed, but expect between C$3500 and $3800.
The price includes:
Two guides
Transport once you arrive in Hakuba
Lift tickets
Accommodation
Breakfast
Dinner
All taxes