BACKCOUNTRY SKIING HOKKAIDO; The Northern Island

This showcases one of our backcountry days with good weather and great snow. We have a lot of days here in Hokkaido with overcast and snowy days, so to see some sun and blue skies in the afternoon made it quite special.

I was out with a local friend who operates a coffee shop in the next town. In his younger days, he had spent seasons in Europe and New Zealand backcountry skiing and touring. Originally hailing from Shizuoka Prefecture, the location of Japan’s iconic Mt Fuji, he chose to settle in Central Hokkaido for the amazing snow quality.

I often rib him for having what we would be regarded as super skinny skis for the depth of powder that we are often skiing here. At 70- 80 mm at the center, this particular width may not be so unusual for touring in Europe, but in Hokkaido you would usually see 100-115mm widths. Having spent his youth ski racing, he has great technique and so could ski on two planks and still make it look effortless.

But it also says something of the quality of the powder in Hokkaido. Low humidity levels and cold temperatures often produce fairy dust that is a dream to ski, so even someone with less than an ideal technique will ski well. Sometimes we refer to it as ‘Hero Snow.’

We skied three great descents today and around 1,000 vertical meters of skiing and three different aspects with excellent skiing quality.

Hokkaido Powder Guides operates privately guided backcountry ski trips in Hokkaido, Japan.
Website: www.hokkaidopowderguides.com
Email: [email protected]

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Our friend's coffee shop can be found in Naka-Furano and is highly recommended.   / sugiyamacoffee