Japan

Small Group Guided Backcountry trips to the best snow in the world...

When we first started out exploring Japan we had heard about the powder, the people, the onsens, the sushi , the snow monkeys, the temples, and of course... #Japow. What we didn't understand was that this once off adventure would become an evolving obsession worth returning to every season. If waking up 100 feet from the lifts or skin track, skiing bell to bell each day, relaxing in mineral hotsprings, enjoying fresh, healthy food served by locals, and sipping on sake before falling asleep only  to do it all over again sounds intriguing... read on.

We offer trips to a region in the southern island of Honshu that offers some of the greatest quantity and rate of snowfall anywhere in Japan and the world. The terrain of Honshu is a bit more interesting and expansive than Hokkaido… we love it here.

We base out of the Gozan Lodge in the small town of Suginosawa situated 100 meters from lifts accessing massive Mount Myoko.

After assessing the days current conditions and avalanche hazard we plan each day's tour and decide which combination of surface lifts, quads, and gondolas to use to get near the alpine. Given the snowy nature of this region we tend to spend most of our time touring and skiing in the beautiful Beech and Birch forests of Honshu. These beautiful pastel barked trees provide the backdrop and visual reference required when skiing in Japan's signature bottomless storm snow. When weather and avalanche hazard allow we can get incredibly long runs, around 3500-4000' of downhill, with relatively little uphill input due to the lift infrastructure surrounding our zone.

Some days avalanche hazard prohibits us from venturing into the more committing terrain of the Myoko massif. On these days we may ski shorter laps and utilize the lifts to ski on piste. The goal is to cross as few tracks as possible and utilize skis, splitboards, and skins, to stay off the beaten track. Again, the deciduous forests are our ally in accessing the backcountry during these higher hazard stormy days with snowfall rates exceeding 5-10cm per hour.

On rare sunny days without new snow, we can venture higher into the alpine above the lift structure and explore the summit crater and find some of the steeper terrain reminiscent of the Washington Cascades and SE Alaska.

Our lodge is situated as a ski in ski/out style just out of the main "hustle" of Akaura Onsen. Delicious food and moderate nightlife abounds with mostly local owned restaurants and a surprising variety of food and drink options.

No day is complete without a relaxing soak in the local onsen. In addition to soaking the sore muscles from thousands of vertical feet of skiing, the mineral waters of the onsen provide a chance to silently debrief the day... something we don't often make time for here at home. We have our favorite spring but we leave it up to you to explore the many mineral hot springs available in and just out of town.

After a few days of this, we settle into the rhythm of the trip. Wake, eat, ski, soak, eat, sleep, repeat. Ease of access, nonstop smiles, and perfect snow are the hallmarks of this trip.