Japan beta (Niseko?)

[Lindahl]

Been talking about going to Japan with my dad for a little while now - sounds like we're finally going to make it happen. Friends of the family are out there around the same time near Niseko at Woodpecker Lodge at Moiwa. I guess there's 3 other resorts nearby too? My dad is leaning in that direction, just because we'll know some people that have been there before.

Don't know dick about the area. Sounds like sidecoutry can get tricky, legally speaking - how does it work out there? Beta on what kind of offpiste terrain, snow and sidecountry I can expect?

Dad doesn't jump off stuff anymore, but fun playful terrain with optional pillows would be the tits for me. Good place or bad place for that?

If we don't want to meet up with friends, how does the rest of Hokkaido compare - cost, travel, snow and terrain wise?

[the_big_lepowski]

Search function and snowjapan.com

[RonMexico]

I'll bump this as we just booked a flight for late January.

Lindahl - would love to share information as it becomes available from various sources. The couple pieces of advice I've received have been 1) rent a car 2) the National Park in the area (not sure of name, but will try to find out) is supposed to have awesome backcountry options.

I know Niseko is actually made up of four different resorts. Rusustu gets a fair amount of hype and seems to be about 30mins away from the Niseko area.

Can I also point out that finding any sort of usable information on most Japanese websites seems nearly impossible...

[Goatski]

Moiwa is chill, and separate from the rest of Niseko. Not sure about their boundaries.

Niseko is a shit-show but also can be worth it. Made of 4 "separate" resorts. I did pretty well with the hourly Niseko Grand Hirafu & Hanazano lift pass which allowed for longer sidecountry tours off the top/backside. I think it is also the easiest summit access... but you have to wait until patrol opens it (which I think was 9:30-10, closes at like 2...) I was also there for 2 weeks so I could be choosy about when to go out & for how long.

There are some definite no-go zones between the 4 resorts, and I even heard possible deportation if busted. We still did it, but study your glide cracks first. Seriously, those things are whack. Saw 4 other tracks in there besides us over the 2 weeks.

Explore the backside NE and beyond of Niseko, traverse back to Hanazono. It can get socked in from the sea, and it can be rime-y above the trees, which was tough when we tried to outlast a storm on a tour. There is an onsen behind Niseko & Moiwa.

Didn't go to Rusutsu, heard it was more pillowy. Kiroro is a thing too. If you had a car you could find endless playgrounds. Oh yeah, and Yotei for a volcano tour.

Don't miss Kutchan town (kooch-town) for groceries, post office & a cool restaurant on mainstreet. Watch out for Aussies !

[Dhelihiker]

bring a snorkel?

[sf]

Niseko is a shit-show but also can be worth it. Watch out for Aussies !

Pretty much sums it up. Niseko itself isn't super gnarly but can still be a lot of fun. Everything you can traverese to on a snowboard gets destroyed pretty quickly.

Moiwa is very nice, but the bus connection is a bit funky. They enforce the same rules as Niseko. As in: if it's open it's open, but if you ski in areas closed due to conditions you'll have a problem. Moiwa also has a couple of places where you can end up in the wrong drainage --> long hike back. Moiwa is also a bit more exposed to winds from the sea, so it closes frequently. At least when we were there last January.

We ended up doing the same things most of the days. 1. Get on a early bus to Hanazono (part of Niseko), ski Strawberry fields (open trees, small pillows, 35-40') until it's skied out. 2. Try to get the timing right and be the first ones out of the gates further up, ski laps from gate 5 or 4 and back to lift 2 (10min hike). 3. Eat lunch, have a beer. 4. Do what Goatski says.

From my point of view Hanazono is the best, pretty good terrain and less people. We didn't ski the backside due to weather and avy conditions. The thing that freaked me out wasn't always the conditions themselves, but the idea a thousand Aussie snowboarders dropping in on top of me. Most of them have absolutely no clue what they're doing. And yeah, of course some of them do, but most don't.

We also did some sledskiing with this guy. http://http://www.parpowparadise.com...wparadise.html Might be worth it for the experience, the terrain itself is pretty average, but the guy running it is a lot of fun. 50 year old swedish restafari. If you go, be sure to be with a group that won't hold you back. You'll ski the same terrain anyhow, but it will really cut down on how many laps you'll get in.

[Black Ops Valdez]

Hey Lindahl,

One of our heli guides, Andy Brooks, guides and lives in Japan for most of the year. One thing I have herd him talk about a lot is how the sidecountry is very tricky. Skiing in any of the trees and sidecountry can be off limits depending on where you are at. It is a sacred part of their culture, and the ski patrol does not allow anyone to ski in the trees, or leave the ski area, depending on what ski area you are at. Also, I have herd the avalanche danger can be high there especially after big storms, so just be careful going into a foreign zone. Just stay away from the big lines, and try to make friends with the locals. All the Japanese people we have met in Alaska have a great attitude, and are very open and helpful, if they speak english. Might as well try and get in contact with Andy who is apart of Black Diamond Tours, or just come meet him/us in Valdez this spring. Good luck!

-BOV

[neck beard]

Lots of ski areas rope off trees across Japan. But...

It is a sacred part of their culture

This is a myth as far I know. There are loads of Japanese skiing in trees outside resorts.

[BFD]

black ops your post is ridiculous. nice spam for your buddy Andy. I have only skied the resort once. The stuff roped off were areas that could end up in ravines and terrain traps. There is nothing tricky about the snow pack. Big lines really do not exist in Niseko. maybe stick with your 20 snotels you use in AK.

[Mike Pow]

Been talking about going to Japan with my dad for a little while now - sounds like we're finally going to make it happen. Friends of the family are out there around the same time near Niseko at Woodpecker Lodge at Moiwa. I guess there's 3 other resorts nearby too? My dad is leaning in that direction, just because we'll know some people that have been there before.

The Niseko United ski area is the biggest, most developed and most popular in that part of Hokkaido.

Four base areas - Niseko Annupuri, Niseko Village, Niseko Grand Hirafu and Niseko Hanazono - are distinct, but all share a summit peak. Travel between the base areas is possible using a Niseko United all mountain ticket. And by road - car and/or bus.

You can also just purchase tickets for the individual areas at a lower cost.

Niseko Moiwa is a smaller ski area beside but not linked to Niseko Annupuri. Although it is possible to ski between these two areas by exiting the Backcountry gates.

Don't know dick about the area. Sounds like sidecoutry can get tricky, legally speaking - how does it work out there? Beta on what kind of offpiste terrain, snow and sidecountry I can expect?

Niseko United and Niseko Moiwa operate a backcountry gate system. There is avalanche condition observation but no control work - except for the Mizuno Sawa area of Niseko Village.

There is no requirement to carry avalanche safety equipment or ski with a partner.

Considering the frequency and volume of snow the area receives the snowpack is pretty stable throughout the winter. Very few slides occur, but if they do it invariably ends badly. Either through burial or getting put through the ringer in the trees.

Dad doesn't jump off stuff anymore, but fun playful terrain with optional pillows would be the tits for me. Good place or bad place for that?

If we don't want to meet up with friends, how does the rest of Hokkaido compare - cost, travel, snow and terrain wise?

Rusutsu is about 40-60 minutes drive from Niseko Moiwa, depending on road and weather conditions.

Less people, less open and above treeline terrain. Very little beyond the boundary skiing. Plenty of terrain and powder to keep you happy.

60-75 minutes from Niseko Moiwa are Sapporo Kokusai and Kiroro.

Both definitely worth a visit. Different vibe, different terrain, less people, great snow.

Pics and vids of the above mentioned areas in this thread from last season. Grab a beer it'll take a while

SR : HokkaidOH! 2013/14
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...ight=hokkaidoh

[brannen]

rent a car. use a tour company if you want to get some side and backcountry. dont be an asshole like some of these guys and duck the ropes to ski the closed zones. this only makes the locals attitude worse and makes it even harder to ever get that stuff open to the public.

get in shape before you go, the snow is deeeeeeeep

[Mike Pow]

dont be an asshole like some of these guys and duck the ropes to ski the closed zones. this only makes the locals attitude worse and makes it even harder to ever get that stuff open to the public.

Amen to that.