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Winter Adventures and Ski Touring in Hokkaido

Hokkaido is a winter wonderland from mid-December to late-April. Masses of dry powder fall around the island. In this section of the website, I share some of my trips into the Hokkaido backcountry in winter. Ski touring, mountain huts, GPS route files, and trip reports.

Described in the guidebook as some of the best backcountry skiing in the Sapporo area, we had to give Mt. Kimobetsu a go this season. We had hoped for better weather, but despite the near-whiteout conditions at the summit, the snow conditions on the way down the southwestern ridge were […]

Mt. Kimobetsu Ski Touring – Southern Ridge Route (Hokkaido, Japan)

4 Feb, 2017

The approach to Mt. Soranuma-dake (空沼岳 – 1,251m) is a convoluted mess of topography which doesn’t lend well for great downhill skiing. Don’t let that put you off though. The old forester’s outpost Bankei Hut (万計山荘) is worth the effort, and the national park landscape is magical. We did the […]

Mt. Soranuma-dake Overnight Ski Tour (Hokkaido, Japan)

8 Jan, 2017

When Chitose City in Hokkaido, Japan, finally gets enough snow (around the beginning of January), the local ski field grinds into action. The tow-rope lift is a brutal contraption, but once you’re used to it, the 60yen per ride (or a whopping 500yen for a day-pass) feels like the bargain […]

Chitose City Ski Field: A one-run wonder micro-resort

27 Dec, 2016

The circuit track around Lake Hangetsu, at the foot of Mt. Yotei, is hardly the place for alpine skis. But with an abundance of bird-life at the trailhead, good views, and just enough elevation gain to make the second half fun, this is a great spot for honing the kick-and-glide […]

Hangetsu Lake Circuit: A fun side-trip on skis

26 Dec, 2016

Mt. Iwaonupuri (1,116m, curiously also marked as Mt. Io in English) – the smaller sister to Niseko’s Mt. Annupuri, sits to the northwest of the bustling ski slopes of Hirafu. It is a long circular drive to get there though, so it is a great way to get away from […]

Mt. Iwaonupuri (Mt. Io): A ski tour day-trip at the ...

25 Dec, 2016

Mt. Chisenupuri (チセヌプリ) is one of the classic Niseko-area backcountry ski locations. At the lower reaches is the Chisenupuri ski area, closed since 2013 (but re-opened for cat-skiing in December 2016). Word on the ground (when we did this trip in December 2016) is that the cat-skiing operation (run by […]

Chisenupuri Ski Area ski touring (near Niseko, Japan)

25 Dec, 2016

Mt. Izari-dake (漁岳) is situated just 60 minutes to the southwest of Sapporo by car, and overlooks some of the best caldera-rim scenery in the area. For the last hour and a half of the (steep) climb up on the open ridge, the route offers expansive views towards Mt. Eniwa, […]

Hokkaido Ski Touring: Mt. Izari-dake (1,318m) half-day spring backcountry tour

26 Apr, 2016

Mt. Tokushubetsu – the mountain with the impossibly complex Japanese characters (徳舜瞥山) – is one of those classic Hokkaido backcountry hills. Similar to Mt. Shakotan further northeast, it makes for a fairly straight-forward half-day spring trip – one that beginners and experienced skiers will enjoy. Rick, Jeff and I headed […]

Hokkaido Ski Touring: Mt. Tokushunbetsu (1,309m) half-day spring ski tour

17 Apr, 2016

Dirk looked at me with wide eyes. “You have your PhD defense on Monday, and you want to go ski touring in the weekend?” But how could I not. The boys from France would be nearby, and they were up for exploring. And what can be better to take one’s […]

Hokkaido Ski Touring: Mt. Sandan-yama and Maetokachi-dake (Tokachi region)

24 Jan, 2016

Introduction The vast majority of photos that I take are taken outdoors, during human-powered adventures. My style of photo in particular is one that captures humans in natural environments, engaged in some form of movement or activity in those natural environments. It might be dusty, cold, raining, or snowing. Regardless […]

Adventure Photography: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mirrorless Camera Long Term Review

22 Jan, 2016

The Yama-no-ie Hut, tucked below Mt. Okuteine on the outer reaches of Sapporo City, is everything you can expect from a mountain hut managed by largely ambivalent Japanese university students: dingy, messy, and a glowing red-hot potbelly stove kept that way by the intrepid first-year students who hauled the coal […]

Hokkaido Ski Touring: Mt. Okuteine, Yama-no-ie Hut and Mt. Tsuge ...

17 Jan, 2016

Given it’s close proximity to Sapporo City, I had expected Ginreiso Hut, at the foot of Mt. Haruka, to be bustling for our overnight trip on the 3rd of January. In the end, our group of four were the only ones to make the short 3 hour climb. We had […]

Overnight backcountry ski trip to Ginreiso Hut (Mt. Harukayama, Hokkaido, ...

3 Jan, 2016

Since moving to Hokkaido here in northern Japan, I’ve been getting more and more into enjoying the winter backcountry hills here. So, I finally got around to attending a two-day avalanche awareness course, run by Whiteroom Tours in Niseko. Overall it was an extremely professional, thorough course with an instructor […]

Whiteroom Tours Avalanche Awareness Course (Niseko, Hokkaido, Japan)

18 Dec, 2015

“It feels like the depth of winter in January!” Rick exclaimed as we set off into the hills, wading through deep, soft snow. Rick had suggested this trip, leaving from the Nakayama Pass rest area 2 hours southwest of Sapporo City, in order to see what the early winter conditions […]

November snowshoe trip towards Kimobetsu-dake (Nakayama Pass, Hokkaido, Japan)

6 Dec, 2015

With a gradual approach and nothing technical, Mt. Shakotan (1,255m) is a beginner back-country skier’s dream. And being the highest spot on the sprawling Shakotan Peninsula, the views are some of the best in western Hokkaido. Perfect for a very late spring season trip to the mountains, only a few […]

Hokkaido Back Country Skiing: Mt. Shakotan (Fumi Route)

29 Apr, 2015

Mt. Yoichi (1,488m) is the highest peak within the Sapporo City limits. Despite this, it is extremely accessible – it overlooks Kiroro Ski Resort, so take the ski lift to the resorts upper reaches, and you’re more or less there. But to truly experience Mt. Yoichi’s enchanting snowy wilderness, the […]

Hokkaido Back Country Skiing: Mt. Yoichi (Akai-kawa Route)

4 Apr, 2015

Mt. Fuppushi (1,102m), around 60km due south of Sapporo City, is the oft-overlooked big brother to his shorter sibling Mt. Tarumae (1,041m). But while everyone gapes at Mt. Tarumae’s smoldering cork, Mt. Fuppushi awaits the more intrepid climber, keen to tackle something steeper and more off the beaten track; it […]

Hokkaido Back Country Skiing: Mt. Fuppushi (Kitaone Route)

28 Mar, 2015