Power Trip

Skiing and riding in Japan is one of the most unique experiences on Earth, with crazy pillows, cliff drops, completely untouched tree rides, and quite possibly the best night skiing on Earth. SASS Global Travel and the world-famous Black Diamond Lodge compliment Niseko’s crazy terrain by providing one of the most unique guiding operations in the world. Options range from in-bounds and “slackcountry” tours at local resorts like Rusutsu and Higashiyama and the infamous Teine Highlands to the aptly-named PowerTrip sets you up with touring equipment and two dedicated jacked-up all-terrain van and two guides. This allows you to explore the gnar in-bounds, out-of-bounds, off the road, off the back of the resort with car laps, up skin tracks; whatever and however much riding you can handle. In addition, the BD Lodge has its own terrain park in the backyard should you need to get your jib fix in between overhead pow runs.  SGT is proud to be the exclusive North America vendor of Black Diamond trips.

Designed only for the most serious skiers and riders out there, this is the type of holiday that you go back to work to recover from. We will put as much into one week as possible and guarantee that you will be riding the deepest snow on the island all week long. With no set itinerary, we follow the snow to the best of the best over seven days.

[blockquote]Equipped with a full set of backcountry touring equipment, 2 lifted 4×4 vehicles and 2 certified backcountry guides the options are almost limitless.[/blockquote] We will be able to tap every available option at all the resorts we visit including car shuttle runs off the back side of several resorts. Along the way, we can pull up to build kickers or hit some classic roadside pillow lines. Following the ski days we will take you to the best restaurants, hot springs, and of course out on the town to investigate the Japanese night life.

It is unlikely that we will spend more than one or two nights in any given hotel and expect at least some driving every day because the key to keeping up with the snow is mobility – so pack light and be prepared for plenty of early mornings… and late nights.

This trip is all about you – so who knows how things will unfold, but one thing is for sure – this will be one hell of an excursion. We keep costs to a minimum in an effort to accommodate the real ski bums out there. There is no better value for skiing in Japan.

All of the resorts visited on this trip, including Niseko, Rusutsu, Sapporo Kokusai and Kurodake, offer great backcountry ski terrain along with spectacular inbouds, off-piste areas.  This means that depending on the weather, we can decide on the amount of hiking versus lift accessed skiing.  If we’re dealing with snowy, white out conditions, chances are the inbounds riding is the place to be.  Alternatively, if it’s bluebird and hasn’t snowed for a few days, we’ll get the goods beyond the ropes.  With more of an emphasis on hiking and getting further into the backcountry than the PowerTrip, this is for the skier or rider who wants to get deep into the Japanese woods.