ski hokkaido – SASS Global Travel

Japan Powder Discovery Trip: Week 1

We are here in Japan on a discovery trip with some of our favorite clients to find out what everyone has been talking about. For years, we have been discussing the possibility of opening a new SASS trip in Japan. Our plan was to put together a trip based on the advice that many seasoned Japan skiers and snowboarders have been offering us over the years as well as some preliminary recon of our own. We decided to bring along a select group of some of our favorite SASS family members to gain feedback and see which spots put the biggest smile on their faces.

Our Japan Program Page

For the first week our itinerary was loose and we freestyled our way around the north island of Hokkaido hitting as many spots as possible…

The crew met up in Sapporo and were immediately introduced to traditional Japanese cuisine in order to fuel up for the coming powder filled days.

After deciding that the snow wasn’t up to snuff at Sapporo Teine, we switched it up and spent our first day at Sapporo Kokusai. Kokusai was the perfect warm-up to skiing in Japan. 15 cms of new snow, perfectly spaced trees and simple sidecountry access gave us the opportunity to shred and get through some beacon drills to refresh everyone’s memory.

Next we headed straight for the Niseko area with our eyes set on the lesser-known Moiwa ski area. It simply wouldn’t stop snowing for the next three days. We spent the first two lapping through the top gate of Moiwa playing in the trees, jumping off of pillows and avoiding the crowds of the famous Niseko United resorts. Despite our love for Moiwa’s privacy and ski-in-ski-out access, we wanted to explore what Niseko United had to offer as well. We dipped over to Niseko Annupuri to get a few laps in the morning. Our recently discovered off-piste zones delivered newly deposited knee-deep freshness and the crowds seemed to be unaware of their existence. Skipping over the less desirable terrain of Niseko Village and Grand Hirafu, we continued to wrap around all the way to Niseko Hanazono for more stashes of gate-accessed side-country that we had all to ourselves.

After two days of heavy snowfall and sun in the forecast (a rarity at a ski area that seems to get endless strings of daily dumps) we made the short drive from the base of Moiwa to Rusutsu. The sun was out and the famous Japanese powder was deep. The views from the top almost distracted us from the blower that was to be had below. The recon we did before the trip began proved effective as we spent the day shaking our heads unable to believe that every day just kept getting better.

We snuck in one more unforgettable day at Moiwa as it began to feel more and more like home (plus the surprise 20cms didn’t hurt). Next we head north to Asahidake for some backcountry missions Japan style…

Our Japan Program Page

Japan Powder Recon Trip

After years of hearing about the magic that is skiing and snowboarding in Japan, we finally decided to see what all of the fuss is about in order to create a new SASS Global Travel experience in the future. We spent the fall months researching the ski areas, terrain and weather in Japan, spending hours on the phone with experienced skiers and riders who have spent time all over both islands on piste and in the backcountry. Our resources were vast thanks to the eternal SASS Family. Next we set up a flexible itinerary for a select group of core clients, but first we obviously had to get feet on the ground.

Our Japan Program Page

I was the first one to hit Japanese soil. Heading straight for Hokkaido, my mission was to check out as many areas as possible to get an idea of the Japanese ski terrain and how it would relate to our future clients. Hitting up Sapporo Kokusai for untouched deserted laps, I was properly introduced to skiing in Japan. I raced to the biggest, steepest pillow line I saw from the gondola worried it would get skied if I didn’t capitalize on it early. After figuring out the convoluted moves required to stand atop it, I soon realized that no one ever went within 100 meters of that zone (probably due to the maze required to get there). Totally worth it.

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Now even more excited for the months to come, I took the train over to the more famous Niseko area, known for its abundance of snow and the close proximity of its numerous ski areas. It was somewhat difficult to get the lay of the land due to the amount of snow falling from the sky and hitting me in the face. It snowed over two meters in the first three days. Utilizing on a few brief patches of clear sky and lots of pow laps, I figured out the lay of the land at Moiwa, Niseko Annupuri and the rest of the Niseko United resorts. All of Moiwa seemed to be a secret stash, but the rest of the resorts required a bit more work before I put together a strong lists of must-hit-earlies, wait-til-laters, and seemingly-undiscovereds.

Watching the weather I chose the right day to take a shuttle over to Rusutsu (high on the recommendation list) for the deepest day of my life. Snow was packing up my nose so much on every turn on the first run that I literally got brain freeze from all the Japan powder. No Joke. Nipple deep, free refills and playful terrain made for an unreal day. I also figured out where to pass powder for way more powder for future reference. Also this happened:

The crew started getting bigger when SASS family member and helpful shred partner, Gabe Ciafre met me in Sapporo. The next day The Lucas and David Burg, logistics guru, joined us. A three-hour-left-side-of-the-road drive later and we were up at Asahidake to check out the lesser known, unpatrolled, off-piste, backcountry tramway. We were not disappointed by the 30 cms of new snow that morning. Asahidake delivered coldsmoke all day and it even went bluebird in the afternoon allowing us to push onto the further ridges for longer pitches. Plus it gave me the opportunity to get this dope shot of Gabe in Japan powder:

Day two at Asahidake was spent on skins with a thwarted attempt (thanks wind) at some of the volcano lines that rise up above the tramway. We still skinned around to figure out how far we can push it and what it requires to get back. The day added some less-than-obvious ridges and numerous pillow zones to our bag of tricks.

Oh, and we found a bar made of ice…

Back in Sapporo, Gabe and I went on a scouting mission over at Teine and found some serious lines that everyone seems to avoid as well as some more playful tree skiing all with views overlooking the city.

With more time later in the the trip scheduled for backcountry recon, now that we know the lay of the land it’s time to test out our knowledge on some eager clients…

Our Japan Program Page

15% on Japan Powertrip During October!

Hey boys and girls! Our trip to the Black Diamond Lodge in Niseko, Japan generated some serious interest during our launch – many of you saw the light and now want to go to the Far East and shred deep, light, untracked lines, pillows, and trees this winter with one of the most unique outposts in the shred world.

This could be you come December… JP Auclair P: David Levin

Well to motivate you a little bit, we’re offering a 15% discount on the Power Trip – your own all-terrain vans, guides, and backcountry touring gear to do and go wherever you want to go shred on the island of Hokkaido for 7 days – you basically roll like a pro on a week-long mission. There are still spots available for the final Power Trip going down Jan. 22-29, so check out the details or call us a 1.800.851.4660 to book – the discount is good only until the end of the month!!

This van, and those guides, could be yours for a week.

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JP & Chris Benchetler on their own Power Trip…