1-7 days Sapporo Based Backcountry Skiing

Explore Hokkaido’s deep dry powder skiing from the heart of Sapporo! Stay at my cozy guesthouse with a ‘mountain lodge’ feel and ski / ride the best snow in Hokkaido.

Winter mountains in Sapporo are very popular among mountaineers and local climbers. They are not high in altitude but have very high quality snow.

As a local JMGA guide from Sapporo, I will guide you all around the numerous local Sapporo ski area during this tour. This is a group programme, so the price will change depending on the total number of participants on the day.

I will pick the best powder mountain for backcountry skiing according to the weather, snow and mountain conditions. We’ll enjoy a mixture of hike-ups and lift assessed side-country skiing.

Besides, we will relax in an Onsen (Japanese hot spring) at the end and enjoy the abundant fresh local cuisine in Sapporo!

I offer this trip on a daily basis and you can join from 1 day up to 7 days.

Guests can stay at my cozy mountain lodge type hotel. There is a counter top which is made of 350-year-old Japanese spruce. This lodge for wanderers was basically handmade by me and my friends, using Hokkaido’s local lumbers.

From here to Susukino, which is the most famous entertainment area in Hokkaido, there are only 3 minutes on foot. Thus, this is a perfect base for those wishing to explore the less explored Sapporo powder snow and wanting to enjoy the nightlife of Sapporo too.

Main skiing area in Sapporo

Here are some of the spots we can visit on this trip:

Local mountains in Sapporo (average 800-1,800m): Mt. Yoichi (1,488m), Asari, Sapporo Kokusai, Mt. Teine (1,023m), Mt. Shakotan (1,255m), Mt. Yotei (1,898m), Rusutsu, Niseko (1,308m), etc.

Average hike-up duration will be 2-4 hours. We usually have 2-5 powder runs but it depends on the mountain and weather conditions.

Are you interested in this backcountry ski trip in Sapporo area? Send a request to join a group for this trip and get ready for a wonderful experience! 

Useful information for rental Gears

Please prepare your own gear as much as possible (you’ll find a complete kit list below). However, if you could not bring yours, the following items can be rented by prior arrangement. There is always a risk of avalanche for all backcountry mountain activities. In order to execute a fast and structured rescue operation following an avalanche incident, it is crucial that all participants of backcountry skiing / snowboarding tours carry a set of 3 avalanche safety gears – ‘beacon, probe, and a shovel’.

Please let me know which gears you would like to rent when you contact me. 

ItemRental Price per dayBeaconJPY 1,000ShovelJPY 500ProbeJPY 500Snowshoe (for snowboarders)JPY 1,000Extendible polesJPY 500Backpack to strap skis or snowboardsJPY 500ALL of aboveJPY 3,000Gloves / GogglesJPY 500Gore-tex hard shell jacket and pantsJPY 1,000Skis with tour-able bindings and skinsJPY 2,000

Gentemstick Snowboard Demo Centre

Gentemstick is a Niseko based Snowboard brand, famous for riding powder like surfing.

Gentemstick snowboardJPY 3,000 per day
JPY 4,000 for 2 daysGentemstick Splitboard (without bindings)JPY 3,000 per day
JPY 4,000 for 2 daysKarakoram bindings for splitboardJPY 500 per day
JPY 1,000 for 2 daysSkins for splitboardJPY 1,000 per day
JPY 1,500 for 2 days

(These split boards I’m renting usually cost around USD 1000-1500 per board!)