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Ski Touring in Harukayama, Hokkaido

Ski Touring in Harukayama, Hokkaido
Ski Touring in Harukayama, Hokkaido
Ski Touring in Harukayama, Hokkaido
Ski Touring in Harukayama, Hokkaido
Ski Touring in Harukayama, Hokkaido

Hire Akihiro, a JMGA mountain guide for a 2-day ski touring trip on Harukayama, in Hokkaido! Enjoy off-the-beaten track powder known only to local guides.

2 Days

Jan - Mar


Description

Enjoy some remote, low altitude (below 1,000m), deep powder snow runs overlooking the coastlines of Ishikari bay!

Stay at one of the historical and quaint mountain hut with some character, called Ginryousou at the foot of Mt Harukayama. You can ski down to the hut from the summit and treasure the pristine time spent in front of fireplace with lamps.

Required Technical / Fitness Levels
– You must be able to safely ski down ungroomed slopes of 30-35 degrees
– You must be able to hike 2-3 hours per day
– Previous experience not required

Price:
JPY 30,000 – 50,000 per person

Included in Price:-
Guide Fee, Accommodation (to be paid directly at the hut), Breakfasts and Dinners

Excluded from Price:-
Lunch, snacks and any alcoholic beverages

Itinerary:
Day 1: Leave the Guest house and walk to Onze Ski Area. We’ll take a lift up and 2.5 hours hike from the top of the lift will bring us to the summit of Mt Harukayama. Ski from the summit of Mt Harukayama to Ginreiso where we will be staying overnight. Total hours of activity around 4-5 hours.

Day 2: Leave Ginreiso in the morning to head to Mt Harukayama, then to Mt Wausuyama. Ski from the summit, and hike up again to ski down to the Guest house at around 1-2pm. I can drive you to Shinchitose Airport on the same day. Hours of activity around 5 hours.

Info on Ginreiso
There is a guardian at Ginreiso, but no food nor electricity. I will take the food for the group to be cooked for dinner to be eaten by the fireplace.
There are also plenty of blankets, but having summer sleeping bag or a liner bag could increase your comfort level!
Tthe hut is kept warm and cosy at all times as the fireplace is running constantly. The hut sells and serves coffee but nothing else.
Hut has no access to electricity nor tap, but operates on lamps and springs for water nearby. The water is drinkable.
There are 4 rooms with bunkbeds for guests.

Wildlife –
Wild foxes, rabbits and ezo squirrels appear in the proximity of the hut. You can hear the sound of Kumagera pecking trees and owls cry. Climbers and hikers visit the hut for hiking in the summer and for backcountry skiing in the winter.

Location –
To access the hut, you will go to JR Zenibako station, which is located on the border of Sapporo city and Otaru city, get a bus for 10 min, and a further 2.5 hours hike from the start point of the Mt Harukayama hiking passage.

History –
Ginreiso has been used as the “oasis of the mountains” since the beginning of Showa era (1870s). The current Ginreiso was initially constructed by Hokkaido Shinmbun in 1960 and since 1974 Hokkaido Tokai University has been responsible for the maintenance and operation of the hut.

Kit List:

  • Ski gears (skis, boots, skins, avalanche safety gears)

  • Ski wears

  • Down jacket

  • Balaclava

  • Sunglasses

  • Head torch

  • Spare batteries

  • Spare underwears top and bottom

  • Spare socks

  • Bowl / Cutleries (Plate, bowl, Chopsticks, Cutleries e.g. spork for 2 meals, can be disposable)

  • water bottle (at least 1l)

  • lunch on the mountain and snacks

  • face towel

  • hat

  • fleece lined gloves

  • camera

  • travel insurance

  • Other personal items

Price includes


    Details

    More info

    The price ranges between JPY 30000 and 50000 per person.

    Climate: Day light house in Hokkaido during Jan - Feb is Sunrise at 6:30 / 7am and Sunset at 4:30 / 5pm. Temperatures: Niseko, Otaru, Sapporo Area - Average daily low at -8c in Jan/Feb. In the mountains, -10c to -15c. Asahidake, Tokachidake, Teshiodake Area - Very cold in Jan/Feb. Even in Asahikawa City, the average daily low is around -13c and in the mountains it could be as low as or lower than -25c. In both regions, the number of sunny days are very limited. In general, there are more than 25 days of snow in a month.

    Extra Information

    • Please prepare your lunch and snacks before the trip
    • You can leave items that are unnecessary for climbing in my car. However, please take valuables with you
    • It may be necessary to change the itinerary depending on the weather and conditions
    • If you are planning on bringing alcoholic beverages with you, I advise you to bring it in a plastic bottle or platypus.

    Meeting point


    FAQs

    What are some recommended accommodations near our adventure location?

    We understand that finding the perfect place to stay is an essential part of your adventure experience. To help you with this, we’ve curated a list of three highly recommended hotels that offer comfort, convenience, and a touch of local charm. These accommodations are well-suited for adventurers looking to relax and rejuvenate after an exciting day of exploration
    ANA Crowne Plaza Chitose
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    Chitose
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    Japan Hotel Wing International Chitose
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    Chitose
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    Japan Air Terminal Hotel
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    Chitose
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    About the guide

    Guide profile image

    Akihiro

    5.0

    (1)

    Mountain Guide

    I am a JMGA certified Stage II Mountaineering Guide, and am also certified with Technical Rope Rescue license.
    My father’s passion got me started in skiing and mountaineering early in my life - I competed in Cross Country skiing during my high school in universities years at the National level and I’ve been a mountain guide since 1996 when I moved to Hokkaido.
    I also appear regularly in mountain related media such as magazines, TV programmes and radio channels. My favourite guiding activity is backcountry skiing, especially when I guide clients to remote places for untracked powder runs, which are earned by hiking up. Mt Teshiodake is my favourite destination in Hokkaido for this. I also surf in the summer!

    My extensive climbs and expeditions abroad include the Ski descent of Denali, Sea kayak and Ski expedition along Aleutian islands, Sea kayak and ski expedition in Greenland, Himalaya skiing, Climb of Alpamayo south west route, Ski descent of Mt Pisco in Peru, Field assistant in Antarctica over its winter etc.

    I will fully support you on your adventure in this land of north for all four seasons, let it be a pristine powder skiing experience in the world’s best powder snow or the summer mountains or the sea. Whether you are a beginner eager to learn the world of mountains or an experienced mountaineer looking to improve your skills, or an advanced mountain goer keen to enjoy the mountains at the limit of your abilities, I will be very happy to guide you for you to achieve your goals.

    Languages

    Japanese | English

    Certificates

    JMGA

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    What people are saying about this trip

    Katrina

    This a beautiful day and a half tour with views of the ocean behind you and unless it's a weekend you'll likely be the only people on the mountain. The first day didn't involve much skiing, there is a 3 hour hike then skins off and a nice gentle slope down to the hut. Unfortunately this had been tracked out by snowmobilers. So we didn't lap it and got to the hut at 2.30pm. AKI kept us entertained with stories of his incredible experiences from around the world. The second day, the two slopes that we lapped were really playful and not a track in sight! Would highly recommend AKI as a guide and hut is brilliant!


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