What will the coming season at Niseko bring? The season approaches. Niseko Hirafu is set to open November 23. Can’t wait! Think of it - life in the snow all the way thru ‘til Golden Week in May.

On a mountain where the lifts and gondolas run more than twelve hours a day, that’s a lot of boarding. It’s also a lot of hot volcanic spring soaking to pamper complaining muscles. At home, it’s a lot of snow shoveling. Can’t wait! 

What kind of season will ‘00/’01 bring? Last year the powder came on queue in November, but rare blue skies took over towards the end of December. New Year holiday crowds smiled in the sunshine, but missed out on anything more than some knee-deep tree runs. In return, the heavens did their thing a week into January and provided consistent falls pretty much right thru until the end of March. Safe, deep powder in April – there were a lot of grinning faces in town.

Last season nobody died on the mountain. A perfect record for the first time in years. The out-of-bounds issue is a tricky one up here. Officially you are not allowed under the ropes. In reality there are a lot of runs not even fenced-off, and amongst those areas which are marked, 90% of the time the rule is not enforced.

Niseko is advertised as the powder capital. It’s true, it just snows light, dry powder so consistently Dec thru Mar. To promote this amazing gift, then try and keep people on the groomed slopes is an impossibility. Five years ago most of the Japanese skiers did stick to the packed runs, and the number of off-piste riding Westerners in Niseko was few. Today this is not the case, there are a lot more people boasting powder smiles out there. Consequently however, people are going further and further to get freshies. To all of us who go looking for a bit more this season, here’s to thinking about what the snow is doing underfoot, and to preserving that perfect record for another year.

At present we have snow on Mt Yotei and on the top half of Niseko’s mountain "Annupuri". It seems that the prediction of a warm Japanese winter hasn’t affected Hokkaido yet. It’s cold outside! Waking up to frozen puddles of water and slippery roads, the cautious (wise?) ones have already switched to snow tyres. My motorbike went into storage last week. Even now i wonder about the compulsory twelve-month registration and insurance policy for a machine that only moves for half the year. I guess we’re lucky snowmobiles don’t require registration too...

For three months of the year Niseko averages daytime mountain temperatures of minus 10°C. Night skiing can drop down to minus 20. It’s because of this constant cold that the snow conditions stay so good. There is no melting until spring, and thankfully no ice. Falling over in powder doesn’t hurt, but when the temperature of the snow itself is minus 10 or colder, getting a face full can be an awakening experience. I suffered frostbite inside my right nostril two seasons ago – something definitely worth avoiding. The answer is a neck-warmer or facemask. Even in videos, you see most riders floating their way down the mountain with neck-warmers on. It does look a bit scary, but they are well worth it. Preferably made of a fleece material, neck-warmers can be picked up on the mountain or at most stores for 1000-2000 yen.

Goggles go without saying. Sunglasses just don’t work in Niseko (the sun only decides to come out about once a week anyway). If you can find yellow or light orange lenses they work best. Unless you’re coming late Mar/Apr, reflecting lenses tend to cut out too much light, reducing visibility.

For night riding, clear lenses are also popular but tend to fog more easily. If they do fog, if possible resist the tissue wipe – the manufacturer’s antifog coating is far better than anything you can put on later. Take them into the toilets and dry them under the hand-dryers. Secret is when you get onto the gondola between runs, open your jacket, take off your beanie, do whatever is necessary to rid any excess heat. Try not to take your goggles off. Any fog will probably freeze onto the inside of the lenses increasing the hassle. The other tip is when you do Hirafu’s night tree runs (a must!) keep your goggles on. It’s too easy to get face-whipped by innocent looking branches – a fate second only to nostril frostbite.

Clothing-wise thermals and warm gloves are recommended. For boarders, an extra 10cm in board length reduces the burn in your back leg. Setting bindings right back also helps, but can be a bit frightening when you get back onto the hard stuff or if you’re keen on a quick pipe session. For skiers, "fat" or "carving" skis do make things much easier if you plan to get in deep. Powder straps can also save lots of ski searching time.

Niseko rental shops tend to offer pretty good service, quality and price. Most will have a wide range of powder skis, but not many places stock snowboards over 160cm. Also if you’ve got big feet, then it’s worth checking that they’ve got your boot size before you arrive.

The best wax to put on the base of your board is a controversial issue. For starters, snow temperature is cold so warm waxes don’t work. Pick the colder types. On some days, however, due to crystal formation and temperature variances within the snow, not even the coldest graphite waxes work very well. Some locals go thru Jan and Feb with no wax on their boards or skis at all. Others mix two or three different temperature waxes to try and find the right combination. Taking board life into consideration, i believe a bit of wax is a good idea. Safest to get something that suits temperatures around minus 5 to minus 12. Some of the ski/board shops do offer waxing and tuning as well as repairs. Prices vary from 1,000 thru to 10,000+ yen.

More important than wax, as soon as you arrive at your place of accommodation, remember to put your skis/board outside. Until the core temp cools down you’re going to have lots of annoying ice sticking to the bottom as the snow melts then refreezes on your base. Most places where you stay will have a cold room to leave equipment overnight – usually the entrance to your cottage or lodge. Keeping your board cold saves embarrassing moments, like first thing in the morning when you get off the lifts with friends all keen for first tracks, and your perfectly waxed board just refuses to move.

Niseko accommodation is predominantly heated by kerosene. These heaters chug away pretty slowly, but are still responsible for the melting of many a faithful boot-inner or goggle. Better to give them a bit of space. Most good accommodation will also have a drying room.

The fun of Niseko’s powder festival extends off the mountain with a great range of restaurants and bars. Credit cards are accepted most places now, but don’t be caught out by the complete absence of ATM machines. Apart from slippery roads, the only other nasty thing to avoid is the hundreds of kilos of ice that intermittently slides off roofs onto whoever is standing below. Under roof eves is not a good place to have a long conversation.

Stay warm and safe, and i’ll see ya out there! Oh, and definitely do the night tree runs, but best to look at the line you want to take, not at the trees as you ride thru...they’re not as soft as the powder.