hokkaido Hokkaido Touring 2013

[agillgren 13]

Thanks guys. Sadly the Chitose snow clearing army are too good and we managed to get out (did have fingers crossed for a cancellation till Saturday) . Back home to 35 degrees today- not pleasant. It was pretty cool seeing 6 or more snow clearers speeding around the runway at a once though.

 

We didn't end up getting to Moiwa this time round. We've had couple of awesome days there on previous trips so we know to keep it on the books for next time round (everyone else seemed to disappear out the gates leaving the inbound trees and groomers all alone). The morning was windy with no new snow so we opted to go through Sapporo and check the snow festival instead-- for the record looking at ice sculptures whilst in the snow is cold. A few funny ones but I must be getting less impressed with snow as I remember enjoying it more our first year here.

 

It was a fantastic trip - summary 13 days on the slopes at 10 different resorts. The friendliness and welcoming nature of the people we met made the trip a pleasure and a lot easier than I expected to find our way around - despite not speaking any Japanese. The GPS made getting around super easy too. Not sure of the exact plan for next trip -- but would definitely rent a car and keep exploring.

[surfarthur 22]

How did you find the car / driving on the snow and ice? I am pretty keen on a similar sort of trip, but my better half is not keen on hiring a car in Japan due partly to the snow and partly to navigating.

 

Thanks for an awesome trip report

[agillgren 13]

The car thing was much easier than I thought. With the snow/ice you just had to be careful and adjust your speed - and more so start braking much earlier than normal and turn at very slow speeds. With that said it took us about 20min to realise that none of the Japanese stick to the 50km/h speed limits -- I would have thought they have speed cameras there but didn't seem like it as we had buses fly by (so we speed up a little too). The roads are cleared very well-- so we didn't have any problems there. Only time we had to dig our way out was from a parking sport in Niseko after the snow plow machine nicely hemmed us in--- note don't try ram your way through when this happens. That doesn't work.

 

The navigation was super easy with the english GPS. For most places (ski resorts, main hotels ect.) I could just type the name (in English) and it would find it. For smaller places you code use a "map code" or the local phone number. The only tricky part is in the cities when there are traffic lights every 50m it can be difficult to know which "right" turn they are talking about - but you get used to it.

[surfarthur 22]

Thanks

[Andrew59 0]

In regards the GPS I've had really good results using my Garmin Nuvi with an "english" Japan map software that I downloaded from the net a few years ago. I think it was Upside Down , or Up Up Down or something wacky Japanese like that. All the maps, and guidance are in English. - I just spent a bit of time before we first used it and made all the ski hills we wanted to visit as "favourites" and it was an dream. From memory it only worked on a few brands of GPS units though.

[agillgren 13]

Well.

 

2014 trip has begun with style.

 

5/2/2014

 

Picked up our trusty wagon and ready to go. Seemed clear as we landed but as we headed towards Niseko the snow got heavier. Probably the heaviest snow we had driven in… so slow going but no complaining here. We're basing ourselves at Higashiyama for the first 5 nights and then we'll see how the forecast looks after that.

 

6/2/2014

 

About 20-30cm overnight. With forecast of wind to pick up we decided to head to Rusutsu to find shelter in the trees. Along with what felt like half of Hirafu…. defiantly seemed busier than in previous years. But was still goof fun. Perfect starter day to remember how. Easy runs-- including knee deep powder down marked ungroomed trails for the first hour or so. Frigging freezing though. Too cold to stop for photos...

 

7/2/2014

It continued snowing lightly overnight but the wind had dropped off. Reports stating another 15cm-- but down low on the mountain didn't look like that much. We decided on Moiwa and got quite lucky. It appears the quad lift had been closed the day before and there was good untracked powder to be found off that lift well into the afternoon. Got to love that floating feeling

Definitely more people here than in previous years… even had to wait up to 10min for the lift at times

 

Still cold today but at least the sun came out for a few brief glimpses.

 

No snow forecast for today/tomorrow so not sure where to tomorrow yet….

 

[kokodoko 67]

welcome back

[Alexander L 80]

Annika, Moiwa don't seem to be that busy no?

[agillgren 13]

WV it was busier than I've seen it in previous years. There was a wait for the quad at times… but it was on go slow from wind. And there is plenty of terrain available.

[agillgren 13]

After seeing that there may have been snow closer to Otaru we decided on Kiroro this morning. It was well worth it.

 

We had one of those rare beautiful bluebird days. Even though there wasn't much overnight snow the cold temps kept the snow in great condition and there was still plenty of fresh lines to be found in bounds. I'd say maybe all those don't ride off piste signs are working-- but more likely that there is just so much terrain). The resort was busy but mostly with locals form Sapporo.

 

We could see the more adventurous choosing lines in the back country-- a few riders may have had a risker path than they thought. From the distance it looked like they came very close to a bad looking line in the snow-- you can just see it in the pic below.

 

On the way back to Niseko area we were treated to fantastic scenery with views of Yoti, Sheribetsu and Niskeo range. The sunset behind Niseko was great.

 

Another good day

 

Tough decision for tomorrow now. Forecast currently shows decent snow Tomamu way for late Sunday and Monday- more so than in other areas. I just don't know whether to believe it, and it isn't a short drive . We'll make the call tomorrow.

 

[seemore 66]

Great photos

[agillgren 13]

9/2/14

 

No new snow Niseko way for 2 days… but a promising forecast to the east. We took a gamble (price was a nights paid accom in Niseko we gave up) and decided to make a drive toward Tomamu. So today was a sightseeing/driving day.

 

Morning drive had some nice sightseeing around Toya lake and a mountain pass on the "scenic" route we thought we would try. The GPS seemed to think the mountain pass wouldn't be open and got really angry when we kept going the wrong way . Must learn how to shut that thing up.. but all the menu is in japanese writing.

 

We stopped at Sunlavia (often called Sunrabia) for a quick spin on the way. It defiantly gets less snow there than the big N area. Small snow base and pretty icy underneath. We did have 1 nice sneaky run under a lift with alright snow. I did love the local onsen sign…it's a pearler. Not sure what there are trying to say with that one...

 

 

As we headed East the sky darkened and the snow began. We had a quick scout of Yabari Mt Racey on the way and have put it in the definitely need to check out pile but the snow wasn't thick enough yet to tempt us.

 

We've made it back to our fav little pension in Tomamu. The owner even brought out the picture of when we stayed last year to show he remembered us .

Looks like 5-10cm at the moment here and it's meant to keep coming down for a little while yet. So at this stage looks like the gamble paid off. Looking forward to tomorrow.

[kokodoko 67]

thank you...

[MagSeven 40]

We had a quick scout of Yabari Mt Racey on the way and have put it in the definitely need to check out pile but the snow wasn't thick enough yet to tempt us.

 

We were at Mount Racey yesterday! I've had some great days there so far this year. Yesterday was ok, a few stashes of powder in the trees, but it was mostly an on piste and park day for us.

[seemore 66]

Nice photo Andy do they have a park their?

[agillgren 13]

 

We were at Mount Racey yesterday! I've had some great days there so far this year. Yesterday was ok, a few stashes of powder in the trees, but it was mostly an on piste and park day for us.

 

Nice! Yeah we stopped in and had a walk around the base station. Looks like there would be some OK terrain there.

[MagSeven 40]

Nice! Yeah we stopped in and had a walk around the base station. Looks like there would be some OK terrain there.

 

Yeah, on a good day, Racey is awesome. Some nice lines if you keep your eyes open and very little competition for powder. These pics are from a little over a week ago

 

 

And yeah, there is a really decent park there. It's not quite up to full size yet as there was a lack of snow early season, but can be definitely one of the best parks in Hokkaido.

[agillgren 13]

Nice pics… that does look good.

[agillgren 13]

10/2/14

 

Woke up to about 15cm of fresh fluffy stuff at Tomamu with a mostly bluebird day. Registered to get our hideous bibs allowing off piste riding and set out. I do like the off piste policy here-- your pretty much allowed everywhere as long as you accept the risk and where a helmet. If there is a rope it's for a reason. They have good terrain for it with open tree runs all popping nicely out onto groomers at the end.

 

In most places you could still feel the firm base under the powder-- but there were some very nice runs to be found in the trees which where deep enough to properly cover the base. At around lunchtime disaster struck though (OK I'm sulking a bit and maybe a bit dramatic). After "hiking the peak" we were preparing to drop in under the abandoned lift when I hit a rock hidden under 15cm of fresh snow. Fell onto my right knee very hard. It was only 5-10m from the cat track, and wasn't visible in any way (top coating of snow was smooth). Took my breath and told myself to toughen up and ride down.

 

I was going to keep riding…. until I looked down and saw I was bleeding… through my 3 layers of clothes. Damn!!!! Off to ski patrol centre. Seems I had a fairly deep cut on my knee. Double Damn!!!

 

They told me to go to a local hospital for stitches and gave me directions.

 

1st hospital I think I had an inexperienced doctor. He got hesitant after trying to clean it, decided not to stitch it up and leave it with a drain in it. Literally a small tube out of the cut. WTF!. He then said I should go to Obihiro to the larger hospital.

 

So take 2 I got an older and much more blaise doctor. After x-rays to confirm no bone damage all sowed up and ready to go again. I like him… he said snowboardings OK so long as I don't' fall on my knee again. Oh.. and it doesn't hurt. So now i'm just waiting for the swelling to drop so I can bend my knee again-- don't' think I could do up my bindings as is. Hopefully all good in a few days.

 

Luckily I was only going slow just getting ready to drop into the deeper snow, otherwise I reacon I would have fractured my patella. Still I'm bloody annoyed… I suppose it's one of those things… I was in an allowed off piste area, there was no signs, no ropes, no visible marking under the snow (was just a gentle slope). Ah well sightseeing for me for a few days. At least I got 1/2 day of good stuff first.

[agillgren 13]

11/2/14

 

I'm out of action… but I'm not mean enough to stop the other half from having fun. Today we slowly made our way east to Abashiri for sightseeing… but of course stopped to check a local resort on the way. The drive itself was lovely on a very clear day. We had views of the whole range -- here's a pic of Sohoro in the distance (at least I'm pretty sure it is… so many mountains)

 

We even had a close encounter with some wildlife (but I don't think this fox was that wild)

 

Then we arrived at Nukabira Gensenkyo. Wow- big place for a local hill. Highest lifted point was 1230m, and a large vertical. A couple of nice hooded quads to get you up the top and a bargain at 2200 for 4 hours. Whilst I sulked in the cafe the other half enjoyed the place. He had good views, and fresh snow. Lots of fresh lines in the trees with good deep powder, and although apparently a bit "technical and tight" in spots was easy enough for him to figure out. Not bad seeing as it hadn't snowed since the day before. There was lots left when he finished too, so would be easy to get goods a few days after snow. This place is far enough away that it should stay quiet too.

 

To be fair he tried very hard not to gloat when he got in (insert muttered grumblings here). Hoping the swelling drops a bit and I'll be right in another day or two. Good snow to smooth any bumps would be much appreciated.

[seemore 66]

[pie-eater 207]

Nice.

 

Thanks.

[agillgren 13]

12/2/14

 

Official sight seeing day - and a beautiful calm sunny day to boot. I have to admit to being slightly sceptical about what to expect. I didn't want to get my hopes up. But we were booked onto Aurora to see the drift ice in Abashiri. After being herded in in an orderly manner (man there were a lot of Japanese tourist buses) we boarded and were away. We reached the thinner ice - and I thought that was pretty cool but you could still see the thicker stuff in the distance. Once into the thicker stuff they slow down and travel in a big U-turn. The vastness is pretty impressive. No icebergs in the typical fashion - but lots of large sheets of ice. Quite mesmerising watching it move with the boat. For me anyway it was worth the drive out to the east-- it's defiantly not something you will see often in life.

 

 

After that it was time to hit the road again. We headed for Sounyko mostly to see the spa ice festival. As a bonus when we arrived we realised the kurodake ropeway was running (not the ski area though) so we headed up for a scout and to enjoy the awesome visibility. Have to say it felt quite weird going up a ropeway without a board-- but it was a worthwhile visit. The views were pretty awesome.

 

 

 

To top the day off we headed to the spa ice festival in the evening. Loved it! To me much better than the Sappor festival-- natural beauty beats sculpted any day to me:).

 

[agillgren 13]

13/2/14

 

After two full days off the snow for me (gosh that was hard) my knee was getting better so decided to head south to the forecast snow and hope. Well at least I figured I cold bend it enough to get binding done up so worth a try.

 

Left Sounkyo in it's glorious sunshine. By the time we reached Sapporo two hours later the snow was starting to set in. It did feel weird driving straight though Asahikawa. I do have a soft spot for Kamui and Pippu - but at that stage the area didn't look like it had fresh snow for a while so we gave it a miss.

 

We arrived at Teine just after lunch. I doped up (thanks voltaren and panadiene) and I did a little test run. Wahoo - depite looking rather comical I'm sure (it took some wiggling) I managed to clip in and get to my feet. To be honest that was the worst part. Once up the knee felt OK - although I was riding very very cautiously. After a few groomers to get some confidence we went hunting for some softer stuff. Bit of fun on the side of runs both at highland and olympia. We didn't go in too far-- just to be sure with the knee. Seeing the snow setting in well now we decided to call it a day and save ourselves for the next day. Must have been 5-10cm up there by the time we were driving down- did make spotting the road quite difficult though. Was very slow going on the way down.

 

We're staying in Otaru and went for a wander to find dinner. Came across a tiny alley of tiny restaurants (4-6 seats each) amongst a shopping street. We walked in and sat down much to the shock of the lady bar keep. 2 hours and some shared sake later we'd make a new good friend with one of the customers. He even gave us his karaoke CD. Very fun night.

 

 

14/2/14

The knee pulled up OK form yesterdays experiment - intact was looser again- so time to hit the slopes properly.

The snow lasted until about 9pm in Otaru so we had high hopes for the day. Decided to check Sapporo Kokosai. We had done a tour here years ago when we first came to Hokkiado but that day had poor snow and it wasn't at it's best. So it needed another scout. Kokosai isn't as large as kiroro or teine even. Especially on the "courses". But there is a large amount of nicely spaces trees to play in. Good thing is the two gondolas give a good view of the off piste runs.

 

At first the place seemed empty. Thigh deep powder -- and just off the groomers. Too easy .

 

Then at 10:30 literally 20 buses of school kids all arrived at the same time. Luckily they don't go off piste! With that said we didn't wait for a lift all day as the kids had their own lift line. Despite barely noticing other westerns, we did have some company off piste with the local kids ripping it up at times. Some of them were very good. Fun to watch from the gondola's. With that said we still had good freshies on the last run of the day. As our guide had said last time--- those signs with the skull and crosses just tell you where it's good . Ski patrol seemed pretty relaxed with it. We mostly rode under the gondola where you could easily scope the lines on the way up. Easy way out on all runs.

 

So really-- a damn good day. Probably the deepest of the days we've had this trip - which is good for my knee. Smooth floaty power runs are better for the knee than the bumps. . Well it's a good excuse anyway. More please!

 

Only two days left now and I'm including the sneaky half day we are planning on our way to the airport. Trying hard not to look at the forecast after that

[agillgren 13]

15/2/14.

 

No new snow overnight so we decided to check out Otaru Tenguyama. It's literally on the edge of town and offers great views back over the city and ocean. It has some decent pitch too. Probably some of the steeper "courses" I've seen in Hokkiado. But alas not that long with only around 450m vertical. The place is definitely more laid of for skiers but we got around OK. Being a bit lower they didn't have as much of the previous days snow we found at Kokosai, and it was a bit heavier. But hey--- still had easy fresh lines (maybe boot deep) on the sides of the runs the day after a snow. So no complaints here….

 

 

We had fun for a few hours then decided to pack up and head towards Kutchan. I was hoping that the forecast snow might arrive in time for a fun nighta but it didn't happen. have to admit a real glass of red wine (benefits of being close to Niseko) went down quite well as compensation.

 

16/2/14

 

Damn. Fly out day. We decided on a sneaky few hours at Rusutsu before heading to the airport (flight wasn't till 4). I had been hoping on some good falls for a nice send off but not quite as much as I wanted. Maybe 15cm or so, and a bit heavier than normal. Still found some untouched patches and had some fun. Was just deep enough in spots. Nice note to finish on.

 

In the airport now sulking on the way home. Only saving grace was the leg room seat on the first flight and free upgrade on the upcoming second…. finally got some pay off and sympathy for those stitches (I didn't tell them I'd been on the slopes that morning ). Still always annoying to be ending a holiday.