lastrocker 5 Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 Hi there, i know this is one of the most frequent topic on this board, but still i'm the making of the crucial decision for my winter powder hunt... and i have some more detail that make my decision even harder, so i must ask for suggestions. First: i spent one month in Niseko the past season, and it's been great!! Best powder ever found. I met nice people, hit some close resort (Moiwa, Rusutsu, Chise backcountry, Kiroro backcountry, Yotei bc), so now i have friends there i can ride with, some knowledge of the good areas based on snow conditions, a good deal with accomodation, and so on... Now the choice. I want to do a powder trip again this winter, one month, maybe a bit more. I'd like to venture far north cause i heard it's lighter in central hokkaido, but i don't have that much money to travel around all the time, so my best bet would be to travel just a bit, maybe one week, than stay oin the same place, with daily trips if i find some friend to share the ride with. Going back to Niseko would be the easiest solution, but i'd like to see new places... And Nisek has one big drawback: the crowd. Or doing the opposite, staying around Niseko for one week then moving to central Hokkaido, maybe having base in Asahikawa, but from statistics there's less snow in there, but with a lot less crowd in the end i could maybe score same/more freshies... I want as much snowfall as possible!! Or, last option, stayin in Rusutsu or Kiroro and commute to Niseko every now and then. For sure i'll give a try to Teine, i have a friend in Sapporto and i'll probably spend a couple of day with him. That opens a news scenario: the k-pass to Teine and Rusutsu. Ah, too many possibilities... there's even some more option, like spending one week in Hakkoda, but i don't have any contact there (and i don't have money for guides) so it's just a mere possibility... What you guys would do i you were me?? Link to post Share on other sites
seemore 66 Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 If you had a great time in Niseko go back there change your habits get up early, avoid the crowds go further afield and do an avi course. the terain is insane and not hardly covered by the tourists I have surfed all my life and done the drive around looking for the best spot and wasted the best part of the day. Age has told me to just enjoy what is the easiest. sometimes doing 10 laps on a local/ easily accessible run far outweighs the trip to find perfection that never exists (other people have done this and the reason Nisko is so populated is because it's the best. If it's not broke don't fix it. I have met a few people who have toured around and got great/shit snow but if you know a place and nail it after a great dump you will be stoked. Ciao Bella Link to post Share on other sites
Alexander L 80 Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 Central Hokkaido aint gonna give you the depths of powder like Niseko. Infact it won't give you the amount of any kind of snow that Niseko delivers. Best stick to Niseko. Link to post Share on other sites
Chriselle 158 Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 Furano and Kamui can be good but for consistent deep snow...Niseko. Link to post Share on other sites
tokabochi 9 Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 (Or Hakuba). Link to post Share on other sites
Chriselle 158 Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 Link to post Share on other sites
ozsnowbum 9 Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 sounds like niseko is perfect for you. but its always nice to expand your horizons and have new experiences. Link to post Share on other sites
Alexander L 80 Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 (Or Hakuba). whereabout's that on Hokkaido? Link to post Share on other sites
kokodoko 67 Posted September 27, 2013 Share Posted September 27, 2013 (Or Hakuba). whereabout's that on Hokkaido? south-west of Tokyo Link to post Share on other sites
Alexander L 80 Posted September 27, 2013 Share Posted September 27, 2013 thanks. Link to post Share on other sites
lastrocker 5 Posted September 28, 2013 Author Share Posted September 28, 2013 If you had a great time in Niseko go back there change your habits get up early, avoid the crowds go further afield and do an avi course. the terain is insane and not hardly covered by the tourists I have surfed all my life and done the drive around looking for the best spot and wasted the best part of the day. Age has told me to just enjoy what is the easiest. sometimes doing 10 laps on a local/ easily accessible run far outweighs the trip to find perfection that never exists (other people have done this and the reason Nisko is so populated is because it's the best. If it's not broke don't fix it. I have met a few people who have toured around and got great/shit snow but if you know a place and nail it after a great dump you will be stoked. Ciao Bella sounds like niseko is perfect for you. but its always nice to expand your horizons and have new experiences. You both summed up my thoughts. I booked already an avi course for early november, i already woke up early every morning and took so many first chairs the past year, and i completely agree about lapping the local run many times. But i love the feeling of going off the paved road. and expanding the horizons. I surf as well and i spent so much time driving from spot to spot and wasted the best conditions... But for snowboarding, i pretty much always lapped the same hill, storm after storm, year after year, for 10 years straight, cause it was close to where i live and my big priority was spending the more days possible riding. Now it's different, i had a long break from riding due to a bad injury, and i can just ride powder, litterally. After two days of groomers i'm done for 3-4 days, the vibrations and shocks kill my ankle. So riding powder it's not just the favourite part of snowboarding right now, it's the only way. That's why it pushed me to travel fra east in search for pow all day, every day. In Europe you can have great days followed by long dry spell. Even entire seasons with just a few pow days. But the move has been so great i'm hooked again, more than ever. So my decision right now is just stick to Niseko for one month, skip Central Hokkaido, and if i have enough money stop in Gulmarg, India, on the way back home, just to fix that hunger for the unkown. Not 100% sure, but that's my plan right now Link to post Share on other sites
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