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Discover unparalleled powder skiing in Japan! Blend five days of social skiing with five days of expert guiding as you explore the legendary Japanese backcountry, all while immersing yourself in the country’s rich culture.
What's Included
What’s included
- All ground transfers including bullet train
- 5 days with mountain guides
- 13 nights bed & breakfast
What’s not included
- Flights
- Lunches & evening meals
- Ski Passes
- Ski/boot hire
On Snow Experience
On this trip we stay on the main Japanese Island of Honshu and ski in the northern Nagano prefecture. The terrain in the Japanese Alps is expansive and is based around mountain ranges with long vertical descents. By basing our trip in multiple different destinations and potentially skiing a different ski area every day (conditions permitting) we will get a full variety of the Japanese skiing experience – world class powder and tree skiing mixed with a wonderful cultural experience. This trip focuses on powder and tree skiing, combined with short skin ascents, and so requires a good level of fitness. Off piste skiing is frowned upon in some resorts but fear not, your local guide will take you to areas where you can access the legendary powder for which the Japanese Alps are known!
By spending 5 days with your Evergreen mountain guide, and 5 days with your fellow Freshtrackers and Ski Club Rep, you’ll be able to explore the ski resorts as well as getting off the beaten track. This trip is aimed at Advanced (Purple) and Expert (Gold) off piste skiers. If you are unsure of your standard please see our Ski Profile Page. At the end of the holiday, you’ll receive an updated grading from your Instructor or Ski Club Rep.
For a more detailed insight of what to expect each day, please view the full itinerary here:
Guides and Ski Club Rep
Evergreen Backcountry Guides
Hailing from all corners of the globe, the Evergreen Backcountry Guides bring to Hakuba a wealth of knowledge and experience so you can safely enjoy skiing Japan powder in the Hakuba backcountry.
What do we do on our days off? The same thing we do with our guests everyday, we return ourselves to nature! We love our job, it’s as simple as that. The EBG team understand the impact these experiences can have when we visit these natural spaces, the profound way that this time spent outdoors can filter back to the decisions we make, and how we choose to live from that moment forward.
Life challenging and thus life changing experiences… simply put, this is what we want to share with you.
Mark Colston
I learnt to ski late and have been doing everything in my power to catch up! I'm a keen offpiste and touring skier always searching out the best powder stashes. Outside of skiing I enjoy running the countryside trails in Hertfordshire and sail dinghies/yachts. You won't miss me on the mountain with my yellow jacket !
Find out more about this trip ...
We are ATOL and ABTOT protected so you can book with confidence knowing your money is secure.
Our holidays are a great way to meet and ski with other members of a similar ability to you.
Have questions? Call now and talk to our friendly team of holiday experts on 020 8410 2022.
Ready to Book?
Prices include
13 nights B&B, traditional & western hotels, twin share, transport during trip, bullet train, 5 days with mountain guides
Prior to booking, please ensure you have the correct ski profile for the holiday. See our profiles here.
| Start date | End date | Ski Profile | Peak Experience | Availability | Price | Deposit | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start date | 02-02-2025 | End date |  16-02-2025 |
Ski Profile |
|
Peak Experience | Availability | Sold out | Price | Deposit |
Book with confidence - the Ski Club is ABTOT and ATOL protected
Niseko might have better powder, but the Hakuba Valley gets more than its fair share
which is great news if you’re planning a trip to ski at its three main ski areas. Happo-One is the largest of these, covering 52km of pistes, including the 1998 Olympic ski racing pistes. Hakuba 47/Goryu is around half the size but a fun ski area and Iwatake has access to 50km of further slopes, but a much smaller vertical. Traditional guesthouses are the order of the day in terms of accommodation and as you might expect, the food is fantastic and there are numerous hot spring onsens to unwind in at the end of the ski day.
Beginner
Fast lifts- Intermediate
- Resort Activities
Advanced- Aprés
Snow- Value
Pros and cons
- Fantastic variety in the valley with 10 ski areas
- Great snow record and access to some of Japan’s best powder
- Authentic Japanese experience and great food
- Language barrier can be an issue
- Driving between ski areas is required and this can be tricky in snow
- Off piste skiing is very heavily regulated, hire a guide for the best access
Mominoki Hotel, Hakuba
Tokiwaya Ryokan Hotel, Nozawa Onsen
Oyado Furuya, Myoko
Hotel Jal City Haneda, Tokyo
You’ll be spending 13 nights in various Hotels within the Hakuba, Nozawa Onsen and Myoko areas. These will all consist of B&B, and twin share accommodation. Please see the full breakdown of accommodation below:
- 4 nights B&B in the Hakuba Mominoki Hotel in Hakuba (Western style rooms) Hakuba Mominoki Hotel | 4-Star Resort with Authentic Hot Springs and Friendly English Speaking Staff
- 3 nights B&B in the Takiawaya Ryokan in Nozawa Onsen (Western & Japanese style rooms) Tokiwaya Ryokan | Ski Japan Holidays (japanspecialists.com)
- 5 nights B&B in the Hotel Oyado Furuya (Western & Japanese style rooms) Hotel Oyado Furuya Ski Japan Holidays (japanspecialists.com)
- 1 night B&B at the Hotel JAL City Haneda Tokyo West Wing (Western style rooms) Hotel JAL
Mominoki Hotel, Hakuba
4683-2 Hokujo, Hakuba, Kitaazumi District, Nagano 399-9301, Japan
Phone: +81 261-72-5001
Ready to book?
Travel Information
There are no flights included in the package, but a bullet train ticket will be provided from Tokyo. Please contact the Freshtracks team on 020 8410 2022 to enquire about the itinerary and Ski Club recommended flights.
Confirmation
Once the holiday has been confirmed, please send your flight details (flight numbers, arrival and departure time) to the Freshtracks Team via email to ku.oc.bulciks@sloh.
Ready to book?
What You Need to Know
Although hiring locally is possible, we strongly recommend that you bring your own kit with you on this trip, as we will be visiting multiple resorts and moving around throughout the trip.
2nd – 16th Feb 2025 : Mark Colston
2nd – 16th Feb 2025 : Evergreen Backcountry Guides
It is a condition of booking that you have valid and adequate snowsports insurance. It is your responsibility to ensure your policy provides cover for all the activities that you participate in during your holiday.
We offer a Ski Club Insurance policy which provides the cover we require for all bookings. This policy can be found here: Ski Club Travel Insurance – Ski Club Of Great Britain
If you decide to purchase insurance elsewhere, it is your responsibility to ensure that your policy provides cover as that of the Ski Club Insurance policy. The policy of insurance should provide cover for personal injury, death, medical and repatriation costs in the countries which you intend to visit, together with cover for loss of baggage and valuables, personal liability, delay, cancellation, curtailment, missed departure and legal expenses. The policy should also include cover against losses caused by the effects or consequences of Covid-19.
Due to the type of holidays that you will be booking with us, we also advise that your policy should include skiing off-piste without a guide. Please note, insurance premiums must be paid at the same time as booking in order for the package holiday or single service cancellation cover to be effective. It is also advised to keep your insurance details with you while you are on your holiday. If you choose to travel without adequate insurance cover, we will not be liable for any losses howsoever arising, in respect of which insurance cover would otherwise have been available.
Passport – Check your passport is in date and valid for travel by checking the entry requirements for your destination country – you can see these here: Foreign travel advice – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Japan – The visa waiver system was reactivated from 11 October, which means that short-term visitors with British citizen passports no longer need to obtain a visa prior to travelling. This includes those coming for business, tourism, and to visit family and friends. Visas are still required for long-term stays and other purposes; please consult your nearest Japanese Consulate for guidance and how to apply.
When venturing off piste, it is compulsory to wear an avalanche transceiver. These can be provided by the Ski Club and should be worn by every person on every all mountain, off piste and touring holiday. Anyone joining these holidays will also be required to bring their own backpack, shovel and probe.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Any Member wishing to ski/snowboard with a Ski Club Group, in any of the resorts where the Ski Club is represented, agrees to do so under the following conditions:
- You appreciate that the Ski Club Rep is a volunteer with no formal qualifications as an instructor or mountain guide.
- You also appreciate that no other member of the group undertakes any obligations to you concerning your safety for which you remain solely responsible.
- You must ensure that your equipment is in good working order before setting off for the day and that you are suitably clothed for the proposed itinerary and all possible weather conditions.
- You must decide whether or not a particular run or route is within your competence.
- You must ensure that you are properly equipped for that day. If you are skiing off piste you must have a shovel, probe and transceiver, and know how to use them. If you are using a Ski Club transceiver, it is your sole responsibility to know how to use it.
- It is your sole responsibility to ensure that you are suitably insured for the activities intended to be undertaken.
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