From Sapporo, we first went to Niseko/Hirafu, a very fine freeride area with pretty good powder runs. The amount of snow was enormous, there was already over 2 meters of snow in the valley - note the incredible altitude of 200m! So, come along on the trip...
Only one thing can be said about the weather
it's mostly very changeable with almost constant snowfall.
On our ascent, we can already see ourselves floating through the perfect snow in suitable surroundings, as most of the countless powder runs are located in a fairly light birch forest - in other words, ideal conditions for a leisurely ride with friends.
But before the fun comes the ascent, as we all know.
Our destination - the volcano Mt. Yote at 1893 m
freestanding, cone-shaped, mighty and majestic.
So we set off early in the morning with a local guide on snowshoes to climb this mountain and ski down after the work was done...
The climb, which is not unsportsmanlike due to the persistent snowfall, takes hours through birch forests up a volcanic ridge.
It becomes increasingly difficult to follow the course of the ridge, as not only the snow but also the ever-increasing storm gradually make us believe that we won't make it to the summit.
We only slowly fight our way further, and gradually get closer to our goal. But what can you do...
However, every exertion has an end. Exhausted and completely drained, we strap on our boards after a short recovery phase. ...but something was still missing? Oh yes, the blue sky. We have the Japanese St. Peter on our side and a patch of fine weather above us.
Our run - now cloudless - in an impressive location was to be one of the best in a long time.
