Niseko

Jojo and I spent the winter season 2023/24 skiing in Furano, Japan. As ski-technicians, we worked for "Summit Ski School & Guiding". Makenzie Robson and Jac Phillips founded "Summit" four years ago. We interviewed Mak last spring about how it all started.

The definitions of freeriding can sometimes differ from what we might be used to, leading to a great deal of confusion. I want to give a little introduction to Japan and share my experiences so far.

Every two years, the International Snow Science Workshop (ISSW) brings together scientists and practitioners from a wide range of different, but always snow-related, subject areas. New findings and research results are presented in various thematic blocks - so-called sessions. We break the whole thing down into more or less digestible morsels and summarize the sessions of ISSW2018 for you every two weeks. This time: Snow and Avalanche Dynamics (Session 1).

Unlike Godzilla, who is from Japan and stands for the saying "It came from Japan", I took the opposite route and made my way to the land of the rising sun. Why Nippon? Not because of the sushi, but to beat our rather disappointing winter and ride some deep powder.

Last Monday, the chapter on how easy snow can be was rewritten, so to speak: Another day in Furano and knee-deep powder snow at its very best. The whole day alone in the ski resorts and no one to help track the fresh snow, that was quite a lot of work, but we enjoyed it immensely. The ski patrol didn't seem to take such a strict view of the whole thing and let us get on with it.

It was that time again a week ago. The last working day for the next three months. The most beautiful time of the year has begun and with it another snow adventure in Japan. I will be traveling in Japan until the beginning of March, mainly in Hakuba but also in regions such as Myoko, Nagano and the northern island of Niseko. The weather and especially the annual rain will determine when and where we will be.

From Sapporo, we first went to Niseko/Hirafu, a very fine freeride area with pretty good powder runs. The amount of snow was enormous, in the valley there was already over 2 meters of snow - note the incredible altitude of 200m! So, come along on the trip...