Self-Guided Japan Ski Touring 2027

Self-Guided Japan Ski Touring Trips - Let us take care of the trip organization and leave you to explore some of the most amazing ski areas in Japan that you've never heard of (an neither has anyone else). Leave the crowds behind and explore the real Japan!

BlackSheep Adventure runs several Self-Guided Japan Ski Touring trips in conjunction with our regular guided trips. This means that, in addition to organizing your accommodation and vehicle rentals, that we can provide information on the snowpack, a daily avalanche hazard forecast from our certified forecaster as well as information on where our experienced guides think the best snow will be found. As many areas in Japan do not get any snowpack information or avalanche hazard forecasting it can be difficult to know what's happening under the surface. It's also not always easy to know where to go and how to access the backcountry in different areas.

For 2027 our Self-Guided Japan Ski Touring trips will explore the lesser known Aomori & Hakkoda areas for some fantastic lift assisted ski touring and amazing roadside pow exploration. The details of the trip is provided below.

8-Day Aomori Spring & Hakkoda Trip:

This 8-day Self-Guided Japan Ski Touring trip will focus on two absolute gems of Japanese pow exploration, Aomori Springs and Hakkoda! This year we will have two trips available, both in January and the trip costs $2,299 USD and includes 6 ski days and is 8 days overall including travel.

• Part 1, Aomori Springs: For the first 4 days we will be based out Hirosaki, a mid-sized city with some of the best food in Japan. From there it's a short drive to the Aomori Springs resort on the northern slopes of the volcano Mt. Iwaki. From there you're able to use the Aomori Springs ski lifts to gain access onto the large volcano to explore some of the best tree skiing we've found in Japan. With long and consistent fall-line skiing, perfectly spaced trees, soft snow, and amazing views of the ocean, this area is hard to beat. There's also the opportunity to summit Iwaki for some alpine skiing when the clouds break and you get some sunny weather.
• Part 2, Hakkoda: This powder paradise consists of a ring road that surrounds a group of peaks that can  After that you'll head over to Hakkoda, not so much a ski resort as it has only 2 groomed runs but an epic backcountry area that's accessed via a ropeway.

The Scene:

Now half the fun of a Japan ski touring holiday is checking out the local culture and of course the local food. Japanese apres ski culture always involves a long soak in an Onsen, a traditional natural hot spring, to ease tired muscles. That is followed by an amazing meal. Sushi, ramen, okonomiyaki, takoyaki, omo-rice and more might not mean much to you now, but they’ll soon become favorites!

Of course no foreign vacation is complete without sampling some of the local beer and spirits! Not to worry, Japan’s famous for its amazing Scotch and Sake, but of course it also has a booming craft brewery scene that begs to be sampled as well. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Foodie, fine beverage connoisseur or an avid skier just looking for some filling food at the end of a big day you will be more than happy with the local offerings.

Waiver & Risk Management:

As you know, outdoor activities involve numerous hazards including, but not limited to, avalanches, crevasses, rockfall, slips and falls, equipment failure, poor weather, etc. And while we do our best to anticipate and mitigate these hazards we cannot completely eliminate them. So, as with anything fun, you will be required to sign our Participant Release to take part in one of our courses or trips.