JAPOW Magical Backcountry Ski Tour

JAPOW.

That's it,

the powder that attracts skiers and snowboarders from around the world!

Mountainous Japan is known for its heavy snowfall.

The northern regions are a blanket of white all winter long.

Heck, the world's three snowiest cities happen to be here, too.

That's all to say, it's a skiers paradise.

And for backcountry enthusiasts...

it's nirvana.

When you float down on clouds of powder,

leaving beautiful tracks in the virgin snow.

Incredible.

Hi. I'm Bill Sullivan with "Journeys in Japan."

You know, it's no secret Japan has some of the best snow in the world.

And to prove the point, we're going to four special areas in Hokkaido,

Nagano, Niigata, and Aomori.

But we're going to go a step further.

We're going deeper.

Backcountry, for an adventure you won't soon forget.

So, bundle up and let's get going.

We make our first tracks on Mt. Asahidake

and Mt. Sandanyama in Hokkaido,

both sacred places for JAPOW.

Good morning. It's been a while.

You're looking good.

- Snow must be great!
- It is!

Getting up the mountain is a breeze thanks to the Asahidake Ropeway.

But this is no ski resort.

Here, you glide at your own peril.

Let's check our beacons.

Beacons, which both send and receive electronic signals,

are essential in avalanche emergencies.

Probes are used to pinpoint buried victims and shovels to dig them out.

Don't even consider attempting backcountry without this gear.

The men will enjoy telemarking,

an old technique that combines alpine and Nordic skiing.

The bindings are unique

in that only the toe of the boot is fixed to the ski,

creating a "free heel."

The great aspect of telemark over alpine is the real sense of the snow.

Especially the feeling of the softness of fresh snow,

which is incredible.

So, this is how it works.

You bend your knee down to the ski,

lift your heel and lunge forward to turn.

Fujikawa Ken is a former Japan telemark champion.

And Cveto is a former Olympic member of the cross-country ski team.

Telemarking requires advanced techniques,

and is rarely seen on hills these days.

Now it's time for Mt. Sandanyama,

the mountain world-famous for its voluminous powder.

But with no lifts or gondolas, there is only one way up.

Today we'll go ski touring.

So we'll go up the mountain with skins.

Climbing skins provide traction,

so that you can advance forward without backsliding.

For this tour, they've switched to bindings

that also allow the heels to be fixed to the skis for better balance.

This is powder.

This is really really light. It's like a fog.

This is a world-class powder. I've never seen something like this.

Look.

Look at this.

What a powder.

It's going to be fun.

Four hours later, the summit.

Good job.

With the snow accumulated downwind an avalanche might easily occur.

But if conditions are safe, we might see stellar powder.

Let me check the snow and come back if it's dangerous.

It's safe. Come this way.

No visibility...

Nice!

They're knee-deep, but floating on pillows of snow.

This is the world-famous JAPOW!

Well, some guys have all the fun, don't they?

We've managed to call Cveto off the slopes for a moment,

and he is here to tell us about his adventure.

So, Cveto, good to see you.

And please tell us,

what's so special about Japan compared to all around the world?

Of course its snow. Powder snow.

All the weather system here in Japan,

it's effected by frozen landmass coming across from Siberia.

And then we have this big dump of snow every day, every day.

It snows, snowing, snowing,

and that's why the snow is so light and it's powder.

And it's the best in the world.

Yeah. And it's been dumping up in the mountains for weeks now.

Incredible.

Yeah, it's snowing always.

That's why the powder, it's really good as I mentioned.

Compared with other countries, you know, they have powder too,

but the mountains are higher and it's stronger wind

and they can enjoy powder just a few days in a year.

You enjoy leaving those tracks in the snow, don't you?

Next, let's hit the slopes 200 kilometers away from Tokyo.

Our backcountry tour starts from Hakuba

in the Northern Alps of Nagano

and extends to Kijiya village in Niigata.

Cveto and our show's director will spend two days

skiing through this top-class course,

which spans 30 kilometers and has a 1,800-meter elevation difference.

We're getting close.

We're up on the clouds.

What a beautiful day.

Three hours after setting off,

they reach the peak of Mt. Hakuba Norikuradake.

Well done. Great job.

That's Mt. Shiroumadake and that's Daisekkei.

From here, a magnificent view fans out.

After the long climb, the delicious reward.

Dropping down a 1,000-meter elevation difference

to reach the Renge hot springs.

Strong winds blast the peak.

So an icy surface is concealed under the lightly accumulated snow.

Bending at the hip is key to holding an edge on your skis.

While no stranger to skiing on resort slopes,

this is the first backcountry outing for our director.

Many skiers have lost their way on this plateau.

It feeds into a valley that connects to Renge hot springs.

Missing it could be disastrous.

Temperatures have gone up.

And the snow is heavier.

I've crashed!

Are you all right?

It's flat here.

You pick up speed here so be careful.

Nice.

To walk this route in summer takes a full four hours.

But gliding down takes only an hour and a half.

Renge Onsen Lodge is one of the most popular bases in Japan

for spring backcountry skiing.

Hi. How's dinner?

Impression about the day?

How was it?

It's been perfect.

We had our lunch break, sunshine, blue sky over, all the view. Perfect.

Great!

Let's go. Today we'll hit Kijiya.

- It's so steep.
- You'll be fine.

Day 2. They're off to Kijiya village in Niigata.

While the difference in elevation is only about 800 meters,

Kijiya is almost 20 kilometers away.

Look over there. It's the Sea of Japan.

You're right!

We've come a long way.

From the deep mountains to where we can see the ocean.

The hills from Renge hot springs to Kijiya aren't steep,

allowing for gentle forest cruising.

Five hours after starting out, they reach Kijiya.

This is it! You did great on this two-day tour.

It was great fun. Backcountry skiing is fantastic.

I'm going to be hooked.

I can go every day. Let's take off again.

Well, that was a wonderful tour, Cveto.

But let's talk a little bit

about the responsibilities of backcountry skiing.

Because essentially, you're on your own out there.

Yes. You know, even if you're a good skier on the,

let's say, on the ski resorts or on the groomed slopes,

you're out there on the mountain.

This is a completely different environment.

There's no patrol, there's no navigation,

it's a problem, and a rescue system and so on and on.

So you have to be very very careful

because otherwise it could be really dangerous.

Right. So you're saying it's not a good place for beginners.

Oh no, no.

For beginners, it's best if you have a guide

who knows how your skills are, how you ski.

Then, you can enjoy powder snow.

And there's a plenty of runs where you can enjoy as a beginner too.

Right. Even our director, for instance.

Yes. He did well, you know.

Mr. Ichino, yeah. He was not good at the beginning,

but he was getting better and better.

And he started to enjoy the powder, too.

Ah, wonderful.

Last, but certainly not least, is Hakkoda in Aomori City,

the city with the heaviest snowfall in the world.

Cveto heads to the local guide club.

It's been a while.

You've got so much snow. How's it this year?

Below average in fact.

But we've been getting more in the last few days.

Soma Hiroyoshi, Cveto's skiing companion,

began guiding here in Hakkoda in 1993.

After trekking throughout the area,

he developed several backcountry routes.

This top guide knows the nature of Hakkoda inside and out.

Something has come into view, eh?

It's Sukayu hot springs.

I see a parking lot and a building.

I look forward to soaking! This is a skiing journey.

And that's where they'll stay.

Ever since the Sukayu hot springs were discovered in 1684,

people have come to take the cure.

They stay for extended periods to treat various ailments.

The spring is highly acidic,

which is especially good for wounds and skin conditions.

- It's pretty hot.
- It's about right.

It's great after coming down from the cold mountain.

The inn has a self-catering kitchen area for guests,

so it's time to go shopping!

Aomori is famous for its abundant seasonal fish

and shellfish delicacies.

They have octopus!

Amazing.

That's cod milt. Let's add it to our hot pot.

I'd like to try it.

We can climb for three days if we eat all this.

I'm opening the lid.

Hot pots are great on a cold day.

They'll enjoy their octopus and cod milt shabu shabu style,

dipped in a kombu broth.

The fishmonger said you could eat this octopus as sashimi.

This is good. Wonderful.

This will give you stamina.

- Let's try the milt.
- Are we really going to eat it?

This is a first.

A bit strange, but it's like pudding.

Good job today.

Leader, I'm following you.

- Will it clear up?
- It'll be all right.

I believe you.

The pair is heading for Mt. Odake,

the highest peak in the Hakkoda range.

Soma and the weather forecast promise clear skies later in the day,

but that is very rare.

Cveto is dubious.

There's Mt. Odake!

Well, Soma is right.

About an hour later, the clouds begin to lift.

These frost-covered trees, called "snow monsters,"

are the symbol of Hakkoda.

Mt. Odake isn't especially high at 1,584 meters.

But the conditions here are as harsh as those in the Japan Alps,

which tower at 3,000 meters.

Further up, the snow monsters vanish and the slopes become icy

as pounding winds drive off the fresh snow.

- How much more do we have to go?
- We're almost there.

OK, I'll keep up.

Ah, the summit.

We've reached our goal.

Thank you so much.

I'm glad we never gave up.

After four hours climbing, they're treated to a magnificent view

rarely glimpsed in wintertime Hakkoda.

Well Cveto, you certainly

can't leave us hanging there.

What happened next?

After we reached the summit,

Soma, the local guide, the professional guide,

he took us to the other side of the mountain,

because the slope you saw in the video,

it was hard snow but as a professional,

he knew that the snow on the other side, it's much better.

So there was this slope, 2-300 meters drop, more than a slope,

and we had really great fun there.

- Right. Here it is.
- Yeah. That's the one.

You certainly scored, my friend.

Yeah, it was just lightly, I mean, it was just super. I mean it.

There are no words to explain. You just need to watch.

Or to go there and ski.

Well, I'm counting on you inviting me in the future

along in your next adventure.

Oh yes. Why not?

I'm leaving on Friday evening.

Pack your gear, and we can go.

I'm ready!

Cveto, thank you very much for sharing your adventure with us.

You're welcome.

Good. I can't wait.

These are the spectacular

backcountry courses we explored

on this edition of "Journeys in Japan."

All can be reached by bus

even in the winter.