 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@rayscoops, We used the transfer service on our trip to Japan in 2000, can’t remember how much it cost but thought it very reasonable and saved us a lot of hassle.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@larry1950, @JapanSkiExperience, thanks for this, all booked up now with car hire the other end so have to continue with my plans, but wish I had followed your suggestions rather than lugging 50kg around ... should have left a suitcase at Sapporo airport and then also at the airport in Tokyo for a few days
Back to the weather ... taken the morning off snowboarding because it's been raining heavily at resort level Hirafu ... hopefully snowing up top ...
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Hasn't stopped snowing all day, looks like it isn't going to stop snowing for a few more days ... boot / knee deep on the upper pistes
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Boom! Looks like work will send me to Japan in Jan for a month or so with the option to take a bit of leave. Any skiing will be on my own and I really want the full Japow experience so will want to join a guided group. So far I have found Hokkaido Backcountry Club. Any other outfits worth looking at? Open to going to Nagano or Hokkaido although the only guiding outfit that I could find in Nagano, Evergreen, aren't offering group tours this season
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
| Any other outfits worth looking at? |
We're going with this company in February. Can't wait  https://skilasjapan.com/
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Dancing snow in Myoko - not far from Nagano. I've booked a few days with them in Feb.
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Snow Japan reporting 12cm overnight at Niseko and 181cm so far for the month so it will be looking good there now.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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It hasn't stopped snowing for a day and a half ...
Oh, and make sure you phone has a Q Code reader & a translation app and you have a credit card if you are partial to a coffee on the mountain 
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@mountainaddict, @hang11, thanks for the suggestions
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@rayscoops, may I suggest you use one of the luggage forwarding companies such as Yamato transport to ship your bags to the hotel in the resort. We do. So we arriving early in Tokyo, sending all the ski gear to niseko and only keeping our carry on bags for a few days in Tokyo and Kyoto.
It is quite common in Japan
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@johnE, thanks and I have messed up really, but a bit too late for this trip.
Snow report - it's still snowing
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| johnE wrote: |
@rayscoops, may I suggest you use one of the luggage forwarding companies such as Yamato transport to ship your bags to the hotel in the resort. We do. So we arriving early in Tokyo, sending all the ski gear to niseko and only keeping our carry on bags for a few days in Tokyo and Kyoto.
It is quite common in Japan |
Is it better to stay in tokyo before or after skiing? Planning a trip, but I would have more likely visited tokyo afterwards. Not sure how jet lag will affect me, but it takes me days to recover when returning from the US, which is the same direction (ie travelling east)!
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You know it makes sense.
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@Gored, On out last trip and our next one we did the sightseeing first to get over Jet lag rather than waste any skiing time. After an overnight flight to Tokyo I was rather tired walking around the town on that first day. We went up the Tokyo tower, which I reccomend, in the afternoon, but then went to bed very early. The next day we were back to normal. Just travelling around Tokyo on the metro, walking the streets and of course visiting the shops was excellent.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@Gored, I did the same as @johnE, and would recommend it. I was picking up a hire car in Hokkaido and would not have wanted to do the drive in dumping snow without having slept properly for 36 hours. We arrived in Tokyo in the evening, got a feed and went straight to bed. Woke up super early the next morning and spent the day just pottering and taking in the sights. One more good nights sleep, then first train to the airport and up to Sapporo.
So jealous of everyone in this thread, gonna be a while before I can get back out.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Nice blue sky Monday, rain on Tuesday then basically snowing 24 hours a day until I left this morning (still snowing) on Sunday.
Incredible amounts of snow and I have never before had such an amount of powder (knee /thigh deep) accessed off the lifts and piste.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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^ and that my friends is why every snowHead should go to Japan one day!
We've done it twice to visit each of our "kids" when they were ski instructors there...trips/snow of a lifetime both times.
Save up...do it!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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What are the best catski operations in Hokkaido?
Tried Weiss once which was great. Would love to make a list of what is available as it would definitely be on agenda for the next trip.
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| rambotion wrote: |
| Boom! Looks like work will send me to Japan in Jan for a month or so with the option to take a bit of leave. Any skiing will be on my own and I really want the full Japow experience so will want to join a guided group. So far I have found Hokkaido Backcountry Club. Any other outfits worth looking at? Open to going to Nagano or Hokkaido although the only guiding outfit that I could find in Nagano, Evergreen, aren't offering group tours this season |
https://www.whiteroomtours.com/
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| rungsp wrote: |
^
Save up...do it! |
From what I have worked out, it is not that much more expensive once you have flights sorted... unless I have not included something.
Just deciding between Hakuba & Niesko for next year!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Gored wrote: |
| rungsp wrote: |
^
Save up...do it! |
From what I have worked out, it is not that much more expensive once you have flights sorted... unless I have not included something.
Just deciding between Hakuba & Niesko for next year! |
Indeed, with a bit of planning it is the same cost as in the Alpes. Flights are now more expensive than what I paid in 2018 (eur 500 return) and 2020 (eur 700 return). 500 eur is very reasonable comparing to train/transfer prices in Geneva, etc. And it takes 11-15 hours (with RU airspace closed a fair bit more) - almost the same duration as driving to eg
BSM or Moutiers
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Mike Pow, thanks a lot! Super helpful as always.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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If it's any help - numbers in NZD so halve the number for English pesos:
- Two weeks accommodation in Myoko for 2 - $3,000 (incl breakfast and daily shuttle services to local areas)
- Two weeks hire of an AWD clown car with snow tyres - $1,300 (not sure at 6'2" I'll fit in it)
- 10 days of passes pre bought at a discount for various areas, going from cheap (Togakushi) to spendy (Lotte Arai) $450
- 3 nights accommodation in Tokyo - $400
- Daily rate for a BC guide - $200 per person
- 2 weeks Insurance for 2 including back country and mountaineering cover - $1,000
Flights return from NZ - $1600 each but think they are a lot more now
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You know it makes sense.
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If you would like to get a feel for prices in resort, feel free to go to our website and get some quotes. We can recommend accommodation to suit your budget and answer any questions.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Have you tried their services? Looks like tough day - all the time standing-up, even on a way up
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Poster: A snowHead
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No it's not for me! But looks good for powderjunkies. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Every time I look at random ski areas on Hokkaido (eg Kiroro) on Snow-forecast.com, it's showing stuff like this - wow!!
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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^ that wind speed is mad!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
| that wind speed is mad! |
I thought nothing of it @AL9000! I must be too used to checking the Scottish areas! Here's *Cairngorm summit forecast:
*Location of the UK's highest recorded wind speeds. Top wack was around 175 mph (280kph) if I'm not mistaken 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Ok, so I haven’t really followed this thread too much, Ive just scanned it with a few red wines on board. There’s a possibility of ditching Jan in Europe and booking two weeks or so at the end of January in Niseko.
It looks good there now, can someone just confirm that all the off piste is filled in, all the lifts up and running, is the night skiing on yet? As I say the wine and WhatsApp’s have been free flowing this evening with the group so forgive me if I’ve missed the info……
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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you could also look at Hakuba - easier to get to than tokyo & a bit cheaper!
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| mountainaddict wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Any other outfits worth looking at? |
We're going with this company in February. Can't wait https://skilasjapan.com/ |
Enjoy, I skied with them a few years ago. You'll probably ski quite a bit at Kokusai, seems to be one of Silas' favourites! Had a great trip.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| mountainaddict wrote: |
| A question. for you: Was the Skilas skiing mostly in the backcountry? Or was it a mix of in-bounds powder, side country etc? Not having skied Japan before, we're not sure where Skilas will find all this legendary powder |
It was all lift-accessed powder, side country, sometimes needing a little bit of a walk but we didn't use touring equipment. He knows the resorts really well, including areas you probably wouldn't find very easily (or at all) if not with someone who skis there regularly. There's nothing secret really but I found it a good and hassle-free way to ski with a group of strong skiers, be shown around different resorts by someone who knows the area really well, get driven around etc.
If you want to do some proper ski touring however, I'd recommend to use another company for that.
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FAQ
