BDTs Lift Assisted Backcountry Tours (Suited to Advanced+)
Black Diamond Tours offer lift accessed backcountry tours at ski areas near Niseko. These guided backcountry tours chases the best powder and conditions for the particular day with a variety of potential destinations that head to ski areas to use the lifts to access the backcountry. Niseko guiding can be booked for one day or multiple days of your trip.
This tour is only open for
private groups of 1-5 people i.e. you pull together your own group, or with an additional guide your group size can be up to 10 people.
The island of Hokkaido is battered with relentless light, dry snow from December to March every year but the challenge is knowing where to go each day. Factors like gate closures, variable weather, strong winds, poor visibility and distinct micro-climates mean that KNOWLEDGE IS POWDER! This Niseko guiding offers you direct access to BDT's unrivalled experience of knowing where to go depending on what the wind and snow are up to.
From Niseko, your guide can take you to the ski areas of
Moiwa,
Rusutsu,
Kiroro or
Kokusai, plus some other little ski areas that we'll keep under wraps.
Avalanche Safety Equipment: Provided at no extra charge for all guests if you do not have your own.
Uphill Travel: The lift assisted backcountry trips use the lifts to access the backcountry and to assist with the uphill as much as possible, yet touring gear is highly recommended to get a little further afield e.g. skis with touring bindings & skins, split boards or snow shoes. Touring gear can be rented from a Niseko shop.
Niseko Guiding Details
All tours begin with your guide picking you up directly from your accommodation in the Niseko area and taking you to your destination in a comfortable 4WD drive vehicle. With their guides leading the way you can expect to stay ahead of the curve all day long and not drop into any dead-end gullies. Japan is particularly suited to guided trips as there is no off-piste signage and many of the best runs end on narrow trails that weave their way back to the main courses but there are also plenty of places where a mistaken turn will leave you with a long walk out.
If you have any questions or want to check availability, please
make a booking request.
Rusutsu
Incredible tree skiing |
Deep deep powder |
this is a must do for powder hounds |
Rusutsu is a little gem and perfect for powder hounds. A ski trip to Niseko would not be complete without at least one day to Rusutsu. If you have not ventured to Rusutsu before then a guided tour is highly recommended, otherwise you might find yourself wasting the first day finding only a couple of the great hidden treasures Rusutsu has to offer.
Sapporo Kokusai
Lift access.. |
..to fabulous terrain... |
...and untracked powder |
Sapporo Kokusai is a small local ski area located near Sapporo. Whilst the on-piste ski area itself is quite small, there is some incredibly diverse terrain located within the resort boundaries and just outside the resort.
Kiroro
Kiroro has great lifts.... |
..stacks of untracked powder... |
...for all levels of ride |
Located a stone's throw from Niseko (about 45 minutes), Kiroro is a relatively unknown Hokkaido resort but blessed with some of the most consistent powder conditions on the island. Positioned just off Hokkaido's west coast, Kiroro is the first resort to catch the good stuff from arriving Siberian storms. Rusutsu may offer a wider selection of gladed powder terrain while Kokusai and Teine are home to the steeps but Kiroro comes through with some of the most reliable snow conditions and a great selection of off-piste lines to keep you busy all day long.