Iwate Snow Frontier
The Iwate Snow Frontier is a guided trip of some of the Iwate ski areas, which are uncrowded and untracked relative to the big name Japanese ski resorts such as Niseko, Rusutsu and Hakuba. The Iwate Snow Frontier is also far far away from the westernised ski resorts in Japan where everyone speaks English, the pubs offer Australian beer and chicken parmas, and you start to wonder whether you're really in Japan.
And unlike an overly curated resort experience, the Iwate Snow Frontier has you based in the city of
Morioka. It doesn't have the frenetic energy of Tokyo as it's only a small to medium sized city, yet it still offers a nice Japanese city experience and has a large variety of dining experiences and the food prices are a fraction of what you'd pay at the big-name ski resorts. It also has lots of bars, although some of them only fire up on the weekends.
This is a private bespoke tour that can be customised to your small group of up to 4 people. You can't join a mixed group. Couples are welcome to participate, although the per person rate will be higher than if you have 3 or 4 people in your group. This tour has sample pricing and an itinerary for 4 days, although you may be able to customise the trip to your desired duration.
Highlights
- Experience the real Japan away from the westernised ski resorts
- This tour is operated & guided by knowledgeable and qualified English-speaking Japanese guides
- Stay in the city of Morioka which has lots of restaurants and some bars - not many foreigners stay in Morioka
- Be guided to the powder stashes in the off-piste zones of the ski areas, along with lift-accessed backcountry
- Option to soak in an onsen on the way home from skiing
- Boutique trip for your small group so very personalised service
The itinerary will stay flexible so that the best ski area can be selected each day, based on weather and snow conditions. Possible ski destinations include:
- Appi - wide, well-groomed runs, in-bounds tree runs and sidecountry options. You have the option to upgrade your Appi lift pass to include a snowcat shuttle run or more of the Nishimori area.
- Geto Kogen – deep powder and excellent tree runs and it's renowned for being blessed with a mighty lot of snowfall
- Okunakayama Kogen – this is a small local gem with fewer crowds
- Shimokura – a small ski area with steep, natural terrain and hidden powder stashes
If you want to check availability or have other questions,
please get in touch.
Terrain Focus
The terrain focus of the Iwate Snow Frontier is the off-piste trees at the ski areas plus lift-accessed backcountry. If guests possess avalanche safety gear (beacon, shovel, probe) and climbing skins or snowshoes, full backcountry skiing in the Hachimantai area is also possible.
Group Type
These tours are for private groups only, with a maximum of 4 guests i.e. you cannot join a group as a solo traveller. You can
make a booking request to get a quote for your desired trip duration and other requirements.
Lodging
The accommodation will be at a hotel in Morioka rated 3-stars or above. As is commonplace in Japan, rooms are likely to have twin beds (2 singles). The hotel will be within very easy walking distance of lots of restaurants.