Grey Snowmads
Let’s face it, we are not getting any younger, and although we still think young the body does not always agree. Trying to keep up with some of the young bucks with their ego’s, gung ho attitude and first to the powder mentality can be taxing on the aging body for us older powder dogs. So why not join a tour that takes this on board and provides a platform where you can ski at your own pace without the pressure of trying to keep up.
If you are 55+ and consider yourself a grey snowmad (that is someone who is still totally mad about all things snow with perhaps a slight bit of grey showing on top) and want to mix with like-minded skiers and boarders who have the skills to ski the POW but have now got their ego’s in check this is the tour for you.
This tour allows you access to a variety of resorts to visit in the Nagano prefecture over your eight days of skiing. The three focuses of this tour are powder chasing and traditional cultural experiences (which are in abundance in this part of the world) plus there is also the option to learn some new skills from our guide/instructors for those who are open to learn to become better and more confident at skiing and riding the world famous JAPOW and improve their on-piste development.
Much more than the usual ski holiday, the Grey Snowmads in Japan combines adventure, culture, quality Japanese run accommodation (which is vitally important to check the type of accommodation when booking any tour to make sure you are comparing apples with apples) and personalities to give you the complete Japanese experience.
Where other companies may talk up the culture of Japan and include the experiences as an add on option at an extra cost, we include them so you get a totally authentic Japanese ski and snowboard experience, and the list doesn’t include the hidden gems we have up our sleeve that will amaze you and surprise you along the way.
It is important to note that this tour focuses on finding powder where there are few westerners, so if you like skiing pristine powder ALL day and not having to fight with the masses then read on. This is a trip not to be missed so enquire now as this trip sells out fast. For those who have time constraints visit the
Nagano Powder Chasers or for those looking for some more focused training look at our
Nagano Powder Progression tour.
Resorts/Ski Areas Visited (Depending on Conditions)
This tour has the ability to visit up to 8 different resorts in the Nagano Prefecture.
The resorts visited are dictated by the conditions on any given day and each area has its own individual micro climate so don’t be surprised if you visit the same resort a number of times. The resorts include:
Oku Shiga Kogen, Yakebitaiyama, Ichinose, Giant, Yokoteyama and Kumanoyu (all part Asia’s largest ski resort
Shiga Kogen),
Togakushi,
Myoko Suginohara,
Nozawa Onsen &
Madarao/
Tangram.
Drive times to these resorts vary from 25 minutes to 50 minutes in good road conditions.
Ability
The tour caters for the high intermediate and advanced skiers and boarders who wish to experience as much powder as possible and explore the “slack country” of each of the resorts, with the added advantage of a trained instructor/guide to help you correct any of those annoying habits.
Activities
Visit the world-famous snow monkeys up close, be entertained by a traditional Geisha performance, enjoy the interactive Taiko Drum, Shamisen Guitar and Lion Dance show and participate in a Karate performance. New this season is the interactive magic and comedy performance which is very cleverly performed. Why not soak in the rejuvenating Onsens, taste the local sake and beer recipes and visit historic Shibu Onsen Town. There is an option to have an evening tour in a Pistenbully snow cat to the highest lift access point in Japan 2307 metres to see the snow monster trees if the conditions permit at an extra cost.
And let’s not forget the night where we all eat together at the Sushi train followed by an epic night in the karaoke bar. We also have a raft of self-guided cultural days if you need to rest those weary muscles.
Important Information:
Tours between 14th March and 31st March 2024 can be arranged and are based around a minimum of 4 people.
Our advanced 5A tours are aimed at those groups of people from 2 to 6 people who have skied together before and are familiar and comfortable with each other’s ability. For individuals that wish to join the advanced group tours we suggest you check out our Nagano Ski Buffet tour which caters for a younger age demography or alternatively if you mix well with others and fit the criteria of an advanced skier or boarder then we will consider the application.
We have
two high intermediate 4B single/couple tours (3 - 12 Feb and 4 - 13 March) as we are very mindful from previous experience of mixing individuals with groups that have skied together before of maintaining a happy group dynamic and we ask that those who wish to join the individual tour that they have an open attitude to learn, a sense of humour and the flexibility to mix with others in a social setting. There is instruction available from our guides however we do not guarantee improvement that is up to the individual.
Our comprehensive ability chart will indicate where you sit in relation to skill level which will further assist us in joining you with an appropriate group. We are very focussed in keeping the flow of each group at a similar level so we will move skier and snowboard abilities about to achieve this no matter the age, so it is extremely important you do not overstate your ability, or you may find you are in a group where you will be waiting for others not the other way around.
Our business philosophy is a WE ism attitude much like the Japanese culture has and the ME ism attitude and behaviour is not suited to our tours.
Note that these tours may be a mix of skiers and snowboarders if the minimum of 4 people in each discipline is not reached. We have had much success over the years mixing both disciplines to make sure the group flow is maintained. Where possible we will have separate skier and snowboarder tours when numbers allow based around skier and boarder ability levels. If any of our tour dates do not suit or you have a group of 4 or more people with varied ability level, please contact us so we can help you achieve your Japanese experience goals.