Nagano Ski & Snowboard Progression
Become a powder addict in Nagano this year with a ski and snowboard programme that is focussed on teaching intermediates who wish to become better and more confident at skiing and riding the piste and powder. Much more than the usual ski holiday, the Nagano Ski and Snowboard Progression 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.
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.
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 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 the Nagano Powder Zone.
Solo Travelers
Whether you are a solo traveler, a couple or small group, you can join in on a fixed-date tour. Each date only has a maximum of 6 spots and they sell out quickly so don't delay in securing your spot(s).
Rider Ability
These tours cater for
intermediate - skiers and snowboarders. You should be able to link turns together confidently on groomed trails. Please note the Nagano Ski and Snowboard Progression is an intermediate tour so all skiing will be performed in bounds. However, if your guide believes your skill level is at a stage where off piste or out of bounds you may be moved to a more advanced group and AVI gear can be rented on a day by day basis.
There are various other tours that are similar to this that vary with respect to duration or ability level. See the
JPCT overview for a summary of the tours.
Advanced skiers should check out the
Nagano Skiers Buffet. Advanced snowboarders should check out the
Nagano Snowboarders Buffet.
Resorts/Ski Areas Visited (Depending on Conditions)
This tour has the ability to visit many 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,
Nozawa Onsen,
Myoko Suginohara,
Madarao &
Tangram.
Drive times to these resorts vary from 25 minutes to 50 minutes in good road conditions.
Important Information:
This tour is set up for intermediate 4A and 4B skiers and boarders. We cater for singles, couples, families and groups and can mix and match our groups depending on ability from beginner level to advanced so all skill sets are catered for. The three pillars of JPC Tours are safety first, fun second and improvement third, and although safety is a clear winner, we also put high importance on fun and improvement as well. How we structure our teaching for our progression tours is the first two days are focussed on the fundamentals of skiing, and correcting habits that will not benefit guests when transitioning to the powder.
Our instruction is not compulsory, however if guests are open to learning new skills and implementing the instruction we give then a higher level of improvement will happen.
We also understand that some guests are not as concerned about improvement and are more happy to be guided around the mountain to the best snow conditions each day. In our experience there are some fundamental issues that need to be resolved for our intermediate groups to transition to powder so we work on these at the start of the tour on piste and do not just rush straight into the powder without correcting bad form.
As we have a mix of singles, couples, families and groups we only ask that people come with an open attitude to learn, a sense of humour and the flexibility to mix with others in a social setting. 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.
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. For those with time constraints check out the
Nagano Powder Chaser.
These tours have 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 snow experience goals.