Itinerary
Day 1: Meet at Morioka train station 6:45pm
There are three options of where to meet the group.
1) Meet at Hanamaki Airport "Hana Shop and Cafe" on the first floor at 5:30pm
2) Meet at Morioka Station South Exit by 6:45pm on day-one of your tour
3) Meet at the hotel in Morioka by 7:30pm on day-one of your tour
Day 2-5: Storm Chase in the Iwate/Morioka Region
The area surrounding Morioka explodes with ski hills in every direction. Depending on the conditions, you'll hit Geto Kogen, Tazawako, Shizukuishi, Appi Kogen or Hachimantai Shimokura, Amihari or Iwate Snowpark ski hills. With so many options sometimes it can be hard to choose!
One of the days your group will have its own private snowcat to go cat skiing at an abandoned ski hill.
One thing's for sure though, there will be negligible foreigners there and there'll be very little competition for our pow, if any.
This section of the trip involves a fair amount of driving (by your guide) in one of the adventure vans. Every day you can expect to travel 45 minutes to 1.5 hours to a ski hill.
Each night you'll head back to the vibrant city of Morioka where you'll have the option to head to a great restaurant organised by your guide. And if you’re into nightlife, you’ll have an abundance of options.
On the afternoon of day 5 you'll pack up and your guide will drive you 2 hours north to the city of Aomori (near Hakkoda).
Day 6-7: Ski Hakkoda in Aomori
Hakkoda is one of best undiscovered gems left to be found in the Japow universe. In the same fashion as Asahidake in Hokkaido, Hakkoda is a single ropeway (tram) that opens up incredible backcountry terrain. Depending on where you want to go, one run can take 30 minutes or 1.5 hours. At Hakkoda, it's all about the quality. However, because of its location it often shuts down due to bad weather. In this case there are some exciting backup options in the area that will still leave you satiated.
The two days in Hakkoda are backcountry days which are accessed by a tram. That means that while the tram takes care of 90% of elevation gain, you'll still be hiking anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes per run on terrain that varies from flat traverses to moderate climbs. Since you'll be doing 2 runs per day, that means you'll be touring for between 1-3 hours per day. But it's worth it and the snow quality is worth it!
If you have your own touring equipment, you will definitely want to bring it for these two days. If you don't have your own gear, the guides have snowshoes available for you to use for no additional cost.
More than just skiing and snowboarding, Aomori is a unique and interesting culture with its own traditions, dialect and yes - amazing local food. In this town you'll be feasting on sushi, seeing a musical performance, and can even learn some traditional dances (if you're in the mood).
Day 8: Drop Off Day
You'll be dropped at the Aomori bullet train station where you can take a 3.5 hour train back to Tokyo. Or you might choose to catch a train up to Hokkaido.
If you're planning on staying in Tokyo for a few days at the end of the trip, note that you can mail your ski bag to the NRT or HND airports. That way you won't have to lug it around!