AIZU Powder Hunter Tour
Highlights
- Chase the big winter storms in the Aizu region
- You’re guaranteed to ride the best snow available every day with a flexible itinerary
- Spend a morning or afternoon catskiing / boarding
- Riding in a small group of 5 people keeps the group moving at a fast pace on a powder day
- Staying in a luxury Japanese hotel with restaurant, bar, onsen & more
Join an Aizu Powder Hunter Tour and you’ll get to experience an area that is blessed with lots of snowfall, no crowds and very little western influence. Throughout the tour the guides will show you why the Aizu region is one of their favourite places to ride in Japan.
Your base for this tour is Urabandai Lake Resort and from here you can easily access many of the surrounding resorts. The terrain ranges from big mountain lines to undulating tree riding. The itinerary is kept flexible so your guides can find the best conditions and terrain on the day. Being off the beaten track, you will also experience real Japanese cuisine and hospitality.
What's a "Powder Hunter Tour"?
These are tours are all about chasing the big winter storms. By keeping the itinerary flexible your guide will assess the conditions and decide which is the best place to ride based on weather and snowfall. Your local Japanese guide who has a lifetime of experience riding in these areas as well as reading the conditions and terrain, will make sure you find the goods. There are over a dozen resorts within easy reach from the hotel base including Alts Bandai, Nekoma, Minowa and Inawashiro. Each day the group will load up the 4WD vans and drive to the chosen destination for the day.
Small Groups
By limiting the group size to a maximum of 5 people per guide ensures you get the most out of your time with less time waiting around for the group to congregate, which means more time riding powder!!!!
Snow Conditions
February through to early March is the best time of year to experience skiing and snowboarding in Aizu. What you can expect is light and dry snow, perfect for riding powder. Temps will be cold, with temperatures ranging from -1 to -10 degrees celsius. Most days you can expect to ride powder that’s anywhere from boot to waist deep. Even if there isn't fresh snow overnight, the cold temperatures and your guide's local knowledge will ensure you’ll ride powder even days after a storm.
Cat Ski Session
The tour includes a cat ski session. All guests on tour get to experience cat-skiing/ cat-boarding in Japan. You don’t have to compete for fresh lines here because the group has exclusive access to the cat-ski zone, and exclusive use of snowcats to shuttle you to the top after each run. We have the cat ski operation at our disposal so we can access the amazing terrain in this area.
Luxury Accommodation
Throughout the tour you’ll stay at the Urabandai Lake Resort. The hotel has modern, western-style rooms, restaurants, bar, onsen and convenience store. The comfortable rooms are equipped with 2 single beds, great heating, private ensuite bathroom, TV, and free WiFi.
The tour includes daily buffet breakfast and dinner in the hotel's restaurant and each night you’ve got access to the in-house bar which has icy cold beers on tap as well as a pool table, darts and golf to keep you entertained.