Iwate Explorer Tour
The Iwate Explorer Tour is a lift-accessed powder tour that heads to small ski areas in the Iwate Prefecture, that are off the main radar of international skiers and snowboarders. Like other Tohoku ski resorts, the
Iwate ski areas are mostly small and perfect for visiting for the day.
Powder Recon was the pioneer of multi-day guided trips in Northern Tohoku and the guides know the ski areas intimately and any kinks in the trip were ironed out more than a decade ago. The Iwate Explorer Tour has some similarities in destinations and style of the longstanding
Northern Odyssey Tour, although with the latter there are multiple hotel changes, some energy spent on the uphill, and you need to return home for a holiday afterwards. This Iwate Explorer Tour is for those that are looking for adventure, but at a slower pace. Whilst exploring untouched Northern Honshu, there is more emphasis on experiencing Japan's rich culture on this tour. Rather than heading deep into the backcountry, the Iwate Explorer is for those not wanting to stray too far from the resort.
Included in the Iwate Explorer Tour is daily guiding from Monday through Friday. Including visiting new resorts, the guide's role is to provide a safe and adventurous day, following the weather and the mountains to find the best possible skiing for any given day.
The trip is based in the city of
Morioka for 3 days and in the evenings you can wander the streets in search of a nice bar and enjoy all the cuisine options.
The other base area is at
Amihari where you can enjoy the onsite onsen and relaxed pace.
Each tour runs across 6 days from Sunday to Saturday, so there's a focus on skiing on weekdays. The tour starts and finishes at Morioka train station, so you can easily get to Tokyo or your next destination.
If you have any questions
please make contact.
Ability Level
As a minimum, you need to a strong intermediate to advanced skier or snowboarder who is comfortable riding in off-piste snow conditions including powder, and comfortable riding amongst the trees. You don't need to be able to charge at the powder through the trees, but you can if you want to!
Transportation
Transport for the tour will be provided in private 4WD vans and this will include transport between the Morioka train station and hotel, and the different ski areas that will be visited each day.