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POWDER & PEAKS- JAPAN 2020

We’ll begin and end this expedition visiting some lesser known sidecountry areas of Hokkaido. Expect to bookend the Rishiri mission with secret tours around Furano (and group dependent) a crack at Tokachidake. Our team’s main focus will be the remote and elusive Rishiri volcano. Working with my local partners at Stealth Backcountry allows us to hit the goods from the moment we land!

Floating the Volcano

Rishiri Island is a backcountry skiing haven with a huge variety of ski and snowboard terrain for those willing to earn their turns. Mount Rishiri is a dormant cone-shaped volcano at the center of the remote Rishiri Island. In the native Ainu language, “Rishiri” means “island with a high peak”, which pretty much sums it up! Others call Rishiri the “floating island”, possibly because you’ll gain a lot of pleasure from floating in the deep powder!

Skiing Rishiri Island is on the bucket list for many Japan backcountry skiing aficionados. Powder on Hokkaido is world renowned because of the abundant, light, fluffy, amazing cold smoke that results from the weather systems that blow down from Siberia. Compared to most Hokkaido ski areas, Rishiri Island is much further north (and closer) to Siberia so the powder there is even better than amazing!

And if devouring all that Japanese powder isn’t enough for you, there’s also an abundance of local seafood to satisfy your appetite. A Rishiri ski trip provides a delightfully unadulterated Japanese experience.

Where is Rishiri Island?

Rishiri Island (Rishiritō) is a small island in the Sea of Japan, about 20 kilometers off the northwest coast of Hokkaido. The Oshidomari Port on Rishiri Island can be accessed via ferry from Otaru or Wakkanai (Hokkaido’s northernmost town). Wakkanai is a 5.5 hour train trip from Sapporo.

Rishiri Terrain

Mount Rishiri has an elevation of 1,721 metres. Depending on weather conditions, the backcountry terrain we’ll access will include a combination of ATL alpine zones and NTL/BTL tree skiing. Mt Rishiri has many ridges, gullies, and bowls- some of which are super steep, and there are several peaks to tackle. BUT, there is also a reasonable amount of mellow terrain below treeline for us to explore.

We will utilize a snowmobile to cover the long and flat distances at the base of the mountain before committing to human-power. No worries if you’re not a seasoned sled-neck!

Rishiri Ski Season

In late winter and early spring there’s a greater chance for clear days, although the main, year-round weather inhibitor to summiting Mt Rishiri is the wind. Rishiri is renowned for its oft-gusty conditions! Our expedition will run from 2/22/20 to 3/1/20.

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The Dude Abides

And (s)he finally obeyed the calendar and honored us with a righteous dump.

CAIC has put out the first Avalanche Watch for the season today. (sucks I gotta roll some mountain passes)

This weekend was the first Venture Snowboards Splitboard Specific Level One of 2018. A good time was had by all but there was some hard driving and difficult weather to contend with.

Micracously, one of my co-instructors spun off the road on the way up to Red Mountain Pass and totaled her truck- rolling and flipping her truck off the side of 550 almost 1,000ft down to the trees above the creek. HOLY SHIT!

Students came upon her as she was climbing her way back up the steep slope to the road. How she walked away from this wreck is beyond me. The most dangerous road in the contiguous keeping it real as always.

I barely had enough road and viz to make it down late Saturday afternoon...

Sunday was a completely different story- What a difference a day makes!

First legit bluebird powder day of 2018! Here are some highlights from the course:

Venture Snowboards and SAS is sponsoring a second, splitboard specific L1 in March. And the dude is slated to abide through the remainder of the week.

So Stoked for it All!

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