Snowboarder carving powder with Mt. Yotei in the distance
Trip Proposal · 2027
Hokkaido · JP
Powder Mission

Hokkaido Powder Mission

Jan 17 – 27  ·  10 Days  ·  5 Riders
01 The Trip

10 days chasing storms across central Hokkaido.

Base in Asahikawa, ride Kamui, Furano and Asahidake on rotation, and move up to the Daisetsuzan range for the tightest storm window of the trip. No guides, no packages — just five riders, a 4WD, a forecast app, and the flexibility to be wherever the snow is falling.

Days are set by the weather, not the calendar. Mornings on the hill, afternoons in the trees, evenings in the onsen.

Highlight · Day 6

One night slope-side at Asahidake for lift-served backcountry — the deepest, quietest terrain of the trip, timed to the forecast.

02 Accommodation
JR Inn Asahikawa City centre · walk to izakaya & konbini
10 nights
Hotel La Vista Daisetsuzan Ski-in · rooftop onsen · storm window
1 night
03 Transport
4WD Rental — New Chitose Airport All-wheel drive · studless winter tyres · roof box
10 days

Self-drive gives us the full Hokkaido road network: Kamui, Furano, Tomamu, Kurodake and Asahidake are all within two hours of base.

04 Approx Cost Per Person
Flights SYD → Sapporo (CTS)
$1,700 – 2,000
Accommodation 10 nights JR Inn · 1 night La Vista
$825
Car rental Split 5 ways · fuel incl.
$200
Lift tickets 8 riding days · mixed resorts
$345
Food & drink Est. ramen, izakaya, konbini
$520
All-in  ·  ex-flights  ·  per person AUD $1,890
Including flights  ·  per person AUD $3,590 – 3,890
05 Vs Mint Tours
Self-run
$3,590 – 3,890
all-in, per person
Guided equiv.
$6,500 – 8,000
all-in, per person
Savings · per person AUD $2,610 – 4,410
06 Rider Level · Advanced Only
  • Confident off-piste in trees
  • Comfortable in deep powder
  • Own avalanche gear
  • Read terrain & weather
  • Self-sufficient on long days
  • Cold-weather kit dialled

Hokkaido tree runs punish intermediate riders. If you are not comfortable riding knee-deep between trees at pace — this is not the trip.

Hokkaido · Powder Mission Jan 2027 Internal Proposal
Powder mornings· Silent tree runs· Onsens after riding· Ramen + whisky
Section 02 · Route & Cadence

Example Itinerary

Hokkaido Powder Mission
Page 02 / 04
NEW CHITOSE (CTS) ARRIVE · DAY 01 SAPPORO FURANO KAMUI ASAHIKAWA · BASE 10 NIGHTS · JR INN ASAHIDAKE STORM WINDOW · DAY 06–07 0 80 KM N
● Base ○ Resort - - Drive
Central Hokkaido · Daisetsuzan Region Self-drive · ~2 hrs max from base
07 Day by Day
Day Plan Zone Ride?
01Sun · Jan 17
Fly SYD → Sapporo (CTS). Pick up 4WD, drive Asahikawa, beers + ramen. Arrival day — no riding.
CTS → Asahikawa
— Travel
02Mon · Jan 18
Kamui Ski Links. Easy first day — trees on skiers left, stack laps.
Kamui
Ride · Day 1
03Tue · Jan 19
Furano — long top-to-bottom tree laps in the ropeway zone.
Furano
Ride · Day 2
04Wed · Jan 20
Flex day — call at 06:00 based on forecast. Default Kamui; storm-push to Tomamu or rest. First weather-driven call of the trip.
Flex
Ride · Day 3
05Thu · Jan 21
Drive Asahikawa → Asahidake. Settle into La Vista, dinner, rooftop onsen.
→ Daisetsuzan
Half · Day 4
06Fri · Jan 22
Asahidake ropeway — lift-served backcountry. First tracks mandatory, dawn patrol to the gondola. The main event. Transceivers on.
Asahidake BC
Ride · Day 5
07Sat · Jan 23
Asahidake day two — push further from the ropeway, earn turns if snow is stable.
Asahidake BC
Ride · Day 6
08Sun · Jan 24
Drive back to Asahikawa. Afternoon laps at Kamui if energy allows, or rest day.
→ Asahikawa
Half · Day 7
09Mon · Jan 25
Furano return — hit anything missed first time, longer lunches, long dinner.
Furano
Ride · Day 8
10Tue · Jan 26
Final flex day — the biggest storm chase of the trip if conditions align. Last call. Everything is on the table.
Flex
Ride · Day 9
11Wed · Jan 27
Drive Asahikawa → New Chitose. Fly home.
→ CTS
— Travel
09 riding days  ·  03 flex calls  ·  02 travel days HKD-27-01
Powder mornings· Silent tree runs· Onsens after riding· Ramen + whisky
Section 03 · Where We Stay

Where We Stay.

Asahikawa city base  ·  Mountain lodge  ·  Storm-window strategy
07 Accommodation

Two properties. One city base, one mountain lodge — used strategically depending on storm forecasts.

Twin room at JR Inn Asahikawa
Twin room · city view
Onsen at JR Inn Asahikawa
Top-floor onsen
Base Hotel
JR Inn Asahikawa
10 nights  ·  City centre  ·  2 rooms

The base for the trip. Clean, comfortable, and well located in central Asahikawa with easy access to restaurants, bars, and the onsen circuit. Walking distance to everything you need after a day on the mountain.

Free cancellation until January 9, 2027.
Twin room at Hotel La Vista Daisetsuzan
Twin room · timber loft
Cypress onsen at Hotel La Vista Daisetsuzan
Cypress onsen · forest view
Mountain Lodge
Hotel La Vista Daisetsuzan — Kyoritsu Resort
1 night  ·  Mountain lodge  ·  2 rooms  ·  Held flexible

A 5-night window is held at the mountain lodge. Around one week before the trip, we check forecasts, lock in the best night, and cancel the rest. This gives us one night on the mountain during the deepest storm window — waking up at altitude, riding first tracks, then driving back to base.

Free cancellation on unused nights until January 12, 2027.
The Storm-Window Strategy
Step 01
Hold 5 nights at La Vista from Jan 20.
Step 02
Check forecasts ~1 week out. Lock the best night.
Step 03
Cancel unused nights before Jan 12 cutoff.
Zero-cost flexibility — no money at risk until January 12.
Accommodation total  ·  per person
AUD $825
JR Inn $665  ·  La Vista $160
Bookings held · Apr 2026 Cancellable · Jan 9 / Jan 12 HKD-27-01 · STAYS
Powder mornings· Silent tree runs· Onsens after riding· Ramen + whisky
Snowboarder descending in deep snow
Field Report · Dispatch 01
Day 06 · Asahidake
Example day · Asahidake

Sample Day — Asahidake Backcountry.

Day 06  ·  -14°C  ·  38 cm fresh
08 Example Day Schedule · Asahidake
05:40Wake
Early start to align with lift opening. Forecast and avalanche bulletin reviewed the night before.
Pre-dawn
06:30Breakfast
Breakfast at Hotel La Vista. Group briefing: conditions, objectives, turnaround time, communication plan.
Base
08:45Gondola
Asahidake Ropeway first box. Transceiver, probe and shovel checks completed at the base station.
Ropeway
09:15Session 01
Lift-served laps adjacent to the upper station. Lower-consequence terrain used to assess snowpack and visibility.
Warm-up
11:30Session 02
Progress to longer lines further from the ropeway once stability is confirmed. Regroup points set at each transition.
Main objective
14:20Last lift
Final descent via marked cat track. Turnaround time held regardless of conditions.
Descent
16:00Return
Debrief at Hotel La Vista. Gear dried, onsen, dinner. Forecast reviewed for the following day.
Recovery
Vertical
≈4,800m
typical riding day
Season avg.
14m+
annual snowfall
Temp range
-8 / -18°C
Jan · top station
Group size
05
riders, self-guided

Asahidake offers lift-served access to backcountry terrain in a region that averages some of the heaviest snowfall in the world. The schedule above is indicative — exact timing and terrain selection will be set daily against the forecast and avalanche bulletin. Note · example day only

09 Booking & Payments

Two payments. That's it.

$1,000 to reserve your spot. AUD $890 balance by end of September. Trip capped at five riders.

01 · To reserve
AUD $1,000Non-refundable deposit
Holds your spot. Paid on sign-up.
02 · By 30 Sep 2026
AUD $890Balance, ex-flights
Final payment due 30 September 2026.
  • FlightsBooked directly by each rider on their own card.
  • PaymentTHB transfer to Lara's account (details on sign-up).
  • CancellationDeposit is non-refundable. Spot can be transferred to a replacement rider.
  • InsuranceTravel insurance with cancellation cover required.
Powder mornings· Silent tree runs· Onsens after riding· Ramen + whisky