JaPow ski touring

26 January - 3 February 2027

Hokkaido, Japan

❄️ 9 days/8 nights
❄️ Gateway start city Asahikawa

❄️ Finish city Furano

This is a ski touring focussed trip. It is two days longer and varied from the 2026 itinerary allowing us to explore four days of new terrain.

We'll take advantage of the cable cars at Kurodake and Asahidake in the mornings for one lift, then use climbing skins the remainder of the day. If conditions are favourable and the group prefers to continually use the cable car for laps, this is possible for the cost of the extra lifts.

There are no lifts in the Tokachidake area for the latter half of the trip.

Each property has an onsite onsen - a mandatory part of every JaPow trip!

Two nights in a downtown Asahikawa 3-star hotel with onsite onsen and day trips using climbing skins to access the backcountry. Breakfasts included.

Two nights at a Sounkyo (Kurodake) 3-star hotel with onsite onsen. Utilizing the cable car for access to the backcountry and day trips using climbing skins. Breakfasts and dinners included.

Two nights at the base of Asahidake in a 3-star hotel with onsite onsen. Ski-in, ski-out access to the backcountry via the cable car. Breakfasts and dinners included.

Two nights at Tokachidake in a traditional family-run 2-star ryokan with onsite onsen. Ski-in, ski-out access to the backcountry using climbing skins. Breakfasts and dinners included.

This ski-touring-focussed trip aims to access backcountry terrain using climbing skins, even though we’ll use lifts when convenient. Most days, we’ll have ski-in, ski-out access. The trip's design aims to minimise van transfers to maximise ski and relaxation time. While we’ll have some transfers to experience diverse terrain over the nine days, they’ll rarely exceed an hour.

Daily objectives vary based on conditions, location, group abilities, and interests. Japan’s deep snow means daily vertical metres gained are usually less than other destinations, averaging 800-1200 metres.

We’ll offer shorter and longer daily options, with flexibility in mind. We’ll likely split groups when two guides are available.

Onsens, naturally heated spring baths, are a traditional part of Japanese culture and have become a staple of modern après-ski JaPow culture. They play a significant role in the cultural experience of skiing in Japan, and are a key feature of every Elevation Guides JaPow trip.

Traditionally some onsens forbade the entry of tattooed bathers, however this approach is softening with the influx of foreign tourism. It's still recommended to be discreet if you're heavily tattooed. The onsens at our accommodations do not enforce an anti-tattoo rule.

Each of our hotels boasts an onsite onsen, and we’ll also offer opportunities to visit other onsens during the trip. Sometimes, we even arrive at onsens on skis!

A complete logistics package will be emailed at least four months before your trip. In the meantime, here are some key points to aid in your trip planning:

Trip start

26 January early afternoon at the Asahikawa central train station. Exact time to be determined once 2027 train schedules are released. You could travel to Asahikawa by train or bus this morning.

Trip end

3 February early evening in Furano. After a full day of skiing, we'll transfer to Furano and drop you at your accommodations (not included in the trip) or train station. You could catch a flight from Sapporo (CTS) or Asahikawa (AKJ) the following day at the earliest.

Travel recommendations

It's a long trip to Japan with a significant time zone difference from North America. Skis and other bags have been known to miss connections. As such, we recommend arriving at least two days in advance of your trip start.

Once partial or full payment has been made for a trip, Elevation Guides blocks the date(s) in our calendar, organises staffing, and declines other bookings. When applicable, we may engage in contracts and reservations for your trip requiring non-refundable payments.

Our cancellation policy can be viewed here.

Rescue insurance is mandatory on Elevation Guides international trips, and highly recommended for Canadian departures. We also recommend travel insurance and a CFAR (Cancel for any reason) policy in case of injury or illness preventing you from joining your trip. Elevation Guides CANNOT process refunds.

Elevation Guides recommends Global Rescue as their policies cover the backcountry and sporting nature of our trips.

You'll find a more complete description on our website here.