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Backcountry skiing on Hirayu & Mount Yake, Japan (2days)

Backcountry skiing on Hirayu & Mount Yake, Japan (2days)
Backcountry skiing on Hirayu & Mount Yake, Japan (2days)
Backcountry skiing on Hirayu & Mount Yake, Japan (2days)
Backcountry skiing on Hirayu & Mount Yake, Japan (2days)
Backcountry skiing on Hirayu & Mount Yake, Japan (2days)

Your local JMGA-certified guide Ryuta will lead you on this fun and adventurous 2 day backcountry skiing expedition through the stunningly picturesque and gorgeous Mount Yake, in Gifu, Japan, a veritable ski and snow wonderland.

Group

Hida Mountains

2 Days

Mar

High

Intermediate


Highlights

  • Ski on one of the most active volcanoes in Japan!
  • Relax and bathe in stunning hot springs
  • Improve your off-piste skiing technique

Description

Join me on this 2-day journey of backcountry skiing on Mount Yake, Gifu, Japan, and you will experience some of the best skiing conditions in Asia, with the freshest powder and best backcountry skiing routes thanks to the knowledge of us local guides, all taking place against the splendid, postcard-perfect backdrop of the fascinating and traditional Japanese scenery and landscapes.

Mount Yake is one of the most famous mountains in Japan, as it is also one of the most active volcanoes in the country. Located in the Gifu region, it is close to being the snowiest area of Japan, and the nearby hot springs are a fantastic place to visit when not skiing on the mountain.

We meet at Hirayu Bus Terminal on the first day at 8am, and from here we head to the ski fields around Hirayu, where we will choose which areas to ski in based on the conditions.

During the second day we will stake out good spots around Yakedake and Kamikoche, before finishing the activity at the end of this day.

The scenery is quite awe-inspiring and delightful, as the majestic snow-capped mountains lead to sweeping panoramic views of the pretty valleys and lakes below.

Hopefully after these two days you will be newly inspired and hungry to seek out more backcountry skiing in Japan.

Japan is a fascinating and wonderful country – book now to discover it!

I also offer a backcountry ski tour of Tateyama, Toyama, here!

Alternatively, I also offer backcountry skiing of Shirakawa, Gifu, here!

Price includes

  • Guiding fee

Itinerary

Day 1: Meet and ski

– Meet at Hirayu Bus Terminal

– Ski the Hirayu area

– Stay at Nakanoyu Onsen Ryokan

Day 2: Ski and finish

-Ski around Yakedake and Kamikochi

-Finish activity

 

About the guide

Guide profile image

Ryuta

4.7

(10)

Mountain Guide

I live in Gifu prefecture in Japan, which is famous for Shrakawago UNESCO World Heritage Site and also becoming famous as the backcountry skiing / snowboarding arena known for its DEEP snow and STEEP terrains.

I am a JMGA certified mountain guide, also certified in Wilderness First Aid. Following my competition years in snowboarding, I became a guide because I liked backcountry snowboarding and wanted to propose safe and fun trips to clients, where I can share my experiences and joys that I felt in the mountains. I spend the winter exploring new backcountry terrains and spend rest of the year climbing mountains. I have accomplished a snowboard descent from the summit of Denali in 2013.
My motto is to guide “safely and fun”, and therefore I aspire to guide small groups. I value the time I spend with each of my guests and this way I can spend more time communicating with clients and for clients to get to know each other better.

I believe that mountain climbing experience should not just be about standing on the summit but also enjoying the nature on the mountain as a whole, learning about the history, and getting a taste of the culture. Shirakawago, in Gifu, is an UNESCO World Heritage Site, and you can also enjoy onsen and local cuisine.

Whether it be walking in the mountains, touching the snow, rock, grass or water, or hiking, canyoning, rock climbing, or backcountry skiing, I believe that experiences in the outdoors will enrich your life. Japan is a country of 4 distinct seasons, blessed with rich and beautiful nature. Let’s have fun together in this nature, using all your 5 senses, moving your bodies and feel the rhythm of the nature and of the Earth. I would love to share my outdoor experiences with you and I endeavour to guide in a way to connect people to people, and people to nature in the natural rhythm of the nature.

Languages

Japanese | English

Certificates

JMGA

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What people are saying about Ryuta

jason

Can't really put into words. We might never snowboard again as the day out with Ryuta was the greatest day of my life! Besides the fact we rode bottomless powder, Ryuta as person made us feel like family. He is a outstanding snowborder, very knowledgeable in the the backcountry, i never, i mean never felt unsafe. If you ever get the opportunity to ride with him you'll no what I talking about. Thanks so much explore-share and Ryuta!!

Luke

Thank you for an amazing experience! The best lines we've seen in Japan. Ryuta is by far the most experienced, professional guide I've ever met. And a great guy. I can't wait to go riding with him again.

Eddie

Gerson

Ryuta was extremely knowledgeable and professional, we had a great time.

Jeff

I am a 50 year old good skier. I enjoy challenging terrain but not a ton of backcountry experience I ski with my very good 15/18 year old daughters who ski just about anything they can find. We all rented a guide together for the three of us. Our guide picked us up at our hotel, and we arranged in advance to rent backpack, snow shovel and avalanche beacon through this guide service for an extra fee. He drove us to norikura where there are far fewer crowds than Happo one or cortina. We used lifts to access perimeter terrain that was otherwise out of bounds without a guide. It was extremely helpful to have a guide because there is no way we would have found the lines he took us to without him. We spent time on both norikura and cortina which are connected and skied the most incredibly light / deep powder I’ve ever seen in my life. Some runs were open glades and other runs were through beautiful forested areas. Snow was routinely waste deep and often chest deep with face shots. It was so dry that despite being virtually submerged in powder, I was only wet from my own sweat! We skied in early January and we were told that the snow was better than normal for the time of year. We laughed when our guide said some of the snow was “moist” as our home mountain in the Pacific Northwest is often very wet and heavy snow. There was no comparison- the Hakuba snow was remarkable. Our guide did a lot of photography and videos for us and shared them at the end of the day. Plenty of pictures worth framing. If anyone is traveling to Japan for a powder day, this guide service was worth every penny.


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