Backcountry skiing in Rishiri

Ski touring and splitboarding in Rishiri, guided by Toshiya, the only local certified mountain guide, owner of a lovely family guest house.

Private

+1 Days

Jan - Mar

Intermediate

Description

Rishiri, the island where I come from and where I live, is located off the northern coast of Hokkaido in the north of Japan. It is a circular island with one very large mountain. The ridges and bowls make the mountain feel more like a mountain range with several peaks than one big volcano.

There are no chairlifts! In winter, Rishiri is dedicated to ski touring and splitboarding enthusiasts.

It might seem for some to be at the end of the world but the ski terrain here is just incredible!

We call it the “floating island”.

I recommend you to come here for at least 4 days. I put together programs of 3 days, 4 days and 5 days (with accommodation included in the price). Check them out if you are interested!

You will stay in my family hostel that I manage. It is equipped with an onsen (hot spring bath) where it is awesome to stay after a day of skiing. You will enjoy delicious homecooked Japanese food.

Your stay here will not only be a ski trip but also a great cultural discovery!

We use snowmobile to cover the long and flat distances. We then go up using the skins.

Every day, I take you where the snow and weather conditions are the best. The daily itinerary and program will also depend on your wishes and your ski experience. If the weather permits we can even go for the summit.

You can come to Rishiri either by plane (45 min) from Sapporo or by ferry (1:40 h) leaving from Wakkanai.

I will take maximum 6 clients with me. I will divide the group by friends or by level as we will be two guides.

There are no rental shops on the island so please take all your equipment with you, including your avalanche beacon, shovel, probe, your crampons and ice axe.

Please get in touch with me if you wish come here and enjoy a fantastic ski experience!

If you want to know more about Rishiri Island, you can read the article Winter in Rishiri: backcountry skiing in a remote Japanese island as well as this story of 2 Canadians that came to visit me in 2016 for some unforgettable ski runs: Discover Rishiri, the ultimate backcountry skiing destination in Japan.

Price includes

Guiding fee

Price details

The price will depend on the number of people joining for the day (whether you came as a group or you are joining an existing one).

Details

More info

The season starts from 20 December

You can rent Safty equipment on site.

You will have to arrive on Rishiri island the night before and it is recommended to leave the day after the tour.

As we will be 2 guides running the program, we will split the group by friends or by level.

Price: the price at the time of booking depends on the group size at that time. If the group size changes on the actual day, then the difference will be refunded (if more clients) or will have to be covered by the clients (if fewer clients).

I can help you with the transportation from the ferry terminal or the airport to the lodge.

Please note that there will be additional cost as below to be paid directly to me on the spot:

Onsen tax: JPY 150 per person per night, if you are staying at my guesthouse
Snowmobile cost: JPY 1,000-3,000 per person per day depending on the route chosen for the day

Insurance: please ensure that each member of your group is covered by an appropriate insurance policy that also covers mountain rescue operations

Meeting point

You can fly from Sapporo's Okazu Airport to Rishiri Airport or from Haneda Airport to Wakkanai Airport, where you can come to Rishiri Island by ferry from Wakkanai. If you come by ferry we'll be able to pick you up at the ferry terminal for free.

FAQs

Can I rent any equipment or gear in Rishiri?

No, unfortunately there are no backcountry equipment or rental shops on Rishiri Island. You need to bring your own gear, which you can rent in other places in Japan if you don't want to bring it from your home country.

About the guide

-Toshiya

4.8

(22)

Ski Guide

I was born on the island of Rishiri in 1969. I still live here today! Since my childhood, I have spent most of my time in the sea, going fishing, and in the mountain going skiing. I’m a ski guide (level 2) from the Japanese Mountain Guide Association. I’m the only one on the island. I have reached the summit of Rishiri more than 500 times… It’s my great pleasure to guide here and let people from all around the world discover this beautiful island all year round. Please feel free to get in touch with me if you are looking for a local expert to guide you in Rishiri. Besides mountain guiding, I'm managing a family hostel here so I can help you with the accommodation as well.

Languages

Japanese | English

Certificates

JMGA

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What people are saying about this trip

Brandon

We had an amazing experience on Rishiri, perfect snow, good weather and a guide who knows the island like his pocket. The very steep slopes and the overwhelming nature satisfied every wish we had. We have been looking for a guided tour avoiding the normal tracks on Hokkaido and then saw the pictures of the floating mountain. And definitively the adventure included. We went to the southern part of the island, as Toshi-san knew that there would be the best snow conditions. The first 5km we have been toed in by a snow mobile and then climbed up a several times, riding different gullies each time. Toshi-san is an amazing person, always happy, friendly and very welcoming. As said before, he knows every bit of the island and guided accordingly bringing us to breathtaking places. We all would and will totally recommend him to friends visiting Japan. The reality was much better than expectations! We had some concerns regarding the weather conditions and difficulty but got lucky with the weather and never felt that Toshi chose a route too difficult. Rishiri is a floating mountain! Steep like in the Swiss alps, but just one single mountain, which makes the it much more imposant. On the sunny day, we could see the Sibirian mainland. What are your top 3 memories during the trip ? Riding very steep slopes in perfect snow, Toshi-san with his warm and welcoming attitude, and the travel to get there and back

denis

We had a great trip, no powder but fabulous Spring ski, thanks to Toshiya who is super friendly and excellent at picking the right route according to the weather especially in windy conditions. Thanks a lot

Angela

If it were possibke to award 100 Stars I would !

Brooke

Toshi and his crew gave us a truly remarkable experience! From the food to the accommodations to the epic skiing: this trip was out of this world!

Paul

We had a great trip to Rishiri! The snow gods were not on our side but Rishiri is a mountain of many slopes and aspects and thanks to a great guiding team we always managed to find good snow! Toshi ran a great operation with 3 other guides which meant we were split into two groups with a max of 9 per group and two guides. This allowed the group to be split even further on the day... Special thanks to Shohei and Kosukei - very professional guides!! Arigatou-gozaimashita!!