Guided 1 Day Off Piste & Backcountry Tours

Powder Hunter

Niseko

Niseko Back Bowls

Mushrooms

Rusutsu

Kokusai

Kiroro

Teine Highland

The island of Hokkaido is battered with relentless light, dry snow from December to March every year but the challenge is knowing where to go each day. Factors like variable weather, strong winds, poor visibility and distinct micro-climates mean that KNOWLEDGE IS POWDER! The PowderHunter offers you direct access to our unrivalled experience and removes the need to decide months in advance where the best snow will be when you arrive here. If the weather and snow are stable, our first option is to get into the Niseko Back Bowls, but if the winds are strong we’ll head to Rusutsu or Kiroro for incredible gladed powder skiing; if it’s not snowing in the Niseko area and we need to take advantage of another weather pattern we’ll go a little further afield and over a mountain pass to Sapporo Kokusai or Teine Highland. Other options include Chisenupurri or Moiwa resorts. Our goal is heli-ski powder without the heli... or associated price tag. More info on this trip available here.

Avalanche Safety Equipment: For all destinations except Niseko, avalanche transceivers for all guests and 1-2 full kits (actual number will depend on group size) will be provided at no extra charge. For Niseko Back Bowls trips, all guests require full kits which can be rented for 2000Yen/kit/day if you don`t have your own. Gear Rental Pricing Details

Lift Tickets: At the time of booking, we will charge for lift tickets for all Powderhunter trips; however if on the trip date, we decide to ski within the Niseko area guests will be asked to purchase their own ticket directly from the ski resort or use Niseko day passes you may already have. BDTours will refund 4000Yen/ticket at the end of the day (2000Yen if you needed to rent avalanche equipment for this trip).

Make a Reservation | Gear List | Terms & Conditions | FAQS

Start your trip with insider knowledge, avoid lift lineups and get straight to the best off-piste skiing Niseko has to offer. Given the size of the Niseko area, the number of bowls, confusing signage and often poor alpine visibility, this is a highly valuable tour that will help you get off on the right foot as soon as you hit the slopes. This tour stays inbounds, but will take you to the best of Niseko's marked and unmarked off piste runs so you know all the local spots and the best way to get around all four of the Niseko resorts.

Morning 1/2 Day	8:30am-11:30am
Afternoon 1/2 Day	1:00pm-4:00pm
Full Day	8:30am-3:00pm

Upgrade Option!! After we meet you on the day of the trip, if your guide thinks you`re up to it and conditions are suitable we may offer the opportunity to upgrade to our Niseko Back Bowls trip. Just pay the difference in price and rent the required gear and we will get you into Niseko`s phenomenal lift accessed backcountry terrain! If you`re not certain of your skill level, this is a great option to make sure you`re on the right trip.

Make a Reservation | Gear List | Terms & Conditions | FAQS

On the other hand, if a tour of Niseko's legendary back bowls is what you're looking for, our professional guides will take you beyond the ropes to the best backcountry skiing on the mountain. We'll make sure that conditions are right, outfit you with the appropriate safety equipment (if you don't already have your own) and take care of the directions. Most of the runs visited on this tour require short hikes to access but legwork is kept to a minimum with all runs skiing back to chairlifts. Weather permitting, we'll finish the day by dropping off of the back side of the mountain down to the secluded Goshiki hot springs. After a relaxing dip and refreshing beverage, our shuttle vehicle will take care of the return journey.

If you would prefer to get deeper into the backcountry tour and don't mind putting in the extra effort, please visit our backcountry tours section.

*Backcountry gear is required but rental fee is not included in price. Full kit available for 2000Yen/day. Details

**Please bring cash for on mountain lunch and onsen at the end of the day. (A small towel is great to bring as well but towels are also available at the onsen)

Make a Reservation | Gear List | Terms & Conditions | FAQS

BD has been guiding pro skiers and snowboarders for years in Hokkaido's vast natural playground of pillows (generally referred to as mushrooms in Japan), drops, steep chutes and backcountry booters but starting this season we will begin offering this same service to all of our guests. After all, why should the pros have all the fun?

We will visit some of the very same terrain you've seen in the movies (check our photo gallery to refresh your memory!) along with several more zones that haven’t yet made the highlight reels. A qualified guide and coach will be with you to help progress and challenge yourself in the safest way possible. Video analysis will help you see what you're doing right or wrong (and provide hours of laughter afterwards).

Warning: You must be a strong skier or snowboarder with the ability to ski deep powder and a keen interest to take to the air. Like all of our trips, this tour is weather and snow dependent and as we have a wide selection of fantastic areas in which to play we will select our destination after reviewing current conditions and discussing options with the crew. Book multiple days of this trip and you can expect to visit new areas each day. We will often hit more than one area over the course of the day and trips may involve long midday drives after we finish sessioning one zone and travel onto the next. Expect 95% of terrain to be hiking accessed with our main focus on short pitches with lots of features, so you will need to be ready. Bring a big lunch, as many extra goggles, beanies and inner wear changes as you can.

*Backcountry gear is required but rental fee is not included in price. Details

Make a Reservation | Gear List | Terms & Conditions | FAQS

Nearby Rusutsu resort boasts an extensive network of high speed lifts accessing some of the best gladed powder skiing in Hokkaido. Black Diamond Tours will pick you up from your accommodation bright and early to make the short half hour drive over to Rusutsu in time to catch first lifts. This is one resort that does get somewhat busy, so stick close to your guide and ahead of the punters.

This trip is also offered as an unguided adventure. Please see our Rusutsu group tours for details.

Make a Reservation | Gear List | Terms & Conditions | FAQS

A favorite of Sapporo locals, Kokusai is a small resort with the entire resort accessed from one 8 passenger gondola. Despite its size, Kokusai has a surprising amount of varied terrain and a laid back attitude to off piste skiing allowing us to ride fresh powder all day long.

As an added bonus, Kokusai sees a different weather pattern than the Niseko range and often offers great conditions when Niseko and Rusutsu are tracked out so if you are already in Niseko and conditions aren't perfect give us a call and we will let you know if things are in better shape on the Sapporo side.

This trip ends with a relaxing soak in the renowned hot springs of nearby Jozankei town on our way home.

Make a Reservation | Gear List | Terms & Conditions | FAQS

Located a stone`s throw from Niseko (about 45 minutes) Kiroro is a relatively unknown Hokkaido resort but blessed with some of the most consistent powder conditions on the island. Positioned just off Hokkaido`s west coast, Kiroro is the first resort to catch the good stuff from arriving Siberian storms. Rusutsu may offer a wider selection of gladed powder terrain while Kokusai and Teine are home to the steeps but Kiroro comes through with some of the most reliable snow conditions and a great selection of off-piste lines to keep you busy all day long.

Make a Reservation | Gear List | Terms & Conditions | FAQS

Another impressive resort about 2.5 hours from Niseko and the personal favorite of our owner (along with many locals in the know). Take in incredible views of the ocean, mountains and the sprawling city of Sapporo 1000 meters below. This resort has a number of lifts but there's only one that really matters... the Summit express quad (Hokkaido's fastest chairlift) which permits access to all of Teine's steep backcountry terrain.

This area is a paradise for those looking for classic Hokkaido pillow lines, steep chutes, cliff drops and generally more challenging terrain.

Note: Due to the distance from Niseko, we recommend booking our 2 day Happy Ending Trip to keep drive times more reasonable instead of a 1 day Teine trip. Another alternative is to book our Powderhunter trip and if conditions do look particularly good at Teine, our guides will recommend this option and take you there at no extra charge above the regular Powderhunter rates.

Warning: This is a great hill for advanced skiers and riders, confident on steep, narrow slopes and tight trees but has limited terrain for intermediates.

Make a Reservation | Gear List | Terms & Conditions | FAQS

This is a mountain, not a ski resort and should be respected as such. One of Hokkaido’s best kept secrets, Kurodake offers some of the steepest fall line skiing on the island which along with an open management policy allows skiers and riders to explore anything and everything the mountain has to offer. The ropeway accesses the steepest and most challenging terrain on the mountain. Route-finding in this area is a little tricky so you’ll be thankful your Black Diamond Guide is around to show you the moves. Above the ropeway, there is a short double chair accessing mellow powder runs and finally the peak above this. The only way to the top requires a fair bit of sweat but you’ll be rewarded with one of the longest top to bottom runs in Hokkaido.

Kurodake guided trips operate based on demand and due to the distance involved (about 4.5 hours one way from Niseko) we highly recommend booking Kurodake as part of a 3-4 day trip into central Hokkaido. See our multi-day trip menu for options or ask us to customize a Kurodake trip for your crew.

Note: We do not take advance bookings for 1 day Kurodake trips but can/will run a 1 day trip if condtions are looking particularly good and your group is keen for the mission (read 4 am start!!)

Make a Reservation | Gear List | Terms & Conditions | FAQS