Lift Assisted Backcountry Tours
The island of Hokkaido is battered with relentless light, dry snow from December to March every year; 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 Lift Assisted Backcountry day trips offers you direct access to our unrivaled experience in Hokkaido and removes the need to decide months in advance where the best snow will be when you arrive. We’ll head to Rusutsu, Kiroro, Sapporo Kokusai or Moiwa for incredible gladed powder skiing. Other options include some of our secret lift accessed, or backcountry stashes at places we can’t name online. See below for descriptions for most of the areas that we may visit on your Lift Assisted day trip.
A combination of different day trips is possible.
Avalanche Safety Equipment: Provided at no extra charge for all guests on all Lift Assisted day trips. Please let us know in advance if you do not have your own!!
Lift Tickets: At the time of booking, we will charge for lift tickets for all lift assisted backcountry trips; however if on the trip date you already have a ticket for the area we decide to visit (or access to a better deal than Black Diamond Tours is able obtain) then Black Diamond Tours will refund in full the amount paid in advance for tickets (¥ 8,000/ticket).
Uphill Travel: Although we use the lifts to access the backcountry, our lift assisted backcountry trips involve touring with either AT skis or splitboards including skins to access the best powder on that day. Hiking will be kept to a minimum.
Flexibility: In addition to total flexibility to head to any ski area within reach of Niseko on the day of your trip, we can usually even change your trip to a backcountry tour if weather conditions are better suited to that. If we are able to make this adjustment, BDT will refund the lift tickets.
Price
Private Tour: 110,000yen + lift ticket 8000yen per person (up to 5 people), additional 110,000 yen + lift tickets for groups of 6 – 10.
Group Tour: 25,000yen + lift tickets/ per person
For private tours, guests are required to book a minimum of 4 days. If you prefer 3 or less days, please contact BDT with your preferred dates and you will be on the waiting list until June 30. On July 1, single day bookings will open.
Included below is a brief description of some (but not all) of our options on Lift Assisted Backcountry tours. Please note we do not accept bookings for specific resorts on mixed-group trips; this allows us to let the weather dictate where we go on the day of your trip. However, we do accept requests and on private trips the decision is ultimately up to you so if there is somewhere in particular that your group would like to visit then we will be happy to accommodate.
*Requested destination must be within day trip reach of Niseko ie. maximum 2 hours travel time each way.