Hanazono Powder Guides

• Niseko United All Mountain Pass - Not included in the price. Please prepare in advance.
• Backpack - We supply backpacks free of charge for every guest.  If you bring your backpack, please ensure you are familiar with strapping on and off your skis/snowboard before the tour.
• Avalanche Beacon - All participants are required to wear it. (If you do not have one, free rental is available.) If you have purchased a new one, please make sure you know how to use it.
• Snow Probe & Shovel - Please bring your regular shovel/probe if you have one. (If you do not have one, free rental is available.)
• Ski Poles - For skiers, ski poles with powder baskets are recommended. For advanced snowboarders, telescopic or fold-down poles will be useful. (If you do not have one, free rental is available.)
• Skiwear - Regular ski/snowboard wear and spare inner layers are recommended. In midwinter, the temperature can drop below -20°C. We recommend wearing clothing that can be layered to regulate body temperature.
• Facemask & Neckwarmer
• Gloves
• Helmet - Required to wear. They can prevent injury from falling, crashing, or even a wayward tree branch. Rental is available at Niseko Sports.
• Goggles & Sunglasses - Outside of the spring season, a bright-colored lens is recommended as we have very few sunny days during the high season. Goggles must be in good condition, especially the ventilation cover. Niseko is very snowy! We have a variety of goggles and spare lens choices suitable for Niseko at Niseko Sports.

If you have come exclusively for the backcountry in Niseko, we recommend a powder ski/snowboard. You will struggle if your snowboard has a regular camber and a freestyle stance setup. If you wish to be guided within the resort boundaries, then regular skis/boards are fine.

• SKIERS: Around 100 mm is recommended for male skiers. It of course depends on the individual's preference, but our guides are using skis of center 100 mm, with a length of about 180 cm.
• SNOWBOARDERS: We recommend powder-specific snowboarding here in Niseko. If you are here for powder snow, why not try powder board?
• NISEKO SPORTS EQUIPMENT HIRE: Talk to our friendly staff at Niseko Sports Equipment Hire at Hanazono 308, Hirafu or The Vale Snowsports for advice and more information on powder skis/snowboards. Niseko Sports has a wide variety of skis/snowboards with a range of popular powder skis/snowboards. Niseko Sports offers the convenient option to switch your ski/snowboards, or even skis to snowboard or vice versa as many times as you like.

Niseko's winter season runs from late November to Early May, the peak powder period is typically from late December through February, although this varies every season. An annual average 4 meter snow base ensures great Spring conditions from March onwards.

• Start of Season: The first snowfalls of the year in Niseko are usually from late October through to early November. As temperatures drop and storm cells intensify throughout November, the snow begins to fall to lower elevations, blanketing the entire mountain white with snow. As snowfalls increase, and a base is formed the upper part of the resort becomes skiable - the beginning of the ski season. Winter storms pushing out of Siberia become more frequent from early December, covering small bushes and Sasa grass, this is a surprisingly good time to visit Niseko; with relatively few skiers/riders you will find powder stashes almost everywhere within the resort boundary.
  
• High Season: Most backcountry gates open around the Christmas period. This time though February is the absolute best time of the season for light & dry powder. If you wish to ski/snowboard deep and dry powder like you see in magazines or DVDs, we assure you, this is the best time of year. Family visitors leave Niseko around mid-January and in their place, powder enthusiasts from all over the world flood into Niseko. This time of year, although snow quality is particularly good, the lifts can be frequently affected by the weather. When upper mountain areas are closed due to weather conditions, you still can enjoy Niseko's powder line riding lower lifts. After mid-February, bottomless dry powder gradually changes to creamy, slightly heavier powder snow.
  
• Spring Season: The weather usually starts to become stable in March, offering good conditions for the backcountry, with more sunny days and better visibility, hiking up to the peak is a joy. In April, snowfall decreases but the snow base is still very high. Skiing/riding down through corn snow on a warm spring day is exceptional. Gates will close if there is a high risk of a slab avalanche.

We do not recommend HPG for beginners, you should at least be confident on black slopes & have experience in deep powder and trees. For more information check our off-piste ability chart below.

Many people equate HANAZONO with epic backcountry runs and they're right; the backcountry that surrounds the ski area is some of the best you'll find. Please join in this tour with understandings that it can be also potentially dangerous. Please let us know of any specific illness. We may ask you to cancel the tour if you are under alcoholic effect or if you are not feeling well. In case of incidents, we are able to co-operate with the ski patrols.
We guide in accordance with the Niseko Rules and avalanche information, and we will not guide the tour outside when the gates are closed.

Off-piste and backcountry areas are outside the jurisdiction of the ski area, it is prohibited to enter such areas by passing ropes, nets or bamboo poles.In the event of an accident, parties concerned are liable to cover expenses relating to search and rescue activities.

Current avalanche information is available every day at lift stations and ticketing counters in all ski areas as well as the Avalanche Information website.