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Hokkaido
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Mountain Huts in Hokkaido

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Backcountry Huts

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GEAR SHOPS

A Quick Note for Snowboarders

Quite a few of these routes have fairly long forestry-road approaches, which may make things a little frustrating on a snowboard on the way down. They’re long enough and flat enough that they’d most likely require putting the snowshoes back on (or splitting the board).

To make things easier, I’ve included a ‘Snowboard Friendly’ filter on the route reports below. The logic behind marking a route snowboard friendly is that according to my (hazy) memory, the route was more or less decently steep all the way from the top back to the car/trailhead.

Do note, however, that while I’ve longboarded half way around the world, I’ve never snowboarded in my life. So don’t hate me if I’ve marked a route as ‘Snowboard Friendly’ and you find out halfway into a 3-hour walk downhill that actually, you’d rather strangle me and see this entire page burn in the hot fires of hell.

Snowboarders

Hokkaido Backcountry Ski Touring: A free resource

GPS route maps, downloadable GPS route files, photos, and more. A repository of open-source Hokkaido backcountry ski touring information in English. 

Here in Hokkaido, backcountry ski touring routes are right on our doorsteps. Even from central Sapporo City, super fun backcountry skiing routes exist less than an hour away by public transport. Some even have mountain huts only accessible by ski. This page is an ever-evolving database of Hokkaido’s winter mountain offerings accessible by ski or snowboard. 

Featured Areas

 

Niseko Range (incl. Mt. Yotei & Mt. Shiribetsu)

Easy-access low-elevation powder

Highlights: Deep-powder tree-skiing, very easy access, international resort vibes, volcano crater skiing, lift-access backcountry options, great onsen.

Tokachi Range

Central Hokkaido big-mountain powder

Highlights: Easy access to the alpine, deep-dry powder, active volcanic steam vents, serious big-mountain lines, committing chutes, 2000m+ peaks, great onsen.

Route Search and Filter

Filters

Filter by location

7km from location
N
Advanced

Muine-yama Toyoha Motoyama Route


897m


6hrs


7.5/10


1464m

11km from location
N
Beginner

Horai-san (Nakayama Pass) Ski Touring


273m


3hrs


3/10


980m

9km from location
SN
Intermediate

Muine-yama to Kimobetsu-dake Traverse Ski Tour


1060m


7hrs


7/10


1464m

11km from location
E
Beginner

Bihinai-yama Ski Touring


470m


3.5hrs


5/10


1071m

7km from location
NSE
Intermediate

Sapporo-dake and Hiyamizu Hut


851m


5.5hrs


5.5/10


1293m

6km from location
NE
Intermediate

Muine-yama and Muine Hut


1068m


7hrs


8/10


1460m

9km from location
SW
Beginner

Kokimobetsu-dake (Nakayama Pass)


480m


4.5hrs


4.5/10


970m

9km from location
N
Beginner

Onuma-yama Ski Touring (Jozankei)


511m


3.5hrs


4.5/10


1111m

8km from location
N
Beginner

Senjaku Plateau in Late Spring


540m


3.5hrs


5/10


1153m

9km from location
S
Intermediate

Kimobetsu-dake Southern Ridge Ski Touring


667m


5hrs


5.5/10


1177m

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Hokkaido Wilds Foundation

We’ve got affiliate links on HokkaidoWilds.org to help fund the Hokkaido Wilds foundation.

The Foundation gets a small commission on sales from affiliate links, but we only link to stuff we think is worth checking out for people keen on the outdoors in Hokkaido and Japan.

The Hokkaido Wilds Foundation is a fund where 100% of funds are donated to Hokkaido volunteer groups involved in sustainable, safe, and responsible access to the Hokkaido outdoors.

Learn more here

ADVANCED FILTERS

Filter by location

About Filters

REGION: The general mountain/geographical region the route is in.

BEST MONTH(S): Time of year a route is suited to visiting. Some pop all season, some are more limited.

DIFFICULTY: How strenuous a route is, and how technical it is. Full details here.

FREERIDE/SKITOUR: Very subjective, but is a route more-of-a-walk-than-a-ski or the other way around? Some routes are all about the screaming downhill (freeride), some are more about the hunt for a peak or nice forest (ski-tour). Some are in between. 

MAIN ASPECT: Which cardinal direction the primary consequential slope is facing, that you might encounter on the route. More details here.

ROUTE TAGS: An eclectic picking of other categories that routes might belong to.

SEARCH BY LOCATION: You can find routes near your current location – just click on the crosshairs (). You may need to give permission to HokkaidoWilds.org to know your GPS location (don’t worry, we won’t track you). Or, type in a destination, such as Niseko or Sapporo or Asahikawa etc.

Please let us know how we can make it easier to narrow down your search. Contact Rob at rob@hokkaidowilds.org with your suggestions.

Hokkaido Backcountry Ski Touring Routes Difficulty Rating

Category

Grade

Points

Strenuousness

Vertical Gain

D

25

Time ascending

D

0

Technicality

Altitude

D

0

Hazards

D

Navigation

D

Totals

25/100

GRADES range from A (very difficult) to D (easy). Hazards include exposure to avalanche and fall risk. More details here. Rating rubric adapted from Hokkaido Yukiyama Guidebook 北海道雪山ガイド.