Hokkaido
Ski Touring
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.
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
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.
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
897m
6hrs
7.5/10
1464m
273m
3hrs
3/10
980m
1060m
7hrs
7/10
1464m
470m
3.5hrs
5/10
1071m
851m
5.5hrs
5.5/10
1293m
1068m
7hrs
8/10
1460m
480m
4.5hrs
4.5/10
970m
511m
3.5hrs
4.5/10
1111m
540m
3.5hrs
5/10
1153m
667m
5hrs
5.5/10
1177m