Tag Archives: Annupuri

5 Days Snowboarding in Niseko

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Today I returned home after 5 days of snowboarding in Niseko, or Annupuri to be more accurate. It is a great place for skiing and snowboarding, especially if you like a lot of snow, backcountry and powder.

This year they have had more than 13.5 meters of snow in Niseko. At the top they had 4 meters in the slopes. The snow is dry and it is almost always perfect conditions in the slopes. But even though the snow is good in the slopes it is the backcountry snowboarding that is amazing. Easy access directly from the slopes, and very liberate rules. Also, every day they provide detailed snow information and avalanche risk evaluation.



Most of the days I snowboarded backcountry, with my beacon on, and my probe, shovel, and first aid kit in the backpack. And made sure to stay away from the high risk areas. Even though Niseko is a popular place there is not many people in the slopes, and even less so in the backcountry. But still, at the end of a day many lines have been made 🙂



It was great. And just a crazy good feeling to be out in the snow, in the fresh air with fresh white snow everywhere. Sometimes I just stopped and sat in the snow watching, listening to some birds tweeting (the real kind and not the digital version we humans do 😉 in the trees.



Annupuri

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6:20 I was at the Haneda airport checking in. I’ve taken 3 days holiday to go to Niseko in Hokkaido for 5 days snowboarding (returning on Sunday). It was the first flight to Hokkaido. And I was on the first bus from the Shin-Chitose airport to Niseko too.

I arrived at the Northern Annupuri Resort around 12:30. Checking in. Getting dressed (ski clothes – I was dressed on my way here, just as a note for those of you that got concerned). Picking up my rental board. And I was in the slopes by 13:30, leaving me 3 hours before the lift closed.

Niseko is renowned for having one of the best snow in the world. And it was great. Even in the afternoon it was no ice. Just light snow. 2.5 meter or more 😀

The top of the mountain had, similar to Swedish fjall, no trees. So it was just to go anywhere you wanted. And almost no people. But a bit windy. So on the way up in the open lift it was kind of cold. Especially my nose 🙂

After the snowboarding I hit the onsen. Located 20 meters from my hotel room’s door. Both inside and outside onsen. It was one person in the inside onsen so I took the outside onsen where I could be alone 🙂 30-35 degrees in the water. Natural hot spring I think, because it seemed quite high iron content.

After taking a bath there only one major thing left to do. Dinner. I had a buffe with salad, some Scandinavian inspired dishes, Chinese dishes, and fruits and ice cream for desert.

Soon I am going to bed. Tomorrow the lifts open at 8:30 and I’ll be be waiting. I can actually snowboard from 8:30 until 21:00… I have to see if I really can manage that. My plan is to do at least some snowboarding in the night. I am hoping for some stars. That would be nice. Goodnight.