Hachimantai, deep in the Tohoku region, is known for having the driest powder snow in Honshu. Here we will introduce a report on participating in the HACHIMANTAI CAT TOURS, where you can enjoy snowboarding on a cat
[TOUR] "CAT & HIKE Tour"
7:30 Meet at CLUBMAN clubhouse for briefing and equipment check
8:00 Meet at CAT base and final check
8:30 Depart on CAT
9:00 Arrive at the top of Daikokumori and start hiking up
10:00 First run on open burn
11:00 Arrive at Chausu Sanso and take a lunch break
12:00 Second run from Chausu-dake
12:30 Traverse and third run
13:30 Climb back up while traversing for the fourth long run
14:00 Fifth run is on the northern slope in the finest powder
14:30 Return to CAT base
15:00 Enjoy a hot drink at CLUBMAN clubhouse
*This is the full course schedule. The number of runs may vary depending on weather conditions and the number of participants
Hachimantai Cat Tours is run by the Daikokuyama Management Cooperative, which is funded by local guides. This time, I joined a tour with Clubman Mountain Guide, where professional skier Kurakane Junya acts as lead guide. The tour I
experienced involved taking a CAT to the top of Daikokumori at the former Hachimantai Ski Resort, then putting on skis and heading for the summit of Chausu-dake.
First, it's about a 30-minute ride to the summit by CAT. about an hour and a half , so you can conserve your energy and start skiing relatively early, which is the biggest advantage of this tour.
Once you reach the top of the old ski resort, put on your skis and start hiking up. You'll walk through a fantastical forest of Aomoritodomatsu and Erman's birch. You'll walk step by step in silence, with no sign of people around. Listening to the sounds of birds, the wind, and the snow crunching under your feet, you'll feel as if you're one with nature - this is the true joy of backcountry skiing. Enjoy this feeling to the fullest as you head the summit of Chausu-dake, the highest peak of Hachimantai .
As we gained altitude, the number of trees gradually decreased. An open run spread out before us, and everyone was excited. Before reaching the summit, we decided to try out the open run with no tracks to warm up on one leg. We made a big turn and slid down in one go, as if jumping into the plains of Hachimantai
After skiing down a great run, put on your skins again and hike back up
Once you reach the ridge, Chausu Sanso Lodge is right in front of you. It's nice to have a rest spot at the peak. Here you can replenish your food and water and prepare for the slopes
After leaving the hut, we skied down the slope in front of us again. Here we enjoyed the moderately open slope and the tree run elements
If you continue traversing west, you will come to a slope with a unique landscape, where large, majestic trees grow. One of the charms of Hachimantai is that you can enjoy a variety of ski runs on one mountain
After skiing the third run, climb back up to the ridge and hike west. You'll enjoy both skiing and hiking to the fullest, and never get bored.
Enjoy the beautiful scenery of Hachimantai below and the surrounding natural beauty.
The fourth run was a long run of about 300m. The slope was full of ups and downs, and the bounce of the boards when you stepped on them gave you an even more floating feeling
From there, we descended further in altitude for the last run! At the end, we found some very fluffy powder that was still in good condition on a north-facing slope. As you can see, Hachimantai is known for being the lightest in Honshu. Even though it was the afternoon, it was still as light as you can see
On the way back, we skied down the Aspite Line, which is closed for the winter, to the parking lot.
This marked the end of our CAT & HIKE tour, which allowed us to fully enjoy the depths of Hachimantai.
After the tour, we returned to the CLUBMAN clubhouse, sipping hot drinks and looking back on the day while looking at photos from the tour. This was the moment when everyone had the biggest smiles.
In addition to the above, Hachimantai Backcountry also offers easy ride tours where
you repeatedly ride on a CAT We hope you will enjoy the best snow quality in Honshu and the great outdoors of Hachimantai to the fullest on a backcountry tour.
Guided tour
| Tour Name | CAT & HIKE TOUR |
|---|---|
| Average hike time | Approximately 1 hour |
| guide ratio | Guide 1-2: Guests 2-8 |
| Required equipment | Beacon, shovel, probe, climbing equipment, helmet (recommended) |
| Difficulty (required BC experience level) | BC Intermediate Skiers: Skiing skills are intermediate or above and can handle fresh snow |
| Participation fee | 20,000 Yen |
| others | CAT & RIDE Tour 27,000 yen No hiking required. Ride a cat and slide around! |
| Reservation/Inquiry | Clubman Mountain Guide |
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