"Hokkaido Powder Liner" was held for two days from February 28th to 29th, 2022. This is part of a project run by the Sapporo Global Sports Commission, and is a monitor tour that skis ski resorts such as Sapporo Kokusai, Teine, and Niseko, based on a hot spring inn in Jozankei, Sapporo. Daisuke Sasaki guided the tour. We asked him, who has guided us around Hokkaido and other places both in Japan and overseas, to talk about the possibilities and appeal of a ski trip starting from Jozankei Onsen, and the effectiveness of being a guide after the tour.
ーーHow was the two-day tour?
“I stayed at Jozankei Onsen and skated around the area. There are many options, such as Teine, which is a little far away, and Rusutsu and Niseko, which are about the same distance.These two days had wonderful snow, so Jozankei Onsen has the potential to be a base. I think there is."
-- Kiroro, Niseko. Both were powder.
"Niseko and Rusutsu are close in distance, but the weather is slightly different, and of course the weather is different from Kiroro. To enjoy skiing, it's important to have a lot of snow, but the weather is also important. Snow is good. Not only that, but if you want to ski when it's sunny, and if the forecast is for strong winds, choose a course with less wind. It's hard to make a decision by taking into account the above, but I think that's part of the fun of skiing and snowboarding.Building a base, staying there, and looking for good places to enjoy may be more fun than just skiing. I don't think so."
ーーWhat are the advantages of using Jozankei Onsen as a base?
“Niseko, Rusutsu, Kiroro, Sapporo Kokusai, Teine, and Jozankei Onsen all have a variety of ski resorts that you can go on a day trip. The slopes are slippery.In addition, this area is close to the sea, so it snows constantly.A lot of snow is the best material.Even if you look at it from a global perspective, the best snow is I think it's the biggest feature of this area centered on Jozankei Onsen, so I think that's the best point.
The conditions in each area vary from time to time, but if you are based in Jozankei Onsen, you have many options, which is a huge advantage. There is data, and there is information from people. Information from people is strong because we have a network of guides. You can make full use of such things to collect information and choose what is good for that day. Not only the amount of snow, but also how the snow piles up, the strength of the wind on the day, the way the sun rises, and the customer's footsteps are also taken into consideration when choosing. When that kind of thing matches well, it's more fun than I expected. If we can make such customers smile, it will really give us energy for the next time.”
--If you don't have a good location, it's difficult to choose such a place.
"That's right. Even if you're in a good place, it's the hardest part to choose. So, if you know the slippery slopes around Sapporo well and get help from someone who can hit good snow, you can save precious time on your trip. I think we can do it at a good time with a high degree of accuracy.It is fun to go looking for it yourself, but if you want to efficiently guess good snow and good weather and have a good experience, I think using a guide is a good choice."
ーーYou mean that you can choose from a wide area and that guides are reliable in the field?
“Our guides train hard every day so that skiers and snowboarders can enjoy themselves in an easy and enjoyable way. Even where you can exit, there are many terrains that are difficult to predict in detail.For example, if you step through and fall into the river, I think it would be quite difficult for the general public to escape.Even if you find yourself in such a situation, a guide will I can pull out the rope and pull up the slipper immediately, and even if I get injured, I carry it to a safe place.I think one of the points that I can contribute as a guide is to give a sense of security. On top of that, we also have the know-how to efficiently guide you to a good place.In addition to security and safety, I think it will be a good option in the sense of covering the part of having fun.
Then, I will focus on skiing on good snow, but if you add it to that, the food unique to Sapporo and Hokkaido is also good. At Jozankei Onsen, you can take a good rest and enjoy skiing the next day. There are even better hot springs, so I don't think there's anything to say."
I can't say that I was lucky enough to hit the conditions during these two days, but the conditions were better than I had imagined. Above all, I think it was really good that the customers were smiling. I thought this tour had so much potential. Also, I wonder if people who can guide them are indispensable, even though I'm doing it myself (laughs). After all, I would like you to use a guide with know-how.”
Photo/ Tsutomu Nakata
Check the tour report movie
the person who taught me
Daisuke Sasaki
Born in Sapporo. He has been a mountain guide apprentice and has competed in overseas extreme competitions. He skied famous peaks around the world and left numerous records. Currently, as an international mountain guide, he presides over "Guide Bankei" since 2010 and provides backcountry services both domestically and internationally.
Also held this season! Powder hunt in Jozankei with Daisuke Sasaki, recruitment of monitor tour participants
While staying at Jozankei Onsen, we have started recruiting tours this year to select ski slopes in Sapporo Kokusai, Niseko, Rusutsu, Kiroro, etc. according to the conditions of the day. The guide for this tour will be Daisuke Sasaki, an international mountain guide, as was the case last season.
This tour is entitled "Jozankei Onsen Stay Monitor Tour".
・Those who have BC or side country experience, or who can move and downhill without needing help from others in BC or side country
・Those who can answer the questionnaire after the end of the trip
is a condition of participation.
Departure dates are January 13th and February 17th, starting at 66,000 yen for 3 days and 2 nights, and starting at 88,000 yen for 4 days and 3 nights (2 people per room).
Recruitment will end as soon as each course reaches its capacity, so if you are interested, check it out.