Have you heard of BC cross-country skiing, which allows you to easily walk and ski?
The boards are light, and you can walk through the forest without gaining any altitude, skiing down a gentle slope while enjoying the scenery and conversation with your friends. Let's introduce you to BC cross-country, a sport full of charm that is gradually gaining popularity.
What is the unfamiliar term "BC Cross Country"?
There are many different types of skiing, including alpine, cross-country, ski jumping, telemark, freestyle, and freeride. Skiing
is becoming more and more diverse, with more people not only enjoying it on the slopes but also enjoying backcountry skiing and snowboarding in the backcountry, outside the jurisdiction of ski resorts, where they must ensure their own safety.
Recently, the term BC (Beaches Cross-Country) seems to have become more widely known, but there are still many people who are unfamiliar with it.
Backcountry? Cross-country skiing? It's a term that can be difficult to imagine what you're doing.
That's because BC cross-country skiing is a Japanese-made English term that refers to "walking skiing," which is called Nordic BC in Europe. Of course, you can do it not only by walking, but also by skiing.
When people hear the term "backcountry," they typically imagine riding a lift or ropeway to the top of a mountain, or climbing up on foot in mountain areas without powered lifts, skiing through untouched fields, and enjoying deep powder.
The etymology of the word "backcountry" refers to untouched or unmanaged areas, such as "backyards," "remote areas," or "outlying areas." In that sense, the word "backcountry" is not limited to altitude or difficulty of access.
If you look around snowy areas, you can see all the natural beauty you see, including flatlands, hills, snow-covered roads along rivers, ponds and waterfalls that are only accessible during the snowy season, and forests.
In other words, BC cross-country skiing is a way to walk and glide freely through the backcountry.
What gear should I use? How should I dress?
Skis used in "BC cross-country" often have a waist width of 60 to 80 mm. They are also very lightweight. The base uses a step sole, allowing you to walk up the slope.
The bindings are cross-country, complying with the NNN BC standard. The boots used are also soft leather that meets this standard
. The step sole and heel-free design make it easy to walk, while the waist width provides stability for skiing. BC cross-country gear is characterized by the seamless process, with no need to change modes or attach or remove skins.
Clothing must be chosen appropriately depending on the weather and the activities of the day. When doing outdoor activities in winter, you want to avoid sweating on your skin. In addition to layering according to the weather and temperature, if you're not used to heel-free bindings, we recommend wearing bib pants in case you fall.
Basically, it's safe to wear three-layer ski wear, or a cross-country softshell if the temperature is high. Rainwear or fleece used for hiking can also be used instead. You can easily try backcountry cross-country skiing without having to prepare anything new, using outdoor wear you already have at home.
What is the appeal of BC cross-country skiing?
One day in April 2025, 15 skiers and snowboarders who had become fascinated with the appeal of backcountry cross-country skiing gathered at Tsugaike Kogen Ski Resort in Otari Village, Nagano Prefecture.
The initiator of this project is Kota Ito, representative of well-tuned
"In 2022, I tried on BC cross-country skis with Fischer's Lenting at Tsugaike Nature Park and realized that they had great potential as a way to enjoy skiing in the future.
After that, as we held BC cross-country tours sponsored by brands and shops all over the country, we met enthusiastic people in each region.
This led us to hold the BC Cross-Country Meeting once a year at Tsugaike Nature Park, where it all began, as a place to exchange opinions about BC cross-country skiing."
He told me about the background of the event.
The route for this day was from the gondola drop-off point at Tsugaike Kogen Ski Resort to Tsugaike Nature Park. When we got on the gondola and headed to the summit station, we found that there was about 10 centimeters of snow due to unseasonable snowfall.
Many of the members who regularly enjoy winter sports laughed and said, "We got on the wrong board today," as we started walking towards our destination, Tsugaike Nature Park.
We head along the forest road that is used to access areas outside the jurisdiction before the ropeway opens in the spring.
This forest road is often walked on when going backcountry skiing or snowboarding from Tsugaike Ski Resort, so many people should be familiar with it.
Although I had climbed this route several times before, I remember that it was difficult to get to the ropeway stop due to the gradual climb. I was worried that I would be late and cause trouble for the other members, but that worry was soon resolved.
The lightweight BC cross-country gear and loose-fitting leather boots were comfortable, and the conversation flowed naturally.
Furthermore, since there's no need to change binding modes or replace snowboards, you can make a U-turn in the middle of a climb, ski down, and then climb back up again.
The appeal of BC cross-country is that it's not all about climbing.
How to enjoy BC cross-country skiing
While there are different ways to enjoy winter sports, backcountry skiing and snowboarding and BC cross-country skiing, which involves walking along the foothills and in the forest, share a common goal.
While skiing while admiring powder snow and spectacular views is one goal, if you consider the conversations you have while hiking to your destination, the scenery and emotions you experience that day, and even the hot springs and meals afterwards as part of a mountain trip, the time spent skiing is actually quite short. Surprisingly, it's
the other parts of the trip that are most memorable.
Advances in ski equipment are making it easier to climb higher, but if you take a fresh look at the gear and the fields, you'll find that the backcountry is actually endless and you can enjoy it as you are.
This winter, why not try backcountry skiing, where you can walk and ski freely and easily?
Photo= Tomoya Tezuka