IfbackcountryisyourthingthenHakubaisyourplace.Thesecretiswellandtrulyoutthat Hakubahassteepchalleningterrainthatiseasilyaccessible.Thereisalmostneveratime whenlackofsnowisanissue,moreusuallyitisamatterofwaitingforittostopsnowing andstabilizeandthenpickingasafelineandsafetimetogo.Since2017,theWorld Freeridecompetition(extremeskiingandboarding)hasbeenheldinHakuba,thefirsttimeit haseverbeenheldin Asia-seethevideobelowfromthe2019event.Ifyouneedanymore convincing have a look at the Xavier da le Rue movie trailer below.ThemostpopularskiresortsforbackcountryareHappo, TsugaikeandCortinawith Tsugaike beingregardedasthesafest,andHappoashavingtheeasiestaccess.Itispossibletodo 1,000metreverticaldescentsafteronlyashorthikeofthetopofHappo.Aslongasyou beginyourdescentfromapointabovethetheskiresorts(throughoneofthebackcountry gates)youdon’thavetoworryaboutviolatinganylocalskirules.Whatyoudoneedtoworry aboutisavalanchesafety,soyouneedtohaveappropriateavalanchesafety training,equipmentandexperiencetotackletheserunsorelsegowithaqualifiedguidefrom one of the reputable companies below. Ifyouwillbegoingwithoutaguide,thenyouwon’tneedtobetoldtocheckthedaily avalanchereportbutrememberthereportonlygivesyouageneralpictureoftheavalanche situationonanygivenday,youwillstillneedtomanagetheterraininordertoavoidlocalized dangers.HakubaEvergreendodaytripsintothebackcountryforseveraldifferentlevelsfrom1st timerstoexperts,aswellasoff-pistepowdertours.Itistheoldestforeignowned backcountrycompanyinHakubaandisthecompanybignameriderstrustwiththeirlives whentheyvisitHakuba. TheseguysknowtheHakubabackcountrylikethebackofthehand and EVERY one of their guides are highly qualified and experienced.NorthernHeightsGuidingisthenewestbackcountryoperatorherebutrunbyoneofthe most experienced guides in Hakuba. They do private day trips only. MountainLifeHakubadoesweeklongbackcountrytourswithsmallgroupsizesandalso doshortertourswithprivategroups. Theyalsorunavalanchecourse ASTlevel1threetimes during the season, and AST level 2 once. .
IfbackcountryisyourthingthenHakubaisyourplace.Thesecretiswelland trulyoutthatHakubahassteepchalleningterrainthatiseasilyaccessible. Thereisalmostneveratimewhenlackofsnowisanissue,moreusuallyitisa matterofwaitingforittostopsnowingandstabilizeandthenpickingasafeline andsafetimetogo.Since2017,theWorldFreeridecompetition(extremeskiing andboarding)hasbeenheldinHakuba,thefirsttimeithaseverbeenheldin Asia-seethevideobelowfromthe2019event.Ifyouneedanymore convincing have a look at the Xavier da le Rue movie trailer below.ThemostpopularskiresortsforbackcountryareHappo,TsugaikeandCortina withTsugaikebeingregardedasthesafest,andHappoashavingtheeasiest access.Itispossibletodo1,000metreverticaldescentsafteronlyashorthike ofthetopofHappo.Aslongasyoubeginyourdescentfromapointabovethe theskiresorts(throughoneofthebackcountrygates)youdon’thavetoworry aboutviolatinganylocalskirules.Whatyoudoneedtoworryaboutis avalanchesafety,soyouneedtohaveappropriateavalanchesafety training,equipmentandexperiencetotackletheserunsorelsegowitha qualified guide from one of the reputable companies below. Ifyouwillbegoingwithoutaguide,thenyouwon’tneedtobetoldtocheckthe dailyavalanchereportbutrememberthereportonlygivesyouageneralpicture oftheavalanchesituationonanygivenday,youwillstillneedtomanagethe terrain in order to avoid localized dangers.HakubaEvergreendodaytripsintothebackcountryforseveraldifferentlevels from1sttimerstoexperts,aswellasoff-pistepowdertours.Itistheoldest foreignownedbackcountrycompanyinHakubaandisthecompanybigname riderstrustwiththeirliveswhentheyvisitHakuba.Theseguysknowthe HakubabackcountrylikethebackofthehandandEVERYoneoftheirguides are highly qualified and experienced.NorthernHeightsGuidingisthenewestbackcountryoperatorherebutrunby one of the most experienced guides in Hakuba. They do private day trips only. MountainLifeHakubadoesweeklongbackcountrytourswithsmallgroup sizesandalsodoshortertourswithprivategroups.Theyalsorunavalanche course AST level 1 three times during the season, and AST level 2 once. .