Ski the deep powder storms from Siberia in Niseko

hardliner

New member
The Niseko area is known for some of the best off-piste powder skiing in the world. No other destination receives such consistently perfect powder. Niseko is a geographical magnet for weather systems delivering snow storms from the Siberian Peninsula and after filling with moisture on their way across the Sea of Japan these massive fronts collide and Hanazono in Niseko is the first place in their path dumping up to 16 metres of snow in a season... The water content of the snow is usually around 8% creating extremely light n fluffy powder snow....

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATSnUxUbtz0[/youtube]
 
Niseko's snowfall pattern is unlike anything we are familiar with in North America. Over the past 7 years here are the monthly averages in inches:
Nov. 58
Dec. 150
Jan. 158
Feb. 112
Mar. 76
Apr. 7
Total 560

Compare to 20 years Mt. Baker raw data:
Nov. 89
Dec. 145
Jan. 131
Feb. 98
Mar. 109
Apr. 44
Total 616

The Siberia/Sea of Japan "lake effect" is a concentrated midwinter phenomenon.
 
I'm sold. Wish it weren't so far away and cost-prohibitive.

Tony still hasn't attoned for going to Japan during the off-season.
 
jamesdeluxe":3i8iw3ai said:
I'm sold.

Unfortunately for me and my wallet, I'm sold on this and about a hundred other places that I need to get off my butt and start getting to. Which is suddenly going to be more difficult in both time and money with a little one coming soon. Oh well, I can always sell it to my wife as being good cultural and educational experiences once he's old enough :)
 
I'm sold. Wish it weren't so far away and cost-prohibitive.
Tony still hasn't atoned for going to Japan during the off-season.

It will probably happen when I retire, but that has been deferred for a couple of personal reasons. Cost of visiting Japan can be managed. The key saving to getting around is the Japan Rail Pass. I'm pretty sure good lodging deals can be found in tourist areas like Tokyo and Kyoto in what must be low season. With weather like DC/Carolinas it may well be more comfortable in those places winter than summer. With regard to the skiing I will probably go the premium Extremely Canadian route as I've enjoyed their trips before. But Niseko is popular with the Aussies and I suspect they might offer some reasonable package deals. Overall I would expect ground costs of a mixed ski/tourism trip to Japan to be similar to Europe.

Timing should be January with those snow stats, and I'm told before the Australia national holiday of Jan. 26 in terms of crowds.
 
We were invited on a press trip in December this year. However, air wasn't included and unfortunately air to Japan doesn't fit into our editorial budget this year. :-(
 
Admin":142gms52 said:
We were invited on a press trip in December this year. However, air wasn't included and unfortunately air to Japan doesn't fit into our editorial budget this year. :-(
FF award? Since destination ski trips are in your distant past, you must be loaded with miles.
 
jamesdeluxe":1ju04fuc said:
FF award? Since destination ski trips are in your distant past, you must be loaded with miles.

I don't have enough miles on any one airline to get there. Unfortunately my miles are mainly split between a bunch of different airlines. About the best I could get right now is a domestic fare on Delta/Northwest.
 
Admin":v0p0xqew said:
my miles are mainly split between a bunch of different airlines.
You're not playing the game correctly. Can't you get pretty much everywhere from SLC on Delta/NW?
 
Admin":2k8gk2nu said:
Sure, but I've done very little flying since moving here.
We only get about 20% of our miles from actual flying. It's all from credit cards and double-miles promotions.

Oh well, even if you had the miles, you have no inclination to travel anywhere but the Collins parking lot. You've attained one of Buddhism's four noble truths (not desiring anything else than what you've already got)... congratulations!
 
We only get about 20% of our miles from actual flying. It's all from credit cards and double-miles promotions.
Me too, definitely the way to go if you travel much.

You're not playing the game correctly. Can't you get pretty much everywhere from SLC on Delta/NW?
Unfortunately not. Next July's airfare to Tahiti may be 50% more than last summer to the Far East. The local airline Air Tahiti Nui has a near monopoly, and they are in American's alliance, the one where I don't have miles. :evil: :evil: :evil: Korean Air is in the Delta/NW alliance, and they are actually the only one in that group that flies anywhere in the South Pacific, via Seoul of course, slightly out of the way for Americans.

We have been able to use Delta mileage for Europe, Egypt, South Africa (no longer in the alliance) and South America.
 
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