Hakuba: Off Piste to a Hidden Hot Spring

One popular starting point for backcountry skiing in Japan is the Hakuba area of Nagano Prefecture. There is a well established route connecting the Tsugaike Valley to Mt. Norikuradake, and from there to Renge Onsen and down to the village of Kijiya, in Niigata Prefecture. Of course, there is much more involved than just skiing down the mountainsides. In some places, you have to first make your way to the top of the mountains, using climbing skins on your skis. Although this ascent can be very hard, the reward is the breathtaking experience of gliding down on virgin snow. In this edition of Journeys in Japan, Cveto Podlogar explains how to prepare to go out skiing in the backcountry, practicing on the slopes of a ski resort before setting off.