Niseko Gate System, Guides and Backcountry Ski Tours

Backcountry skiing in Niseko has a long and storied history. Back in 1999, they first opened their gates to connect the tamed resort to the wild backcountry. For context, that same year, Jackson Hole became the first major resort in North America to do the same. Guiding this long history of backcountry skiing and riding is a set of principles known as the Niseko Rules. Due to the massive snow quantities and deceptively complex terrain, it is crucial that riders looking to enjoy the wild side of Niseko adhere to these rules, respect gate closures, be trained in avalanche safety, and always travel with a beacon, shovel, probe, partner, plan, and above all, respect for the mountain.

One thing that we always highly recommend to people looking to experience Niseko’s backcountry is to hire a guide. If you are newer to backcountry skiing, these experienced professionals will help keep you safe as you venture beyond the world of marked signs, where terrain traps hide unannounced (go watch the countless youtube videos of dudes falling off cliffs and into hot springs in the Hokkaido backcountry if you want to scare yourself a little). On the flip side, experienced backcountry riders will appreciate the fact that you can get about twice as much powder skiing in if you are with a seasoned local who knows where they’re going instead of poking around solo, hoping to accidentally find the goods. For our evoTrips, we partner with Rhythm Japan because of their guides’ extensive knowledge of the backcountry out of the gates at Niseko.

If you’re thinking of venturing out of bounds, Super Ridge off of Grand Hirafu Resort and Strawberry Fields just outside the boundaries of Hanazono are two common stepping off points, both offering flowy rides through playfully spaced trees. On Super Ridge, you can even ski by the light of the nearby night skiing at Grand Hirafu, which offers a pretty unique backcountry night riding experience. And once you’re feeling up for the big time, find your way up to the Pizza Box and head for Gate 3. The King Lift #4 is one of the coolest (and scariest) chairlifts in the world. Once you see it, the reason behind the nickname will become immediately clear, as the “chair” part of the chairlift is just a small pizza box sized square of wood. From the top of the lift, you will see a line of amped humans making their way up the 20 minute hike to the mountain's summit, which offers a staggering array of options to ski down, including some seriously steep and technical lines.
 

Important: You should always carry an avalanche beacon, shovel, and probe when travelling in avalanche terrain and know how to use them. Backcountry travel requires an acceptance of the risks involved (avalanches are not the only danger) and implies a willingness to take responsibility for educating oneself about these dangers and ways to mitigate them. We recommend that backcountry travelers hire a qualified guide and take a certified Avalanche Level One class or the equivalent, and practice the skills they learn there regularly with their partners.

Niseko Hotels - Where to Stay

As we mentioned in the section on Niseko’s four resorts, Hirafu Village is the heart of the action. If you want to get the classic Niseko ski culture experience, we would definitely recommend staying right in Hirafu Village.

If you are looking for a quieter family friendly scene, check out accommodations near Niseko Village, or if you’re really looking for that quiet mountain town vibe, the Annupuri area might be right for you. Another under-the-radar option for people on a tighter budget is to stay in the town of Kutchan. It’ll mean a bit of a trek to get to the mountain everyday, but prices are much lower, and you’ll experience a bit more normal Japanese life than in the international destinations at Niseko United.

Once you’ve selected your location, the next step is figuring out your accommodation type. True to the nature of Niseko, you can pretty much pick your poison here. There are a wide array of Airbnb/ VRBO vacation rentals, including some truly stunning slopeside chalets if you have the budget for it. This can be a great option for bigger groups looking to stay in one spot. But in general, we tend to steer people toward the lodge-type hotel accommodations found around Hirafu VIllage.

Two of our favorites are Blowhard Lodge and Hakuunso Lodge (available with our evoTrip package), both of which are situated right in the heart of the village within easy walking distance to the lifts. We love the communal dining and lounge spaces that become meeting ground for people from across the world on the same pilgrimage to the powder capital.

Niseko Ski Passes & Lift Tickets

One big draw to Niseko in the past few years is the fact that it is included on several multi-resort passes. With 5 days included on the Base Ikon Pass, 7 on the full Ikon Pass, and 2 on the Mountain Collective Pass, folks who use the one of these to ride at home will be stoked to find themselves skiing more or less “for free” on the pass they already have.

But if you don’t plan on riding other resorts on one of those passes, it’s probably not worth getting it just for the trip. US skiers will find Japanese lift tickets to be pretty reasonably priced, even at a world-class resort like Niseko. A one day All Mountain Pass (valid at, you guessed it, all four mountains) runs around 75 USD for the 24/25 season, and multi day options are available.

Finally, even if you have an Ikon Pass or multi-day All Mountain Pass, we definitely recommend trekking over to Rusutsu for a day or two. The smaller mountain uses a strange pay-by-the-hour ticket pricing system, which despite being a bit convoluted, ends up working out to some pretty affordable skiing.

All in all, if you get a 5-day ticket to United, plus a day or two at Rutsu and a day or two of ski touring and/or resting, you can get yourself a pretty nice window to explore all that the Niseko area has to offer for a pretty reasonable price.

Niseko Ski & Snowboard Rentals

After all of the terrain questions are answered, the most common thing we get people asking us about Niseko ski trips is: what skis or snowboard should I bring? Is it even worth it to bring my own stuff?

The short answer is, if you are asking this question, you should probably rent some gear there.

If you’re an advanced skier and you already have your own powder board or powder skis, you already know you’re going to bring them with you. You’ll definitely be the most comfortable on your own gear, and that comfort is always worth the extra hassle of dragging your ski bag through various forms of transportation (plus there’s nothing that really says adventure like the feeling of sticking out like a sore thumb, smiling your way through crowds of people commuting to work, trying not to bump anyone with your overstuffed bag). See our guide to flying with skis and snowboards for helpful info.

If you’re deciding between multiple pairs of skis, we’d definitely recommend bringing the fat ones, preferably if they have a beefy hybrid binding like the Salomon Shift or Marker Kingpin on them. While you’ll mostly be riding lift-accessed terrain, having the option to skin out of the ends of sidecountry zones is always nice.

But if you’re on the fence about making the gear that you have work, even if it’s not quite right, here’s our two cents: you are planning the powder skiing trip of a lifetime. Sure it's possible to ride powder on an old flexed out park board. But it’s a whole lot more fun to do it on a big old directional surfer. As an international resort town, there are no shortage of rental options in Niseko, and all of them cater to the exact type of snow Niseko is known for. Head down to our friends at Rhythm and tell ‘em we sent you. Trust us, your day five legs will thank you.