Overall Rating

BDT Lift Assisted Backcountry Tours

BDT Lift Assisted Backcountry Tours4.5/58
BDT Lift Assisted Backcountry Tours4.5 out of 5 based on 8 reviews
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  • Would Recommend
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BDT Lift Assisted Backcountry Tours Enquire
Price p/p From price based on 1 day tour per person - 5 people in private group (lift tickets not included) for 23/24 season inclusive of tax.
Base/invoice currency is in JPY ex taxes.
*Displayed price may vary due to currency fluctuations.
USD 147

LIFT ASSISTED BACKOUNTRY TOURS
Niseko Area | PRIVATE GROUPS ONLY

Deposit must be paid by the end of the promotional period to qualify for discounts
Location: Japan | Tour Focus: Guided | Terrain Focus: Off-Piste, Backcountry, Sidecountry
Ability: Advanced to Expert
Price p/p From price based on 1 day tour per person - 5 people in private group (lift tickets not included) for 23/24 season inclusive of tax.
Base/invoice currency is in JPY ex taxes.
*Displayed price may vary due to currency fluctuations.
USD 147
Join Black Diamond Tours for a day or more of guided powder hunting in Niseko or one of the nearby resort or backcountry areas with your own PRIVATE GROUP. Areas include Niseko backbowls, Rusutsu, Kiroro, Teine & Kokusai. Primarily lift accessed so minimal hiking.
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Future rates & dates are currently not yet available for this operator. Click here to enquire.
Custom Booking Period
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Custom Booking Period: Mar 02 - Mar 30, 2024
Min Days: From 1
Price: Enquire
Availability: Filling
Future rates & dates are currently not yet available for this operator. Click here to enquire.
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BDTs Lift Assisted Backcountry Tours (Suited to Advanced+) 

Black Diamond Tours offer lift accessed backcountry tours at ski areas near Niseko. Dubbed the Powder Hunter Tours, these guided backcountry tours chases the best powder and conditions for the particular day with a variety of potential destinations that head to off-piste and resort side-country locations. 

This tour is only open for private groups i.e. you pull together your own group.

The island of Hokkaido is battered with relentless light, dry snow from December to March every year but the challenge is knowing where to go each day. Factors like gate closures, variable weather, strong winds, poor visibility and distinct micro-climates mean that KNOWLEDGE IS POWDER! The PowderHunter offers you direct access to BDT's unrivalled experience. If the weather and snow are stable, the first option is to get into the Niseko Back Bowls, but if the winds are strong they’ll head to Rusutsu or Kiroro or Moiwa for incredible gladed powder skiing; if it’s not snowing in the Niseko area and BDTs need to take advantage of another weather pattern they’ll go a little further afield and over a mountain pass to Sapporo Kokusai or Teine Highland. The goal is heli-ski powder without the heli... or associated price tag.
 

Avalanche Safety Equipment
: Provided at no extra charge for all guests on all PowderHunter day trips. Please let BDT know in advance if you do not have your own!!

Lift Tickets: At the time of booking, BDT will charge for lift tickets for all Powderhunter trips; however if on the trip date you already have a ticket for the area you decide to visit (or access to a better deal than BDT is able obtain) then BDTours will refund in full the amount paid in advance for tickets (5,000 yen/ticket).

Uphill Travel: The lift assisted backcountry trips are primarily lift assisted to access the backcountry, yet touring gear is still required for this trip e.g. skis with touring bindings & skins, split boards or snow shoes. Hiking is kept to a minimum.

Flexibility: In addition to total flexibility to head to any ski area within reach of Niseko on the day of your trip, BDT can usually change your trip to a backcountry tour if weather conditions are better suited to that. If they are able to make this adjustment, there may be some cost difference but BDT will refund / charge on site as necessary to make the change.

TOUR DETAILS All tours begin with your guide picking you up directly from your accommodation and taking you to your destination in one of BDTs comfortable 4WD drive vehicles (feel free to bring music along for the ride). Once at the hill, they will arrange lift tickets (Niseko excluded) and get straight down to business. With their guides leading the way you can expect to stay ahead of the curve all day long and not drop into any dead-end gullies. Japan is particularly suited to guided trips as there is no off-piste signage and many of the best runs end on narrow trails that weave their way back to the main courses but there are also plenty of places where a mistaken turn will leave you with a long walk out.

Powder Hunter Destinations

Included below is a brief description of some (but not all) of BDTs' options on powderhunter trips. Please note they don`t accept bookings for specific resorts so they can let the weather dictate where they should go on the days of your trip; however they do accept requests and the decision is ultimately up to you & your group so if there is somewhere in particular that your group would like to visit then they'll be happy to accommodate. **Requested destination must be within day trip reach of Niseko ie. maximum 2 hours travel time each way.

Niseko Back Bowls Tour

Great Untracked Powder

...and more untracked powder

..and more with a few trees

For those looking to access some of the steep and deep on offer at Niseko, this tour goes beyond the resort boundary ropes taking you into some of Niseko's pristine "slackcountry". Sometimes a short walk may be required at the each end of a run however in general there is very little walking required as this is not a full-on backcountry tour. Most of the terrain is lift accessed with a traverse in/out of the run.
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Rusutsu

Incredible tree skiing

Deep deep powder

this is a must do for powder hounds

Rusutsu is a little gem and perfect for powderhounds. A ski trip to Niseko would not be complete without at least one day to Rusutsu. If you have not ventured to Rusutsu before then a guided tour is highly recommended, otherwise you might find yourself wasting the first day finding only a couple of the great hidden treasures Rusutsu has to offer. Prepare yourself for one of the best days of skiing in your life!
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Sapporo Kokusai

Lift access..

..to fabulous terrain...

...and untracked powder

Sapporo Kokusai is a small local ski area located near Sapporo. Whilst the on-piste ski area itself is quite small, there is some incredibly diverse terrain located within the resort boundaries and just outside the resort.
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Kiroro

Kiroro has great lifts....

..stacks of untracked powder...

...for all levels of ride

Located a stone's throw from Niseko (about 45 minutes), Kiroro is a relatively unknown Hokkaido resort but blessed with some of the most consistent powder conditions on the island. Positioned just off Hokkaido's west coast, Kiroro is the first resort to catch the good stuff from arriving Siberian storms. Rusutsu may offer a wider selection of gladed powder terrain while Kokusai and Teine are home to the steeps but Kiroro comes through with some of the most reliable snow conditions and a great selection of off-piste lines to keep you busy all day long.

2023-24 Rates

Private Groups
110,000 yen (100,000 yen + 10% tax) for 1 day not including lift tickets (max group of 5).
Lift tickets if required = 8000 yen per person

So the price per person (not including lift tickets) based on:
  • 5 in your group is 22,000 yen per person
  • 4 in your group is 27,500 yen per person
  • 3 in your group is 36,667 yen per person
  • 2 in your group is 55,000 yen per person
At the time of booking, Black Diamond Tours will charge for lift tickets for all lift assisted backcountry trips; however if on the trip date you already have a ticket for the area we decide to visit (or access to a better deal than Black Diamond Tours is able obtain) then Black Diamond Tours will refund in full the amount paid in advance for tickets (¥ 8,000/ticket = 7,273 yen + 10% tax)  Inclusions
  • PRIVATE GROUPS ONLY - you cannot join a group
  • Guiding by experienced guides (max 5 guests per guide)
  • Transport where applicable
  • Avalanche safety gear if required
Add-ons
No optional extras to display
Not Included
No exclusions to display

TERMS & CONDITIONS


COVID-19 Terms & Conditions

If you cannot leave your home country or enter in to Japan due to COVID-19 and decide to cancel between July 1st and 60 days prior to the start of your tour date, the following terms and conditions will apply. If travel bans are lifted, the normal term and conditions will apply (see below).

  • Option 1: Receive a full refund minus 10% of your tour price (or up to a maximum of 25,000yen)
  • Option 2: Move your booking to the 2021-22 season without any cancellation fees.

Cancellation between 60 days to your trip start date, the following conditions will apply (normal term and conditions).

  • Cancellation between 60 and 30 days before the trip will result in a 50% cancellation fee.
  • Cancellation within 30 days of the trip will result in a 100% cancellation fee.

General T&Cs

  • A 25% non-refundable deposit is required to confirm your reservation. Full payment will be requested at the time of booking in order to minimize transaction charges; however 75% of this payment remains refundable until 60 days prior to the start of the tour (see condition #2 for more detail on cancellation charges). If you prefer to make deposit only payment, please advise BDTours at the time of booking.
  • Full payment is due 60 days prior to the start of the tour. If the tour is booked within 60 days of departure, full payment is required to confirm. Cancellation within 60 days but 30 days prior to the tour will incur a tariff in the amount of 50% of the full tour cost. Cancellations within 30 days will incur a tariff in the amount of 100% of the full tour cost.
  • At the time of booking, you will receive a message with your invoice allowing you to complete payment by international bank transfer or with your credit card through Paypal. Paypal is the preferred method on payments under 100,000 yen. Alternatively, bank transfer is the preferred method on large transactions as the associated flat rate fees are lower. All bank transfer details are available on your electronic invoice. If you choose to complete a bank transfer, please ignore the paypal service charge listed on your invoice and only transfer the amount owing on the balance line of your invoice before the paypal service fee.
  • Note: You do not need a Paypal account to use this online system. Simply follow the instructions and links provided with your electronic invoice.
  • All customers signing up for a guided tour are required to read and sign a release of liability waiver before departing. Failure to do so will result in cancellation of the tour without refund. All participants under the age of 19 must also have a parent or legal guardian sign their release of liability.
  • For the group multi-day and day trips, this will be confirmed to run once it has reached the minimum number of participants (5 people for multi-day, 3 people for day trips). If this occurs, you will have the option to change to another tour or recieve a full refund. If the alternative tour price is lower than your original tour, the difference will be refunded, and if the alternative tour price is higher than the original tour, the difference will be charged.
  • Black Diamond reserves the right to cancel any tour at any time (typically due to inclement weather, unsafe backcountry travel conditions or guide injury / sickness). In the event of cancellation, the customer will be offered the opportunity to either reschedule or receive a full refund.
  • Included in all ski packages is the use of backpack, avalanche transceiver, probe, and shovel, as well as avalanche briefings. If you need an avalanche airbag, please contact Rhythm Summit.
  • All participants entering the backcountry (anywhere outside of the ski area boundary) on a guided tour must be at least 13 years of age.
  • We ask guests to be honest with themselves about their skill level. If you have booked and paid for a trip with BDTours but it is clear that your skills are insufficient for the trip you have booked, we will cancel the remainder of the day and refund 50% of your booking fee. If you are uncertain please read about our skill level requirements here.