Yamagata & Miyagi Adventure
If you are up for an adventure and looking for something different, the Yamagata and Miyagi Adventure from Gassan Ski ticks those boxes. This is a private bespoke tour that can be customised to your small group of up to 4 people. You can't join a mixed group. Solos and couples are welcome to participate, although the per person rate will be higher than if you have 3 or 4 people in your group.
Highlights
- This tour is operated & guided by knowledgeable and qualified English-speaking Japanese guides
- Head way off the beaten path to ski areas that foreigners typically don't go, plus one day at the well known Zao Onsen Ski Resort
- Snowcat assisted backcountry ski touring or splitboarding at the mighty Gassan
- An afternoon snowcat ride up Mt Zao for some backcountry exploration on the Miyagi side of Mt Zao
- Stay at Japanese-run cottages near Gassan then at a hotel in Miyagi Zao
- Soak in an open air hot spring (onsen) at Zao Onsen & option to sample onsen in Miyagi Zao
- Your Japanese host will ensure you get to experience plenty of the culture
- Boutique trip for your small group so very personalised service
This is an outline of the Yamagata and Miyagi Adventure and you can customise it somewhat to suit your needs.
The trip starts in the
Gassan region, staying at
Pole Pole. Gassan is one of the snowiest places in Japan, with over 30 metres of snow falling annually. So much snow falls here that they don't open the
Gassan Ski Resort until April! So the only way to access the goods at Gassan from January to March is via snowcat and/or ski touring or splitboarding or snowshoeing. You and your group will have exclusive access to the snowcat where you will do up to 3 runs (only 1 included in price) of around 400m of vertical per run, skiing/riding the deep powder in the trees. At the end of each lap you can traverse back to the cat for the next run. For the more adventurous groups who have touring gear, there are opportunities to combine the cat with some hiking to gain longer vertical descents. There is also the opportunity to do some touring runs without the cat. Ultimately the decision will be up to your group as to how adventurous you want to get!
Extra activities might be on the cards. For example if it's dumping with snow, you might want to do some night powder skiing at the little local ski area. Or if the weather is really brutal you might want to visit Ginzan Onsen or Mt Haguro Shrine.
Then it's off to
Zao Onsen on the western side of Mt Zao for a guided day of in-resort and off-piste skiing at the
Zao Onsen ski resort. Your local guides will show you the secret powder stashes around the resort as well as the best place for lunch, then you can have a soak in an open-air hot spring after skiing/riding.
The second part of the trip is based in Miyagi Zao which is on the eastern side of Mt Zao. From Zao town, your guide will take you to a couple of local ski areas including
Sumikawa, where one afternoon you can take a snowcat ride up towards to top of Mt Zao.
Group Type
These tours are for private groups only i.e. you cannot join a group as a solo traveller. You can
make a booking request to get a quote for your desired trip duration, group size and number of cat runs.