Riding deep, deep powder on Mt. Yotei after a mega-storm

For most skiers and snowboarders that flock to northwestern Hokkaido, the luxury and modern infrastructure of Niseko, Kiroro and Rusutsu are the big draw. Backcountry enthusiasts come here for a different reason. Mount Yotei, the picturesque, symmetrical volcano that dominates the local landscape offers the longest continuous vertical descent in Hokkaido, at over 1,500 vertical metres.

Summiting Yotei and skiing inside the volcano’s crater can be the experience of a lifetime if the timing is right, but our visit was at the tail end of a February mega-storm, so this wasn’t an option. More than 70cm of fresh snow had been measured at Niseko United’s base area over the previous few days, the wind was blowing hard and the avalanche risk was high.

The night before the tour Kutchan was buried in deep snow. Image: Robin Watts

Our guide for the day, Andrew Spragg, director of backcountry specialists Rising Sun Guides and ACMG Ski Guide, had chosen the east aspect of lower Yotei as the best spot for deep snow and low competition from other touring groups.

On this decision, Andrew said, “Lower Yotei offers excellent low-angle tree skiing, has lots of terrain and many fun descent options. Instead of summiting, our goal was to travel as high on the mountain as possible until weather or avalanche conditions deteriorated, then we would rip skins and ski down.”

The Tour

Sadly, due to blisters from new boots, I had to sit this one out (tip: never wear new boots for backcountry touring). Andrew took photographer and skier Aron Tarjani and videographer and snowboarder Robin Watts to Mt Yotei for a special day of deep turns on a one-day backcountry tour.

Aron is an experienced mountaineer, and Robin was just getting into backcountry and splitboarding, having done four one-day tours so far on the trip, including at nearby Kiroro.

After making sure they both knew how to retrieve a buried avalanche beacon and their equipment was good, they set out on the long trek up Mt Yotei. Andrew started setting a track in deep snow almost from the car park. They began on a gentle slope, walking in a straight line, then, as the terrain steepened, they started a switchback ascent with kick turns up to 1200m.

Travelling through the flatter wooded section at the foot of Mt Yotei. Image: Robin Watts

Robin noticed something that he thought was very clever: Andrew was careful to set a straight track across a flat spot on the way up, so that when they descended through the same section, they could use the track to keep their speed and avoid wasting time and energy. Otherwise, they would have needed to transition to touring mode to hike along the flat spot, then transition again to continue their descent.

Robin also had a go at setting the track for one switchback but it quickly drained his energy. He is very fit, but setting a track is a whole other level of fitness, and he was glad to have Andrew leading the way.

As I’ve mentioned before on this site, touring is suited for a specific type of skier or snowboarder. You’ve got to be someone who’s happy to climb uphill in deep snow for three hours to get 10 minutes of downhill. There will be uncomfortable moments on the way up, but then, during the descent, you hear things like “best day ever”. This might seem like a throwaway comment, but six months later, Robin gave me a long breakdown of why this really was his favourite day on the hill.

The fact that it was on Yotei, a volcano, added a level of mystique to the day, there were no other guiding companies in the area, the small group, the openness of the trees, the consistent pitch, the length of the runs, the quality and depth of the snow, and the skill and attentiveness of the guide all made it a perfect day.

Robin explained, “The tree spacing was fantastic. It meant that you could cane it down with fast surfy vibes. I didn’t really have to put the brakes on too much, which made the runs so enjoyable. It was amazing. Deep but not too deep.”

Transitioning in deep snow can be difficult, and it was good that we’d had training for this before. Robin said, “When transitioning, I had to plan it out. I had to make a platform with my snowboard before I could start dealing with stuff. Otherwise, you would just sink waist-deep and lose a lot of energy getting out.”

After their first run of around 400m of vertical, they were able to get back up to just below 1200m in just 45 minutes, having already set a track. This shows the huge difference between setting fresh tracks and travelling on an established track.

After the second run of around 600m vertical descent and then skinning back to the car, the day was complete.

Andrew said of the day: “We found very deep conditions and, as hoped, we were sheltered from the wind for most of the ascent. I had anticipated climbing to around 1000m before descending, but we ended up getting to 1225m before being exposed to the wind. Wind slab hadn’t formed at lower elevations but was starting to become a concern at that elevation, so we called that our high point and descended.

Great run. Incredibly deep. Pretty special. We didn’t go quite as high the second time to avoid getting to where it was windy and because the snow at lower elevations was better. If travel was easier, we would likely have gotten three or four runs that day, but given the incredible conditions, two was enough.”

An insight into the decision-making process

Andrew explained his thinking on the day, “I reviewed our hazard analysis from the day. It was a heavy snow day everywhere, but more in the southeast part of the region and we were expecting strong west winds, particularly at higher elevations. Temperatures were cold and expected to remain below zero at all elevations.

“With all the new snow and wind, we forecasted avalanche conditions to be considerable at all elevations, with our primary concerns being wind slab and storm slab. Loose dry avalanches were expected on steep slopes over 40 degrees. And we also had a persistent problem that we were monitoring.

“At no stage did we have any intention of summiting. We skied some 30-35 degree terrain, but the bulk of the run was in the 25-30 degree range. The area of lower Yotei we skied has lots of playful, low-angle terrain, so the location choice allowed us to play it safe, have fun and not feel like we were being restricted by the conditions.”

He took the time to explain this decision, Robin recalling, “In terms of the conditions on the mountain, we did talk about it. We were aware of the high avalanche risks, but Andrew said that our location on the leeward side of the mountain was sheltered from the wind. There’d been a big storm with heavy snow, but he was constantly checking as we gained altitude, and he said the slopes we were on showed no notable signs of instability.”

“…one of the biggest talents of a guide is to look at all the variables and choose a location that, on that given day, is the best option for snow and safety.”

This selection process is probably something that many people overlook or don’t consider when choosing a guide. I certainly did. Some visitors come with a desire to tour in a particular spot, some want steep lines, and some just want to find untouched powder. But really, one of the biggest talents of a guide is to look at all the variables and choose a location that, on that given day, is the best option for snow and safety.

Another big consideration on a deep day is the guide’s ability and desire to set a track. Doing this in fresh snow, on top of a much deeper base, for over three hours takes serious effort. Also, you want to spend the day with someone who strikes a balance between safety and having fun. One of the things Robin and Aron loved about touring with Andrew is that he clearly enjoyed being out there just as much as they did.

Working their way up to steeper terrain in the deep snow. Image: Robin Watts

For some people, leaving these kinds of decisions to the experts is as far as they want to go. Do you just want to be a passenger and smash the powder? Or do you want to understand the decision-making process and even learn how to make these decisions yourself? If you’re spending a lot of time in the backcountry in potentially life-threatening situations, it pays to understand the risks and work out for yourself why a particular route isn’t a good idea or why it’s unwise to stand in a particular place. Not just in the backcountry proper, but also in the sidecountry and tree runs when you don’t have a guide to make those decisions for you.

For those who want to learn, Rising Sun also offers avalanche courses that teach students about decision-making processes, terrain selection, and understanding avalanche problems.

Qualified guides

Rising Sun is a highly professional guiding company with a strong focus on backcountry skiing and snowboarding. They are very proud of the fact that they meet the standards set by the International Federation of Mountain Guide Associations (IFMGA) for mountain, ski, alpine and rock guiding. They are also keen to stress how all of their lead guides are certified and have extensive local knowledge. If you’re a more discerning customer, experienced in the backcountry elsewhere, or you’re looking for a reputable guide that will take you to the best spots in Hokkaido, you won’t be disappointed with Andrew and the team at Rising Sun.