Less than 100km from the ever popular Niseko is rarely skied mountain called Karibayama, which sits between Setana Town and Shimamaki Village.

“I grew up looking up at Mount Kariba and the surrounding mountains. When I was little I drew a picture of the mountain for homework”, reveals local Kyoichi Karino, before conceding that he rarely skied there in is youth because he was attracted to other mountains.

“Then, after my daughters were born, I started coming home more often. I would look up at the slopes on the mountain, and I finally noticed how perfect they were.”

The Patagonia sponsored film then follows Kyoichi-san and fellow guides Nao Kato and Kazuya Furuse as they explore the Karibayama mountain range over the course of two pandemic-affected seasons, gradually developing an appreciation for the area as they battle challenging conditions, lengthy hikes and several nights in a snow cave.

The result, as you’ll see, is some very deep turns in an incredibly enticing part of Japan, but it’s also a lesson in finding beauty in your own backyard.

“I don’t know how many more years it will take, but we were able to find many more areas that we still need to ski.”