Adventure in Japan: why I flew to Hokkaido for skiing

Thick clouds of steam rise into the night sky. Only the splashing of the water and the scratching of skis on icy snow can be heard. I lie in a spring-fed basin of an Onsen's spa in Niseko, Japan's in-ski resort in southwest Hokkaido, and I look at a slope that is floodlit. Around me Japanese women with white towels on their heads. The hot water, rich in sodium chloride and hydrogen carbonate, helps not only to brave the cold, but also muscle and joint pain and other physical complaints – the perfect end to a long day of skiing.

• Onsen Spa in the Hotel Niseko Alpen, entry 1000 yen (eight euros), free for house guests; www.hotel-nisekoalpen.jp
• Tip: The Yukichichibu Onsen Spa is idyllically situated on the mountain directly at a hot spring near Rankoshi outside of Niseko, entry 500 yen (four euros); www.nisekoareaguide.com/yukichichibu

Because Niseko, which consists of the combined ski area of ​​Niseko Annupuri, Niseko Village, Gran Hirafu and Hanazono Resort, has a lot to offer – even though it only extends over the southwestern part of the 1309-meter-high volcano Mount Niseko and over 70 kilometers of slopes and 30 Has lifts. In Grand Hirafu you can also go skiing at night – almost the whole area is illuminated.

• A day ski pass for Niseko United, the entire area costs 8000 yen (65 euros); www.niseko.ne.jp

"If it snows here, then it snows"

Nevertheless, compared to the major European ski centers, Niseko is rather unspectacular, since it is neither particularly high nor particularly large and, due to the largely flat slopes, is more suitable for beginners and pleasure skiers. But what makes Niseko and the many other ski areas on Hokkaido so special and now attracts ski fans from all over the world is not only the varied terrain next to the piste, but also the feather-light powder snow, the so-called Japow.

While ski regions in Europe at comparable altitudes can only survive winter with artificial snow, powder-soft, extremely dry and therefore feather-light snow falls massively from the sky in January and February. "If it snows here, it snows," explains our guide Yoshimi, who comes from Sapporo – Hokkaido's largest city with 1.9 million inhabitants. So half a meter a day is quite normal.

And since it snows almost every day in the first two months of the year, snow depths of over ten meters are not uncommon – for example in the last season. "Some people can only leave their houses on the balcony because they can no longer keep up with snow removal," explains Yoshimi. Now I am no longer surprised that the ski boards in the area are on such high posts that I almost need binoculars to study the piste map.

Ice-cold air from Siberia brings the Japow

The secret behind Hokkaido's abundance of powder snow is easily revealed: "It is due to the ice-cold air that flows from Siberia over the Japanese sea, absorbs moisture there and ensures heavy snowfall on the west coast of Hokkaido," Yoshimi tells us. What is left is dry air that goes further inland, combines with the cold air above the mainland and ensures fluffy powder in the region around Niseko. “The snow is so dry that you can't make a snowball out of it,” explains Yoshimi.

I start my skiing adventure in Niseko with joy. But the further up I get, the thicker the fog. But the rapid change of weather is also one of the special features of this region. Too bad, because the view over this unique volcanic landscape is gigantic: Only five kilometers ahead of us is the 1898 meter high stratovolcano Yotei, which is called Fuji Hokkaidos because of its perfect cone shape. Only on arrival could I see him in full in the sunlight – otherwise he was covered in fog.

The Yotei, which is part of the Shikotsu Tōya National Park, is not only a landmark of the region, it also offers ski tourers and hikers a very special experience: a large summit crater, a so-called caldera, with a diameter of 700 meters and two small secondary craters. In good conditions, ski tourers can even go down into the crater, which is not entirely harmless, since there is often an avalanche risk due to the strong winds.

Strict security rules – Only through gates to the backcountry

I carve down the "Stairway to Heaven descent" to Hanazono and am happy to be out of the thick fog. Although there is still little snow at the beginning of the season, it feels great and light. Because it is real – there are no snow cannons in the entire Niseko network area.

In front of me, the landscape spreads out like a white, not entirely smooth carpet – because here around Niseko there are no mountain ranges or dramatic mountain ranges, but only a gentle hilly landscape, from which volcanic mountains like the Annupuri and the Yotei protrude.

So everything looks relatively harmless compared to the Alps. But that is deceptive, because the area around the Annupuri is huge – and avalanches are also an issue here. Therefore, freeriders are not allowed to go anywhere, but only through one of the eleven gates that are available throughout the resort. These are only open if there is no acute avalanche danger.

Anyone who bypasses gates and barriers is in for a lot of trouble: In these cases, the Ski Patrol immediately takes the ski pass from the "perpetrators" – especially retirees must even expect to spend a night in prison. Because the Japanese have no fun with violations of the rules. The absolute no-go areas on the mountain therefore include the Gallys "Yo No Sawa" and "Haru No Taki" at Niseko Village. In these erosion valleys on the flanks of the mountain, the risk of avalanches is so high that they are permanently blocked off.

Treeskiing through icy birch forests

But you don't have to go there, because the backcountry offers enough alternatives. The icing on the cake for absolute experts is the Mizuno Bowl at Niseko Village, which cuts into the mountain like a wedge: if the ski patrol releases them after avalanche blasts in the morning, cracks will find the steepest and longest slopes of Mount Annupuri here. The special thing in Niseko next to the Japow is the Treeskiing through the snow-covered and icy Shirakaba forests. Because the mountain is covered with silver birch trees, between which bamboo, the so-called sasa, proliferates.

Above all, Australians discovered this very unique and almost surreal skiing landscape for themselves years ago and contributed to the internationalization of Niseko. Many have even settled there and work in the tourism industry. Because Niseko, which is now regarded as Japan's Aspen, is booming – luxury lodges, holiday apartments and villas have sprung up everywhere in recent years. This year alone, two new top resorts are opening – the Park Haytt in Hanazono and the Ritz Carlton in Niseko Village. A new Aman resort is currently being planned in a neighboring ski resort in Moiwa.

Full of contrasts – luxury resorts and ancient lifts

Given all these luxury resorts, the chic shops, the many galleries, the international bars, cafes and restaurants that Niseko shines with, I am amazed when I step into the "Ace Pair Lift # 1" two-seater chair in Grand Hirafu: Me I find myself in an age-old elevator from the 1970s with rock-hard seats and an iron bracket without footrests, which you almost have to say that it does not open. The rusty pillars that I pass on the way up don't exactly inspire confidence.

Somehow I had imagined the hardware on the mountain in the high-tech country of Japan to be much more modern – considering that every toilet seat is heated and has all the technical refinements. Of course there are also significantly newer facilities in United Niseko, but the entry-level lift into the Grand Hirafu area is far from the only one in this age group. But one thing has to be said: He purrs like a kitten – and the friendly lifeguard at the exit pays careful attention to the fact that everything runs smoothly and no one falls when getting out.

Refreshments in Japanese – Soba noodles and pickled radish

I eagerly await my first stop – although I only ate a sumptuous Japanese breakfast a few hours ago with miso soup, algae, tofu, fresh fish, pickled vegetables and umeboshi plums. It goes to Boyo-So, which is below a birch grove not far from the valley station of the Hirafu gondola and was recommended by locals. With the simple light-colored furniture, the wooden beams and the boller oven in the middle of the dining room, the mountain restaurant looks more like a hut somewhere in Eastern Europe – if it weren't for the colorful Japanese drinks vending machines and characters on the wall.

An old man without front teeth stands behind the counter and looks at me questioningly: I point to the menu card on the wall, because he doesn't understand English. For 800 yen, the equivalent of around six euros, I order a large, steaming bowl of soup with soba noodles made from buckwheat and a shrimp fried in tempura batter – plus a bowl of pickled radish, which I can scoop out of a large bucket for myself ,

The food tastes pretty good for a hut meal – at least by classes better than what simple counterparts in European areas usually serve. Apart from that, this place feels absolutely authentic. What a contrast program to the chic restaurants that are everywhere in Niseko. I am thinking of the Samoza in Hananzono, which is housed in a 150-year-old farmhouse that has been converted into an art gallery and serves up artistic six-course menus in a dreamlike atmosphere.

• Somoza, gallery and restaurant, lunch around 5000 yen (around 40 euros), dinner around 20,000 yen (163 euros); somoza.jp

Niseko hype – much more than Japow and international flair

Like every evening, the hot water of the Onsen Spa magically attracts me. I put on a yukata, a kind of bathrobe that is meticulously folded on my hotel bed. Japanese people also use this traditional cotton garment as a pajama or robe that they wear to festivals in the summer. When I am strolling across the hotel corridor towards the Onsen Spa, a guest kindly points out that I accidentally hit the right half of the coat over the left, instead of the other way around. Oh god, that's right! "You only do that with the dead," Yoshimi had told us only a few hours earlier.

With a smile, I lie in the water and think about my experiences. For many ski fans, the Japow may be the main reason to start the long trip to Hokkaido. But for me it's just one of many facets. It is the fabulous volcanic landscape, the culture, the hot springs and the excellent food. And it is the contrasts between tradition and modern, old and new, chic and shabby that give Niseko and the surrounding area a very special charm. So special that I would go there again at any time.

• Hotel Tips: The Hotel Niseko Alps is getting a bit old and is not one of the most beautiful hotels in Niseko. However, it is located directly on the Grand Hirafu ski slope and therefore offers ski-in and out – including ski room. It has a traditional onsen spa, a pool and a hot stone sauna and an excellent sumptuous breakfast buffet with Japanese as well as European dishes. In addition to normal double rooms, there are also traditional Japanese rooms with futon beds and tatami mats. Accommodation from around 370 euros for two people in a double room with breakfast. www.hotel-nisekoalpen.jp
• More information about Niseko at www.nisekotourism.com

The trip was supported by Finnair