Asahidake
Asahidake is back-country skiing serviced by a cable car, so it’s a haven for all powderhounds. Asahidake is in a national park rather than a resort, so it has only minimal facilities, but the powder hunters that frequent Asahidake don’t seem to mind. This is definitely not a mountain for beginners as there are only four groomed trails, with all other areas being a paradise of ungroomed steep powder skiing. There’s an abundance of powder, with an average annual snowfall of about 14 metres.
Mt Asahidake is the highest mountain in Hokkaido, although that’s not particularly high considering that even the Australian ski fields have taller mountains. Asahidake is an active volcano, so on clear days there are great photo opportunities.
Mt Asahidake is about 1 hour east of Asahikawa, or is approximately 50 minutes from Furano. Many skiers commute from
Asahikawa or
Furano, or alternatively there is limited
accommodation in the village of Asahidake.
It is super quiet at Asahidake, with only about 20-30 skiers and snowboarders visiting each day. This makes powderhounds very happy, with fresh tracks still to be found at the end of the day. Get to Asahidake before everyone else discovers it!