Skiing & Snowboarding legendary Hakuba Japan

Well how do you explain skiing & snowboarding in Japan? But more specifically riding legendary HAKUBA?

Getting pow on the South Face! Photo by sunstone.

Steep trees and big mountain lines to compliment epic powder across a range of 7 ski resorts and other secret day trip spots too! Yeah that might be a good start....and more often than not it's snowing!

Unlike many other Japanese resorts Hakuba offers access to huge, open backcountry terrain- the extensive Japanese Alps. The highest mountainous region in Japan. So you can mix up the ridiculously good tree skiing with big, steep burly 1000m vertical lines! Purrrrfect.

The skin track leads the way...welcome to the Hakuba backcountry powder people! Photo by sunstone.

Crew getting ready. Photo by Joona Olkkola.

Mike dropping in some steep backcountry. Photo by sunstone.

Ready, set..... Photo by Joona Olkkola,

GO! Photo by Joona Olkkola.

The Japanese Alps extend a long, long frickin way above the top of Happo-One Ski Resort. Photo by sunstone.

Great bars and restaurants in laid back 'Echoland' area of Hakuba where you can hang out with like-minded powder junkies, find cute girls (or guys) and still have a party any night if you want to let loose....it's a holiday after all right!

The crew having Korean BBQ! Photo by sunstone.

and when it comes to Sashimi (raw) and Sushi you can really go to town.......

They have a great concept in Japan which is Izakaya - a drinking establishment (pub) which serves food to accompany your drinks. A bit like tapas. You can rock up to the bar drink great beer and have a variety of 'food to die for' served up right to you after getting ya face smashed all day!

So we've got powder, we've got great people, we've got killer food and what would top it all off????...maybe some kind of hot natural springs to add to the equation and you have ONSEN! Japanese have become obsessive about bathing in the Onsen and I guess so have I! In fact I plan to post the 'Onsen Diaries' which will have a bit of insight into the 'Hot Spots' around town! Just what the doctor ordered eh!

On the other side of your powder gorging, food hogging and boiling ya bones you can grab some pretty cool local culture too. And while ya here why not check out one of the most incredible mega-cities of the world -  big smoke of Tokyo. A great way to start or end your mission!

Yep it's Japan alright!

Snow monkeys hanging out in their own natural onsen - crazy. Photo by sunstone.

Ice sculptures in front of Matsumoto Castle, near Hakuba. 

Yep it really is Japan. Laura &Julie steel the kids thunder. Those Alaskan gals I dunno ;-)

Is that some kind of fancy ABS!?!? You do see some sights in Japan! Photo by Mitch.

Yebisu Beer Museum, super presentation of the history of the legendary brew in Tokyo.

The new Tokyo tower will be open in a few months!

The Asahi Flame. Signifies the headquarters of Asashi Breweries Headquarters. It's meant to represent the froth on the top of the beer glass. It's affectionately known to locals as the 'Giant Turd'!

For those less inclined for the Wild West destinations of Gulmarg or Iran, Japan could be the wife (or husband) pleasing deal with all the big resort facilities on offer.....like ski school for the kids ;-)

Right just a few more pics for your viewing pleasure....

Kamoshika - A type of half deer-goat mystical creature of the Japanese woods. Photo by Maarti Larjo.

 Ville getting some. Photo by Lauri Larjo.

To book your Ninja Powder Adventure and Get in the mix to get JAPOWED email paul@sunstoneadventures.com

For other photos and up-to-date intel check out www.facebook.com/sunstoneadventures

www.sunstoneadventures.com

Japow

Bright lights Big City of Tokyo. Finally after kipping down in a very modern Incheon Airport in Seoul, Korea it would be rude not to stop into one of the world's mega cities!

After having a tough year of Earthquakes in my home town of Christchurch, New Zealand Tokyo is a city that's just about seen it all. In 1923 an earthquake of biblical proportions flattened the city killing 140,000 people. In WWII American planes firebombed the city creating an inferno and again rendering the city useless. What can we take from this? Resilience.

2011 again saw quakes shaking Tokyo to its core as Fukushima, north of Tokyo was engulfed by tsunami's and a nuclear melt down! Am I mad coming to a place which has lingering radiation, a huge history of seismic activity? Nah let's go ski some of the legendary powder, dine on some of the finest quality cuisine in the world and kick back in the relaxing hot springs that are ONSEN!

As I write this in Seoul airport my new powder destination for sunstone is getting puked on...over 90cms creating a nearly 2m base and it's not even January!

But before I arrive to the hallowed HAKUBA it's the excitement to explore one of the coolest & most interesting metropolises of the world - Tokyo. Japanese seafood is legendary, but to feed this nation of seafood lovers - it has to come into the Largest Fish market in the World - the Tsujiki fish market!

So to Hakuba, the small township which held the downhill races for the 1998 Nagano Olympics in Japan. I guess the attraction here is the lifts go up to nearly 1800m altitude but the range continues up to nearly 3000m = a huge amount of back country to explore!

Happo-One the big mama of some 9 resorts accessed from the Hakuba area!

Even the bloody man holes are stylish in Japan!

And what to do after skiing....oh it's a hard life! Soak it up in the Onsen. They're everywhere...what a great tradition!

Yep that's Happo Ski Resort in the background!

The gorgeous Hakuba Valley!

The nice thing about Japan is they're soooooo bloody organised. Train ticket machines, ATMs are in English and people at airports or any customer service peeps speak basic English and a super helpful!

Check out those old skool Craig Kelly snowboards!

Top of Hakuba Goryu with the sublime Japanese Alps in the background that rise to nearly 3000m!

So what's next - storm approaching (now there's a surprise....) let's ski some powder Japanese style!
JAPOW! All the best for a prosperous and powder filled New Year!

www.sunstoneadventures.com

New sunstone poster - which one do you like?

Well the good news is that Gulmarg (Kashmir, India) has had it's first snow fall of the season and we are getting loads of bookings coming in to ski the epic Himalayas! So if you haven't already got in touch, even if you're by yourself come join a group or want to find out more about skiing / snowboarding in:

Gulmarg (Kashmir, India)
Iran
Japan
New Zeland

Trekking or Mountaineering in:

Nepal
Tibet
Bhutan
New Zealand

 contact me for more info or queries on: paul@sunstoneadventures.com

Iran looks like it's kicked off too with initial snowfalls in Dizin & Shamashek  as has Hakuba in Japan in which sunstone will be hanging out in January this season!

We thought we'd have a little vote on what upcoming ski & snowboarding poster you'd like to see printed out of the 4 sunstone posters as per below. Just make a comment below this blog on which one you like the most and you'll go into a draw to win a sunstone prize pack with a t-shirt, posters and stickers!

Ski & Snowboard Poster:

1) Getting some deep bank action in Gulmarg, Kashmir. Photo by Sandy Norval.

2) Sandy slashes the board in Gulmarg Kashmir. Photo by sunstone.

3) Paul about to get a face full skiing Monkey Hill in Gulmarg, Kashmir. Photo by Luke Smithwick.

4) Wood for the Trees? Paul gets super deep in the 'Paper Trees' Gulmarg, Kashmir. Photo by Sandy Norval.

Let us know your favourite number for the 2011 sunstone ski snowboard poster in the comment box below?

Time for the trekking & mountaineering section. Which picture would you like to see as the sunstone 2011 poster?

Trek & Mounatineering Poster:

1) Freddie heads up the summit ridge to claim Island Peak 6189m. Photo by sunstone.

2) Karate Kidding around at Island Peak advanced base camp. Photo by Per Blomstrand.

3) Summiting Lobouch East Peak 6119m. Photo by Saran Subba.

4) Per about to Summit on Island Peak 6189m, Everest Region Nepal. Photo by sunstone.

Leave a comment and let us know which number for the ski & snowboard poster? And the Trekking & Mountaineering section? You'll go into a draw for a sunstone goodie bag.

Cheers, Paulio