Earlier this month we shared with you five good reasons to take a ski trip to Japan.  Here is a link to our last blog on Japan Ski Trips in case you missed it. Hopefully after reading that and seeing all the pictures over the years of neck deep powder, you are getting ready for a trip of a lifetime this winter.

Every year we need to start preparing mentally and physically for the upcoming ski season. The photos and videos make it seem like skiing deep blower powder in Japan is a breeze, but we all know there’s much more to it.  Having a successful ski trip to Japan not only depends on conditions but having the right guides to take you there, the early season training, and not having to deal with the logistics of traveling through a foreign country.

Here are five tips to have a great ski trip to Japan and make the most of your experience.

#1- Start Training Early!

Even though the mountains in Japan aren’t quite the size of those in the Alps, Jackson Hole, Utah or Colorado, it doesn’t mean you won’t be skiing a lot of vertical! In order to be ready to go from open to close and maybe a small hike or two, you’ll need to be working the dry land training as soon as possible. Spend time at the gym, on stair sections, squats, anything you can do to improve your stamina for skiing. Not only will you feel better mentally and physically, you will be laying down the foundation for skiing some of the best days of your life!

When you are doing morning laps of bottomless in-bounds pow with no lift lines, and an afternoon of exploring secret stashes, you can easily ski as much vertical as you would during a day at most ski resorts in North America.  If the conditions are right and you really want to ski some deeper snow by going on a ski tour, you’ll be breaking trail through feet of snow.  It takes a serious amount of strength and stamina to ski through chest deep powder.  Do yourself a favor and start early to maximize your training as the last thing you want is to take a day off of skiing in Japan. Based on our experience the day you take off will be the deepest day of the week, it’s happened before!

#2 Speed & Managing Terrain

Most of the mountains in Japan are not on the same scale as others like the Alps or most Western US states are. However, areas like Hakuba and the Tokachi Mountains require the utmost respect as there are serious avalanche risks in these regions. As with every mountain environment you will always have risks such as avalanches, terrain traps and managing your speed through terrain for efficiency. Japan has a fair amount of terrain traps, tight tree sections, avalanche zones, and bracken bushes that can easily snag your skis while skiing deep powder. We always suggest hiring a guide as they truly know the areas and risks that are associated in certain locations.  

A majority of the time, the deepest and freshest snow is found on/off resort areas that have flat runout sections where you are left having to manage your speed through the terrain. This is a critical skill that can easily make or break your day. Lots of these run outs get you back to the chairlift with either a small track to follow or some trail breaking which our guides will always be happy to do! Smart and educated route selection is critical as you can end up either in a terrain trap or off the safest route. After skiing run after run of untouched bottomless powder, you will be laughing and wondering if what you just skied was real life or a dream.  Yes, it was real and the best part is you get to do it all over again!  

Learning small techniques to skate with your poles properly, mastering the rollers like a pump track, and cruising the traverse tracks like you are in Star Wars is a skill of the Jedi’s. Knowing when to point your skis for speed, absorbing the terrain, and when to bob and weave so you don’t knock off your goggles is a skill every skier should learn.  Managing the terrain, looking ahead for terrain traps, and controlling your speed will save you enough energy to make that extra run of deep Japan powder.

#5- Ski Clothes & Staying Warm

Japan’s geographical position to the Sea of Japan and the flow of cold air that travels from Siberia delivers some of the best snow on earth. With this also comes extremely cold days and the need to properly prepare yourself for the weather. A good 3 layer waterproof or insulated jacket and pant will be your best friend on those really deep days. We can not express how important it is to not only have proper outer layers but a solid base layering system. The last thing you want is to cut a day short due to your clothing. Investing in your ski clothes is just as important if not more important than your skis. Keeping your core warm and maintaining a good temperature will make an epic day better or turn one into a bad one.

Remember it typically snows six out of seven days a week in Japan with an average of 5” inches per night. In 2016 our team of guides only saw the sun for 3 days while spending over one month in Japan leading trips. Start with either a good synthetic or wool base layer against your skin, then add in either a lightweight down jacket or secondary base layer that comes up around your neck to keep the cold and deep snow out. Yes, it’s that deep and at the end of the day you will find snow in spots you never know snow could get to. One of the best things to bring with you are multiple buffs/neck protection as it will really help for those snorkel deep turns. Combine this with the extra accessories you have in your back and you will be ready to battle a wide range of conditions.

#5: Travel with Le Grand Adventure Tours to Japan!

Traveling internationally is a lot of work period. A typical ski trip abroad can take months of research, scoping the spots to explore, weather forecasting, transportation, lodging, etc. Our team has spent decades traveling the globe in search of the best spots. LGA will not only save you time and money but will allow you to focus on one thing, skiing!

There’s nothing worse than wasting your first couple of days on a ski trip getting oriented and figuring out where the best terrain is.  As you see countless groups coming back after a day of skiing and high fiving each other the odds are pretty good they wont tell you where they went.  For the amount of time spent trying to dial in new countries to ski, you should really consider spending the extra couple dollars to follow LGA’s team of all star guides so you can maximize your time on snow in Japan.

Over the years we have had many guests and guides join our groups only to say that they could not have experienced what they did on their own. We’ve been working hard over the last four years to dial in Japan’s deepest terrain so our guests truly get a once in a lifetime experience. From the minute you land and are greeted by our team (we won’t make you take a bus from the airport like other tour companies do) we’ll show you the best spots to ski, eat, and explore this amazing country. On top of this, our packages provide you with the lowest price on lodging you can find, private 4×4 vans every day just for our group, 2 guides every day, Welcome and Farewell group dinners, trips to natural hot springs, lift tickets for 6 to 8 resorts, backcountry touring amongst the volcanos and the seldom explored mountain ranges.

Japan is a mecca for powder skiing and finding accommodations to stay can be very difficult as they sell out months in advance. LGA will take care of everything for you so all you have to do is show up and ride the best snow of your life. Rest assured at night that you’ll be the amongst the first groups to access the goods in the morning. LGA Japan is an experience like no other: it’s time to rally your crew of friends and visit the land of the rising sun!

Engelberg, the Swiss Freeride mecca that is known throughout the world as a must travel to destination for the true powder skier. From big lines, consistent snowfalls, an après scene that rivals the best, to over 100,000 acres of accessible terrain through touring, Engelberg is in a class of its own. This is one of our favorite places to ski and we are very excited to launch a series of new Freeride camps and tours that will be exploring this area starting in 2017. Below are our Top 5 reasons to ski Engelberg.

#1- Pure Skiing

From the top of the 10,600’ Mt Titlis, with over 6,500 vertical from town, you have access to an unlimited number of descents. The views of central Switzerland are some of the best and on a clear day you can see the iconic Eiger, Jungfrau, and across the way to Andermatt.

The ski area offers something for everyone and if you are lucky enough to ski Engelberg on a powder day, you will be guaranteed one of the best days of your life. Overall, Engelberg provides access to 24 lifts, 50 miles of perfect piste, and 25 official trails. This is somewhat misleading stats when you consider a single trail is seven miles long and there are about 100,000 acres of accessible backcountry skiing if you pack your climbing skins. Bottom line, go ski Engelberg!

#2- The Big 5

These are some of the classic lines in Engelberg. Note to self before attempting these: hire a guide. Some of the lines are exposed, have access to serious cliff drops (100’ plus) and if you do not know the conditions or terrain, you could get yourself into a bad spot. I have been lucky enough to ski all of these and I can tell you one thing, they are all time. The Laub is one of the best powder runs in the world.

The Sulz- This area has 3 sections and offers a wide range of skiing options for everyone. Wendelücke- part of this area is reachable from the lift but the real action happens with a short tour that leads to one of the best powder runs in the area. Steinberg- the classic glaciated area under the rotating Titlis tram. From here there are a number of options to explore but requires a good sense of conditions to navigate. Galtiberg- the biggest of the Big 5! At 6,500 vertical from top to bottom, it gives a whole new meaning to big lines. One of the biggest lift served runs in the world that demands respect before heading out.

TOP 5 REASONS TO SKI JAPAN
PUBLISHED BY • LGA BLOG | WORDS & PHOTOS • Jeff Robertson

Have you been dreaming of that deep Japanese powder?

If you have a crew of friends that search for new adventures, or are in search of a solo mission, this is the winter to enjoy the epic powder Japan is known for. Every year Japan is our go to destination for those that want to ski the best snow of their lives and for less than a heli-ski trip in Alaska!  Our ski trips to Japan are our favorite and with over 20 years of guiding experience, our team will show you the goods.

Here are our Top 5 Reasons to Ski Japan this winter:

Japow Snow!

Yes, the rumors and stories are true! You have seen the photos and videos, you’ve heard the legendary tales of bottomless Japanese powder or aka JaPow, and it’s all true. Last year was a low season by Japan standards (most places would be stoked to receive this much snowfall!) but our Japan ski tour guests were constantly raving day after day saying, “that was the best snow I’ve ever skied” or “that was the best ski day of my life.”

Our guests and guides got treated to some incredibly deep days and for some of our seasoned guides they were reporting top 5 ever ski days. Our team and guests had one day at an undisclosed location (we keep some stashes secret!) were over 3 feet of fresh powder had fallen overnight on top of another 18+” inches from the night before, and it was time for the snorkel! Our groups last year only saw the sun a couple of days as it was constantly snowing.

The snow is light, it snows consistently due to the storm patterns, the terrain is vast, and if you ski with the right guides, it will be untouched nirvana.  On top of being one of the most consistent places for deep powder, the weather forecasters are predicting Japan could have one of its biggest ski seasons in years due to ocean temps. It’s time to book a flight and join one of our LGA guided Japan ski trips!

Japan Backcountry & Resorts

The backcountry skiing in Japan is filled with a lifetime of deep powder turns to explore. On Honshu and Hokkaido, there are many mountains to do ski tours through. There are over 500 ski resorts in Japan (there were 1200 at one time!) ranging from modern facilities like Niseko to ski resorts with 2 lifts that access you to a powder skier’s heaven.

Our LGA Japan Ski Tours visit roughly 6 to 8 different resorts per trip so every guests gets to explore new locations on a daily basis. We also have access to Heli skiing in Japan and Snowcat skiing if the groups want to add-on this experience. Given the frequency of the snow storms, our guides will do their best to add in a day of ski touring if the conditions permit.

We leave our trips open and flexible to optimize the experience. Each day our guides will take you to the best snow, find the deepest snow, and access areas of untouched powder. Numerous side/backcountry options at each of our locations offer guests the chance to explore the other side of each resort. Most ski days start before 8 am and end around 4pm or as long as your legs can make it!

With so much to explore, its time to book your next Japan ski trip.

Japanese Culture

Bottom line, it’s a place everyone needs to visit as the culture is one of the best we have experienced. The culture is represented in a wide range of unique artifacts and the fascinating history of Japan.  The Japanese people are incredibly respectful, very kind, are punctual and timely in all aspects of life or work.

Japan is a very safe place to travel as the laws are rarely broken, the cities and ski resorts are well maintained, and like Switzerland trains or planes never arrive late.  The culture is so unique that you can buy just about anything you want from vending machines which are located everywhere you turn.  For around a couple of US dollars, you can get snacks, hot/cold coffee, beer, and more from the thousands of vending machines in the country. Many of our guests love to try the Sake but no trip to Japan is complete without trying the Japanese whiskey as they are starting to get pretty good at it.

Plan Your Ski Trip To Japan!

This is a perfect opportunity to enjoy everything that Japan has to offer and the endless powder on one of our 10-day Japan Ski trips. Our team takes all the planning and stress out of your trip by including airport transfers, all accommodations at our partner hotels where we can pass on the savings to you, all lift tickets, 2 LGA Guides, all ski/resort transportation, all breakfast, 2 group dinners, and trips to local onsens.

Our guides have over 20 yrs experience guiding through Japan and we know the best spots. We also have access to areas that many other do not so you won’t be skiing over other people’s tracks. Our guides love skiing powder and have spent countless hours dialing both inbound and the out-of-bounds terrain.

Hopefully, the decision will be easy – as airfare prices are at some of the lowest in years. It’s great to enjoy the winter at your home resort or maybe take a ski trip out west with your friends, but there is always that one trip every year that you will remember. Most of these trips come from skiing deep snow and exploring new areas that you may not have heard of before or finally going to that far off destination that you have seen countless videos and pictures of deep blower powder from.

Don’t wait another year, grab your friends, pack your skis, as our Le Grand Adventure Tours Japan ski trip is calling! 

Engelberg History

The history of Engelberg dates back to the early 1100’s when a member of the Swiss aristocracy, Blessed Konrad, Count of Sellenbüeren, was lead to the valley with his Ox looking to lay his roots for a divine passage to Heaven by building a monastery. This monastery eventually became the Engelberg Abbey that one can still visit to this today. Upon arrival to the valley, he noticed a group of Cherubs on the summit of Hanen Mountain and happily named the area “Angels Mountain” which would eventually become “Engelberg”.

The Trubsee area had been used before this time for its resources but the birth of a new mountain village was born. Over the next few hundred years, Engelberg would be known through the country for the educational quality at the Benedictine monastery and as a major trade destination. In roughly 1850, the area became an international vacation resort. The healing properties of the fresh clean air, the altitude, and mineral springs quickly grew as a hotspot for Swiss and British tourist alike.

As Engelberg competed with the likes of St Moritz, Davos, and St Anton for a top winter destination, the area took its own path. Families like Hess, Odermatt, and Cattani where pioneers of tourism building some of the well known hotels that still stand in the valley- the Hotel Titlis and the Hotel Trubsee for mountaineers.

Around the late 1880’s the first hydroelectric plant was built bringing power to the famed resort well before Zurich. Shortly after, the longest running electric railway in the world was developed which marked another milestone for this small quiet mountain town. Generations later, one of the Hess family members built the first licensed aerial cableway in Switzerland, which spanned from Gerschnialp to Trübsee. The tramway continued to carry skiers until 1984. Truly incredible feats that not many resorts can match.

SKIING THE SWISS ANGEL-ENGELBERG, SWITZERLAND
PUBLISHED BY • LGA BLOG | WORDS & PHOTOS • Jeff Robertson

Over the last 16 years of traveling to the Alps for ski trips, there has only been a couple of places that have really stood out to me. Each resort has its own unique character, culture, and history but certain locations just have something special that you can feel as soon as you pull into the valley. La Grave, Chamonix, St Anton, the Dolomites and for me Engelberg.

I remember the very first time I arrived in Engelberg and the feeling that overcame my senses. The beauty, power and pristine mountains such as Hanen, the Gross Spannort and Titlis Mountains were incredibly captivating. You could feel the buzz of energy in town from the skiers who just came down off the mountain after an exhilarating powder day. The smiles, high fives and the overwhelming sense of joy that only a powder skier knows. All I could do was stare up at the infamous Laub with awe and daydream of what tomorrow would bring. Gazing upon the 4,000’ foot descent gleaming with fresh powder, one has to think is this real? Yes, it is. After visiting Engelberg for the last 5 years, I am still overcome with this feeling every time I arrive in the valley by train.

Engelberg History

The history of Engelberg dates back to the early 1100’s when a member of the Swiss aristocracy, Blessed Konrad, Count of Sellenbüeren, was lead to the valley with his Ox looking to lay his roots for a divine passage to Heaven by building a monastery. This monastery eventually became the Engelberg Abbey that one can still visit to this today. Upon arrival to the valley, he noticed a group of Cherubs on the summit of Hanen Mountain and happily named the area “Angels Mountain” which would eventually become “Engelberg”.

The Trubsee area had been used before this time for its resources but the birth of a new mountain village was born. Over the next few hundred years, Engelberg would be known through the country for the educational quality at the Benedictine monastery and as a major trade destination. In roughly 1850, the area became an international vacation resort. The healing properties of the fresh clean air, the altitude, and mineral springs quickly grew as a hotspot for Swiss and British tourist alike.

As Engelberg competed with the likes of St Moritz, Davos, and St Anton for a top winter destination, the area took its own path. Families like Hess, Odermatt, and Cattani where pioneers of tourism building some of the well known hotels that still stand in the valley- the Hotel Titlis and the Hotel Trubsee for mountaineers.

Around the late 1880’s the first hydroelectric plant was built bringing power to the famed resort well before Zurich. Shortly after, the longest running electric railway in the world was developed which marked another milestone for this small quiet mountain town. Generations later, one of the Hess family members built the first licensed aerial cableway in Switzerland, which spanned from Gerschnialp to Trübsee. The tramway continued to carry skiers until 1984. Truly incredible feats that not many resorts can match.