Shinsetsu Mountain Guides
Ski Patrol Back Country Awareness Week
Take your skiing to the next level and have the tools and confidence to do so. This is a
fast moving, on snow, practical course designed for the advanced to professional
skier.
Throughout the week you will gain valuable skills in avalanche awareness, navigation,
back country safety, advanced patient evaluation and first aid.
We provide intense ski training with top instructors and use video as a teaching tool to see exactly how you are skiing. The course is module based which can be customized for all standards of skills. Mix this together with the famous Niseko powder and Japanese culture and this will be a week to remember.
Course Itinerary
Arrival Day.
When you arrive at Niseko you will be greeted by your guides who will assist you with ski hire and transfers to accommodation.
A short meeting will be held to talk about the week ahead and show an avalanche awareness video followed by dinner and drinks.
Day 1 Niseko Ski Ground
This day starts with a introduction to, and demonstration of, the avalanche safety equipment we will be using during the week.
Ski time - what you have been waiting for. This is a full day of intense ski training concentrating on powder technique and control to get you ready for Niseko’s back country. Time will be set aside for beacon search training to give those legs a rest. Late afternoon we are off to the Onsen to relax, ready for the next day.
Day 2 Niseko Ski Day
With an early start for first lifts we will head straight to Niseko’s famous back country.
Today’s instruction will cover.
o Avalanche awareness and route selection.
o Probing and shoveling technique
o Powder skiing in deep snow & steep terrain
o Patient management in the back country
o Afternoon video review on your skiing
Day 3 Rusutsu Ski Day
Rusutsu resort is renowned for it’s endless groomed trails and untracked tree skiing. With a scenic 45min road trip through the surrounding countryside you have time to relax before the days’ instruction & training starts. Today we cover
o Tree skiing in variable snow
o Carving and edge control on groomed slopes
o High impact trauma scenario
o Afternoon video review on skiing
Day 3 Kiroro and Otaru Skiing & Sight Seeing Day
Kiroro is Shinsetsu Guides’ secret powder haven and it is all ours, with no westerners in sight. There are fresh tracks all day. This day is set aside as a relaxed ski day with an afternoon sight seeing trip to Otaru. Otaru is an historic seaport with loads of gift shops, markets and restaurants. It will give you a taste of the Japanese culture and its amazing food. Did I mention the chocolate! There is something for everyone.
Day 4 Niseko Ski Day
Back to Niseko. This will primarily be a filming day, to make sure we have enough good ski footage to produce your DVD.
Don’t be disappointed there will be some training provided.
o Snow pack analysis, structure and stability
o Avalanche rescue and scene management
o Multiple burial searches and retrievals
Day 5 Niseko Graduation Day
This is the day when it all comes together and we are off to Niseko’s famous back bowl for the steep and deep. It is here you get to show your guide what you are made of (or we get to put into practice a real back country rescue). This is a full day of skiing hard with the guide pushing your limits with 3 climbs to the peak. With weather permitting we will ski off the back side of Niseko to finish with a well deserved onsen followed by the graduation dinner and presentation night.
Cost Week course $500 per person, minimum group size of 5 people.
For bookings contact smguides@gmail.com
