Q.When is the best time to come Furano?
A.
The winter season runs from December through to the end of April. Typically, the powder season is December, January and February. March offers a mix of powder and corn and April and May are the Spring corn months.
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Q. How is Hokkaido and Furano accessed?
A.
Hokkaido can be accessed via the two main airports of Chitose International Airport or
Asahikawa Airport. There are direct flights from Hong Kong, Soul and Tai Pei to
Chitose. If you are unable to take a direct flight, a good alternative is to fly in to Osaka or Nagoya
and take a domestic flight to Asahikawa. If you fly in to Tokyo you will need to transfer to the
domestic airport which takes 1 hour and 15 minutes. For domestic flights in to Chitose and Asahikawa Airports we recommend Japan Airlines and ANA.
http://www.jal.co.jp/en/
http://www.ana.co.jp/eng/index.html
Bus services from Chitose Airport to Furano
From December to April two companies, Good Sports and Hokkaido Resort Liner operate a direct
shuttle bus service from New Chitose Airport to Furano. This 3-hour- service must be booked
in advance. Please be aware that the time schedule may be affected by bad weather.
Good Sports Shuttle Bus
http://goodsports.co.jp/eng/index.html
Hokkaido Resort Liner
http://www.furano-kankou.com/english/hyperlinks/access-shuttle-bus.htm
Bus services from Asahikawa Airport to Furano
'Lavender Go' buses take approximately an hour and a half in winter from Asahikawa Airport to
Furano. This hourly service is provided from 10.00am~7.00pm. The times are not related to the
flight schedule so please check the time table carefully.
http://www.furano-kankou.com/english/hyperlinks/access-Lavender-bus.htm
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Q. What is off-piste skiing and snowboarding?
A.
Off-piste skiing involves skiing in areas at a resort which are outside of the groomed runs.
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Q. What is backcountry skiing and snowboarding?
A.
Backcountry skiing and snowboarding usually involves riding well away from the ski resorts and hiking for turns. This is the purest form of skiing which is accompanied by a sense of achievement and involves skiing in the wilderness away from crowds and noisy ski resorts. Backcountry skiers and riders often value quality over quantity of turns.
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Q. What equipment is needed for the backcountry?
A.
Standard downhill skis, boots and bindings are fine for beginners. Once you start venturing further away from resort boundaries you might want to invest in more specialized equipment such as fatter skis, ski touring boots and alpine-touring bindings. Snowboarders will need snowshoes and collapsible poles.
Skiing and riding in these areas means being in terrain which isn't avalanche controlled so a transceiver, shovel and probe are essential.
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Q. Do you mix skiers and snowboarders together in the groups?
A.
Yes. There are even telemarkers who join in. Everyone is welcome and we don't discriminate by what you ride down on. We do like to grade our trips in terms of fitness, ability and experience so that everyone moves at about the same pace, both up and down the mountain.
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Q. What level of skier or rider do I need to be to go off-piste or backcountry?
A.
Generally an intermediate level where you can link parallel turns down an intermediate run. Sometimes the snow can vary, but given that you have this level of ability you will still have an enjoyable ride down.
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Q. How large are your groups?
A.
Our group numbers are anything between three to eight people. The maximum ratio for off-piste or backcountry trips is 1:6, guide to clients, or 1:8 on avalanche courses.
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Q. Do you mix ability levels in the groups?
A.
No. We do the best that we can to ensure that the members in each group are the same or about the same ability level. Please refer to our ability chart.
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Q. Do itineraries change from the schedule?
A.
Yes, sometimes. The website itineraries are sample itineraries and might be subject to change due to weather circumstances.
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Q. Do you organize private trips?
A.
Yes, we realize that what we offer might not suit your needs perfectly. Please contact us and tell us what you would like to do and we will work on a sample itinerary.
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Q. Can I join a tour by myself?
A.
Yes. We do require a minimum of three people for our day tours and four people for our weekly and three day trips, so given we have suitable numbers it is not a problem.
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Q. Do all the trips involve hiking?
A.
No. We like getting lift accessed powder just as much as you and our off-piste trips cater to this.
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