Kamui Ski Links — Attraction in Asahikawa

After skiing in Niseko, Rusutsu, the 3 club meds, Furano. I find this is the best hidden gem among all the ski fields in Hokkaido. Ever since covid, all the resorts in Hokkaido had jacked up their prices. Rusutsu day pass now is over 10000 yen. Not only the lift tickets has raised its price, but also the price of resort food courts. A 30% increase to around 100% is not all that uncommon for a normal ramen or a curry rice. We went to Kamui on 2 separate days, we head to lunch at 12 and we didn’t have to wait for a table. You can still find a 900 yen ramen and a few simple items under 1000 yen. The pizza pasta place on top of the gondola is even emptier, maybe due to its relatively pricy menus. Kamui is a medium size mountain in Japan’s standard. It’s a bit north, so it’s colder and has the same great Hokkaido snow more similar to Furano. The mountain is not super high but it’s very wide. There are multiple green routes you can come down on the main side of Kamui. There are many options for beginners to practice on their own accords. Then there is the backside mountain, a mountain with only reds and blacks. With most tree area considered as in bound, it’s a huge playground for those who wants to challenge themselves. And it’s quiet, I found untouched snow area 2 days after a dump. And best of all, it’s not windy. Lift pass for a family of 4(2A and 2 kids), is around 12000yen, a day pass for Rusutsu/Niseko is roughly 10000 yen. The resort itself doesn’t have any ski in ski out hotel. If you want to stay around the area it’s probably best to stay in Asahikawa,which is a big city. We stayed in Furano and drove 1 hour each way. The drive itself was quite nice, we went thru a few towns and there were many convenient stores on the way for snacks and toilet breaks. Kamui ski links has far exceeded my expectations, make sure you check it out if you are in mid Hokkaido. I will definitely plan my trip around...

Recently enjoyed a lovely day of skiing and riding with a friend at Kamui Ski Links north of Sapporo. Kamui is a chill (mellow) Hokkaido resort with a 4-person gondola that whisks you to the summit in about 10 minutes. There are several chair lifts, including old school fixed grip lifts with jazz music playing from bullhorn-style speakers on one lift. I don’t love amplified music in such a lovely setting, even though I’m a jazz fan. Several gates offer access to side-country and backcountry runs that would best be enjoyed with a guide and full avalanche kits. The snow was excellent, fun tree skiing and fine views from the summit lodge (which closes early for food and beverage service, but you can access to warm up and use vending machines). The base lodge has a complete offering of hearty Japanese lunches, ordered via kiosk and then picked up at counter. Modest onsite sport shop offers rentals and a few merch items, though limited selection. The staff and service teams were friendly and efficient. We rented a car for the day trip to Kamui and another nearby resort the next day, though apparently there are ski buses from Asahikawa. Great spot for families and getting away from the gaijin mob scene that is Niseko. I look forward to my next visit with family in...

Skied here as a day trip from Furano. We had a rental car with english GPS that directed us right here. This ski hill is much smaller than many we had skied at previously, but that meant no crowds, even after it had snowed 30+cm the night before. We were skiing right on to the lift with no lines. The laps are short, but you can still find some steep pitches to make it worth while. and what you lack in vertical meters you make up for in the number of runs you can do before lunch. The ticket office also has a 5 hour pass you can get for the morning, as many Japanese resorts have, to save some bucks and just snag all the powder until you legs are pooched and head in for a late lunch. The Drive from Furano was about 1.25 hours with moderately compact snow covered roads.

If it snows a bunch and you want to get away from the crows this...