Whiteroom Furano Guiding, Lessons & Backcountry Rental — Local services in Furano

Outstanding, from initial query to the end of the tour.

I recently returned from the February 2020 Whiteroom Hokkaido Backcountry tour, a fantastic nine days and nights exploring the no-lift backcountry of Furano and Niseko. But to back up a bit and mention the pre-trip customer service…

I first started planning to join this tour about nine months ago, and am accustomed to hunting down and organising all my own flights, transfers, etc. myself, as I’m pretty picky about departure, arrival, and layover times. However, Emily offered to see if she could get me a better deal on my chosen flight, and she could, saving me a few hundred dollars. As I was arriving a week before the tour started, and staying on to ski another week after it ended, Emily then rearranged my (Whiteroom tour included) transfers, and changed the drop-offs from the locations I’d asked for, to ones that were much nearer my accommodation. When I had trouble finding the kind of pre-and-post tour accommodation I was after (again, I’m a bit picky, wanting the rough equivalent of a private room in a YHA, a set-up that isn’t that common or easy to find in Furano and Niseko), I asked Emily if he knew of any places that met my multiple criteria. She quickly sent me links to two options, neither of which are associated with Whiteroom (so it’s not like they were making any money from the referral). Both of them looked perfect on paper, then more than lived up to my expectations on arrival – they were exactly what I wanted. Finally, when the tour was due to start, we required a last-minute change of accommodation, due to the planned hotel being overbooked – so we were put up in a brand new, five star boutique hotel in a much better location, at no extra cost.

In summary, Whiteroom and Emily’s pre-trip customer service was outstanding in terms of the actual arranging of logistics, as well as always being prompt, friendly, and thorough.

As for the tour itself, again, it really exceeded expectations. We skied every day, and even when the conditions were cr*p (like for Mt. Yotei and Shiribetsu), it was still an adventurous day out. Our guides (Zach Husted for Furano and surrounds, Pete Biskind for Niseko and surrounds) were always psyched to be out there, and it was clear that their highest priority each day was that we get in as much safe and fun skiing as we felt like. They aslo worked hard to ensure we got a little bit of culture with the powder turns, taking us to the Goto Sumio gallery outside Furano, a different onsen every day, and, on our transfer day from Furano to Niseko, we stopped in Sapporo to explore the last day of the famous Sapporo Snow Festival, dropped by the historic ramen alley for a great dinner, and finally some retail therapy, buying some fancy kitchen knives in at the renowned Miyubun edged tool store. And all of this after a bluebird morning skiing around Minami Furano. The next day was the start of the Niseko leg of the trip, and the adventurous skiing, post-ski onsens, and great dinners continued, with accommodation at the super-friendly and relaxed pension Full Note. Finally, the trip culminated in a lovely family-style okonomiyaki dinner, shared with another Whiteroom tour group, before we all went our separate ways the next morning.

If you’re like ‘TL;DR’ for the above, here are the key takeaways – outstanding customer service at all points of interaction, with all organisational staff (Emily in particular, but also Yuko and Jasmine in Furano), from initial enquiry to post-trip follow-up; great, or if not great, adventurous skiing every day; some relaxed cultural experiences; guides focussed on safety and fun, in that order; and excellent accommodation.

I understand why the majority of Whiteroom tour members are repeat clients – I will be too. Thanks, Whiteroom, for an outstanding...

Our recent ski adventure with Whiteroom left us with mixed feelings. While the on-mountain experience guided by their skilled professionals was exceptional, the company's organizational shortcomings and post-payment service left much to be desired.

Positively, the ski guides employed by Whiteroom are undoubtedly top-notch. Being a group of experienced skiers their expertise on the slopes is evident from the moment you set foot on the mountain. The user experience would 100% suffer if they were unable to maintain the level of guides they currently have.

The Whiteroom post-payment service drops off significantly and doesn't pick up. Promises are made during booking which are left unfulfilled. We felt Whiteroom's failure to follow through on promises reflects poorly on their commitment to customer satisfaction and we couldn't ignore Whiteroom's eagerness to charge additional fees.

In conclusion, while Whiteroom's ski guides were undeniably exceptional, the company's organizational shortcomings and eagerness to nickel and dime their customers tarnished the overall experience. Moving forward, we would look to support a more responsible employer who prioritizes both guest satisfaction and the well-being of...

Whiteroom in Furano, Japan was amazing. To be clear, I didn't actually utilize their guiding services, but they did help me out of a sticky situation. I was in Furano for a skiing vacation and cracked the tongue on my Full Tilt boots (see picture in review). The tongue provides all the flex in these boots and without the tongue, my skiing would be over prematurely. After some time, I was connected to Max (@maxholt) at Whiteroom Furano to see if he might have a solution. He is amazing! He was able to bolt a metal plate over the crack so the tongue would at least flex symmetrically and keep the crack from propagating across the entire tongue. The fix lasted up till my last day skiing in Japan when the metal plate finally gave out. Max is incredibly nice and was able to help me out quickly! The rest of the Whiteroom staff in Furano was very nice as well as I had gone in a few times. Even though I did not ski with Whiteroom, without them and Max, I would not have been skiing at all. Cheers Max and thank you for making sure I was able to ski on one of my all-time days ever of skiing (see pictures in the review). You all are amazing...