 Poster: A snowHead
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Part 1: Ski Days 1-3 (6-8 Feb). Written on 8.2.23.
Greetings from very snowy Hokkaido. Three ski days into our trip, the skiing and conditions can be described in one word - Japow!! 
We're based in a very comfortable lodge in the wilderness, near Kiroro ski area. Great company too in a very small group of five. Me, Mrs MA, a young lad from Lancashire and two chaps of my sort of age (ie more mature) from Norfolk. We can't speak highly enough of our Japanese ski guide and driver. A smashing bloke, who's been happy to drive us to the supermarket (so that we can cater in) or to nearby towns to try restaurants there. He's been a godsend when it comes to the menus, as we'd have struggled at times. One tiny place we went to only had Japanese menus and no one spoke English, but other places have had menus with photos of the food. Very helpful, although one night our crispy chicken starter ended up as 'chicken cartilage.' It was as lovely (and as chewy) as it sounds...We've had some nice stuff too - katsu curry, teriyaki chicken and an omelette served on top of rice. Oh! And fish and chips (which turned to be cod) on a trip out to the Sapporo Snow Festival.
Now, onto the skiing. The snow conditions and powder are beyond anything we've ever experienced. Absolutely out of this world. There's mountains of snow everywhere and it's snowed quite a bit since we arrived. We've had some sunny spells too, so it's been just amazing. We've had waist deep smoky-cold powder galore and lots of face shots. A great mix of trees, glades, mellow and steep - it's just been incredible. We've both said we've been skiing down and thought to ourselves that 'This is just absolutely mental!'
Pics are from Sapporo Kokosai and Kiroro, plus Sapporo Snow Festival.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Mon 20-02-23 15:46; edited 2 times in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Part 2: Ski Day 4 (9 Feb)
Awful news  Mrs MA suffered a hairline fracture of her tibia on the afternoon of our fourth ski day. Up until then, we'd had the most amazing day yet, skiing the deepest (chest deep) powder we've ever encountered. Absolutely incredible.
Mrs MA then fell, in what looked like an innocuous incident, in the deep powder. It was anything but innocuous and our group and guide soon realised it was serious. Both skis remained on and she was in agony. What followed was the most harrowing of afternoons. We were skiing one of the recognised off piste areas of Kiroro ski resort (which we'd entered through an open gate). (EDIT: Apologies. My mistake - it was Sapporo Kokosai and not Kiroro.) However, after our guide went for help, and to our astonishment and horror, the ski patrol refused to assist as we were off piste. Our guide was certain that off piste rescue should be covered, but it was not to be. The only option was to call mountain rescue, who needed to come from miles away and couldn't provide an arrival time.
By this point, Mrs MA had been injured for an hour and our group was getting increasingly concerned and cold. It was -11C, after 3pm, with no rescue in sight. The two guides decided, with Mrs MA's agreement, that we would all try and get her to the piste. Fortunately, a member of another group that was skiing with the same company as us had some strong painkillers, which worked a treat. So, with one ski on the uninjured leg, and supported each side by a guide, began Mrs MA's painfully slow traverse through the woods in the direction of the piste. I and two others went just ahead to flatten a three-person-wide trail in the ridiculously deep powder. It was absolutely exhausting for the trail breakers (I had a down jacket under my ski jacket and it was wet through) - but must've been even harder for the two supporting Mrs MA. I just kept thinking we've got to keep going and ploughed on with the snow flattening. It needed stamping down on every step.
It took us about 1.5hrs to cover 4-500m towards the piste, which wasn't in sight until we got very close to it. The mountain rescue team (all 13 of them) finally arrived as we were about 150m from the piste. Incredibly, they were on snow shoes, not skis, so would need to walk to the piste, pulling Mrs MA on a flimsy-looking plastic mat that they had unfurled and strapped her onto. Getting her loaded on to that took an absolute age.
Things then took another twist. On reaching the piste, the mountain rescue team stopped. They were waiting to transfer the patient to the regular piste patrol, who were happy (now that she was on piste) to pull her down the mountain on skis, with her in the normal bloodwagon sledge. Meanwhile, our group had been asked to leave them all to it and ski down to the base station.
Mrs MA finally reached the waiting ambulance at about 5pm - over three hours after she'd been injured. What next? It turns out that absolutely anything at all makes the TV news over here - a reporter and cameraman duly arrived and filmed Mrs MA being loaded into the ambulance.
It was then a 75 min drive to the hospital in Sapporo, where she was assessed, X-rayed and diagnosed in an hour. Given the hairline nature of the fracture, Mrs MA is not in plaster but is wearing a very rigid leg brace. The doctor said the injury could be better in only a few weeks (fingers crossed for that).
Without going into all the detail, we then spent a further 3 hours at the hospital, sorting paperwork and payment via an interpreter. It was an absolute nightmare. The Japanese are very much into drawn out procedures, with staff case conferences of minutes at a time when I asked the most basic question.
We then ended up paying about £100 for a 60km taxi ride back to our accommodation. We arrived at midnight and had had nothing to eat or drink since Mrs MA's injury at 2pm. Have to say, I hadn't even thought about that. The day from Hell indeed.
We're meant to be here another week but I'm looking at the possibility of going home as soon as possible. I could still ski but Mrs MA would be just stuck in a Sapporo hotel room, immobilised, for a week (as we're moving there tomorrow for part two of the trip) and, at present, I feel like my heart's just not in it. We booked flexible tickets with Lufthansa (because of covid) so I'm in the process of checking what's what and looking at options. The key point seems to be whether we can just turn up as normal at the airport and board, or whether some form of medical certificate may be required by the airline. Then there are the issues of extra leg room and sorting a wheelchair at the airport. However, our initial flight is with ANA, who are impossible to contact by telephone. I tried unsuccessfully to contact them for three months before our trip (to book a ski bag)...
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Sat 11-02-23 0:41; edited 1 time in total
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Bloody hell, it all started so well. Sorry to hear about day4. Hope Mrs MA gets better soon. If she is mobile can’t you stay a couple of days in Otaru/Sapporo? For sightseeing, visit?
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@mountainaddict, omg, what a horrific ordeal! And so different from what you expect from rescue in Europe. I‘m so sorry to hear that your trip to Japan has turned out like this. I hope that Mrs MA soon recovers from her injury and you both also from the trauma.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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oh man....sorry and get better soon.
Hairline Fracture are the tiny bones at the feet?
I suffered from that during my military service. Yes it will be better in a few weeks...But Mrs Ma hat to pay attention and use the foot as less as possible (at least that told me the doc at this time)
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@mountainaddict, balls!!! I'm really sorry to hear that, such a shame. I hope the missus heals up soon and strong.
Japan is such a great place in so many ways, it always seems so efficient. I'm surprised that the rescue scenario was so complicated.
Such a shame that the accident has cut short such a good trip - remember the good bits too and book up for next year to chase away the demons......
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@mountainaddict, oh no, so sorry to hear about your OH, and your day from hell. Best wishes for a speedy recovery. It sounded like you were having a fantastic time up until then.
Is there anything interesting you can both do without needing to walk anywhere? Such as tick off some more local food?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@mountainaddict, Really sorry to hear about this you had been so excited about your holiday. Apologies if you have already done this but contact your insurance company and the airline. I am suggesting this as Mrs M is going to need more room and may need to get upgraded to first class, when we returned from Japan there were a couple of people who obviously had leg injuries in first class who had possibly been upgraded. If it isn't possible to get an earlier flight home check with the hotel you are staying at if it's possible to borrow or hire a wheelchair so you can go out and about.
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@mountainaddict, It sounds horrible what happened to your wife, 5 hours with a fracture in the cold. I hope she gets well soon. My reccolection of Niseko a few weeks ago was that at the off piste gates there were warning signs about rescue including a price to be paid for being recscued from there (it was quite a lot IIRC). I am shocked that the piste patrol could not supply first aid, pain killers and very warm clothing even if they could not in act carry out the rescue.
Though I think I saw public available wheelchairs at Shin-Chitose airport I think long conversations with your insurance company will help sort out the repatriation.
Good luck
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@mountainaddict, very sorry to hear about your experience and hope you are able to get home soon.
We were skiing one of the recognised off piste areas of Kiroro ski resort (which we'd entered through an open gate). However, after our guide went for help, and to our astonishment and horror, the ski patrol refused to assist as we were off piste. Our guide was certain that off piste rescue should be covered, but it was not to be. The only option was to call mountain rescue, who needed to come from miles away and couldn't provide an arrival time.
IMO sounds like your guide is negligent not knowing the rescue protocol in the terrain in which he was leading you. Although IMO it’s very poor form that the ski patrol would not help in such a situation.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Cripes - get well/home soon.
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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That is a proper horror story... Just goes to show how seemingly minor incident can turn serious fast.
3 comments:
1) sounds like you have been unfortunate victim of local politics
2) many of the 'guides' in Japan will be much lower qualified than UIAGM (european guide) or even a ski instructor
3) For various historical reasons many resorts in Japan don't promote / actively ban off piste skiing.
My advice : rest up and make most of your time there. Would be a shame to leave early having travelled half way round world. Japan still an incredible cultural experience (even when injured).
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Fri 10-02-23 16:06; edited 1 time in total
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@mountainaddict, I've just been reading that out to the OH what a horror story.
We both had serious injuries on our second trip to Japan but luckily we were walking / skiing wounded and managed to ski out of the area and back to base. And after two days rest we were back skiing, me with a broken knee I kid thee all not!
I never really vented my spleen on here about how feckin incompetent the so called guide was that we had.
Off the mountain he was very good, similar to yours by the sounds of things, but he was Eastern European and his Mountain craft skills were very questionable, on more than a couple of occasions I broke trail and led the way as he was on snow shoes and a snowboard and just did not have a clue!!!
It was always our worry as to what would happen if something went wrong, and many of the so-called guides are no more than good old-fashioned ski-bums, and there does seem to be a degree of seniority with the better companies getting the best and most experienced ones, that said our company was quite a good one, and I'll finally name and shame them later!
On our first trip, we sorted some guides independently and we struck gold with only one of two UIAGM guides recognised in Japan, and we ski-toured the lower slopes of Yoti with him, and going up we asked him about what would happen and he basically said it would be up to him to sort it out as chances of a heli are few and far between!!
On another day was with a young Canadian who was still hoping to get qualified and was meticulously keeping a schedule of his work to fulfil that process and as we were touring I asked about the ribbons in the trees I kept seeing and he kept taking down, and transpired that they were trail markers for the new guides taking clients out!!!
So we tried to do the right thing and that sort of backfired on our second trip, and I've always said if I do it again I'll go with some of the guides I know, and they all employ local guides, but it costs a lot more, but they take you way off the beaten track.
So it is a case of chance it would seem as many on here have skied Japan without too many issues, but my OH and I really feel for @mountainaddict and more importantly his Mrs.
Now I'll have to dig out the name of that company I'd like to forget, just that we did have a good trip and great memories but this horror story confirms my concerns at the very real ineptitude of so-called guides and how it would seem that it's a bit of a lottery, and far worse if like us you were just ski touring!
But then in resort off-piste through the gates sounds like an even bigger lottery.
Sherpas Ride is the company, feckers !
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I think most of us would assume a local Japanese guide who is also a ski patroller would know the situation with rescue. Like @Haggis_Trap, I wonder if there was an element of getting caught in the middle of local politics.
Here it indicates that off-piste rescue is chargeable, not that it won‘t take place.
https://www.kiroro.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Yakkan_TrailMap_20221006.pdf
It would be interesting to know if @Mike Pow has any insight on the situation.
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Thats crap.
Know how you feel about your heart not being in it.
My other half landed hard on elbow on her very first turn of the 1st day.
Seem to have had similar trips. Hours to/from the hospital. No food, etc. I also asked about cutting short the trip, but she said she wanted to stay.
Luckily our insurance have paid promptly. Claim went in on Monday & in my bank yesterday!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Agree with those who have suggest you throw repatriation responsibility onto your insurance company. If you do too much yourself they can, if they so wish, wash their hands of it. And they might provide informed, sympathetic, support and make arrangements to help you relax after such an awful ordeal.
I can quite understand why you just want to get home as soon as possible.
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| Gämsbock wrote: |
I think most of us would assume a local Japanese guide who is also a ski patroller would know the situation with rescue. Like @Haggis_Trap, I wonder if there was an element of getting caught in the middle of local politics.
Here it indicates that off-piste rescue is chargeable, not that it won‘t take place.
https://www.kiroro.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Yakkan_TrailMap_20221006.pdf
It would be interesting to know if @Mike Pow has any insight on the situation. |
Very sorry to read that about Mrs MA
Rest up and get well soon
Was the blue helicopter buzzing round part of your 'rescue'? Spotting where you were?
There's a very big difference between skiing off-piste within the resort area boundaries and skiing off-piste outside of the resort area boundaries through access gates
Getting injured doing the former, the resort ski patrol will perform the rescue
Getting injured doing the latter, then once informed they (the resort / ski patrol) will call mountain rescue who will perform the rescue
If the injury is suitably severe and there is open terrain, then a helicopter will be dispatched to aid in the recovery of the injured person - this happened on the recent avalanche death on Mt Yotei
Otherwise, the team from mountain rescue will walk in and bring the injured person back in to the resort
From there, ski patrol will take over
This is standard protocol, not the 'local politics' comment made earlier
The Japanese are not big pain relief dispensers. That is standard protocol too
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| Quote: |
Was the blue helicopter buzzing round part of your 'rescue'? Spotting where you were?
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We saw no sign of it @Mike Pow.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| mountainaddict wrote: |
| Quote: |
Was the blue helicopter buzzing round part of your 'rescue'? Spotting where you were?
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We saw no sign of it @Mike Pow. |
It was flying quite low over the area accessed by the gate from the gondola
Where did Mrs MA get injured?
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Hi @Mike Pow. You may not have spotted that I edited my original post to show that the accident happened at Sapporo Kokosai and not at Kiroro, as I originally stated.
We'd skied two days at each and I mixed them up  Apologies for any confusion.
Was the chopper at Kiroro?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| mountainaddict wrote: |
Hi @Mike Pow. You may not have spotted that I edited my original post to show that the accident happened at Sapporo Kokosai and not at Kiroro, as I originally stated.
We'd skied two days at each and I mixed them up Apologies for any confusion.
Was the chopper at Kiroro? |
I hadn't spotted that
Yes, around 3pm yesterday (10th)
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Cheers MP 
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@Mike Pow, thanks for coming and sharing your knowledge about the rescue situation.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Gämsbock wrote: |
| @Mike Pow, thanks for coming and sharing your knowledge about the rescue situation. |
My pleasure
It's one of the trickier things to decide upon
The out of resort terrain is right there, with entry back in to resort fairly straightforward
But the implications of getting injured / breaking or losing equipment makes it a world away
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Mike Pow wrote: |
| Gämsbock wrote: |
| @Mike Pow, thanks for coming and sharing your knowledge about the rescue situation. |
My pleasure
It's one of the trickier things to decide upon
The out of resort terrain is right there, with entry back in to resort fairly straightforward
But the implications of getting injured / breaking or losing equipment makes it a world away |
That is something of an understatement! 
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Mike Pow wrote: |
.....The out of resort terrain is right there, with entry back in to resort fairly straightforward
But the implications of getting injured / breaking or losing equipment makes it a world away |
Think the above statement might well make a few SH's re-evaluate Japan as a choice, I certainly was unaware of the frailties of rescue provision, but there again that's something that often is superseded by the prospect of great skiing, and one just does not think about the "what if" ??
@Mike Pow, can't recall whether it was Kokusai or Nito but when ski-touring / slack-country there were a lot of snow-mobiles about when we up there which was a tad depressing to see when ski touring, but seem to recall it was a National holiday, but do they not use snow-mobiles for remote evac ?
When I signed up to ski-tour in the depths of Siberia injury and evac were not something on my radar, but it was on our guide's who I've done many a trip with, and that's a good example of his professionalism and experience, and he often used to dig me out for all the tech I had, but this was one time he was relieved as I had the Garmin InReach.
Ironically he never, in the end, came with us, as the French lost his passport when applying for the Visa, so in the end we were with a local guide, but he was known to another UIAGM guide, from Verbier who he worked with in Kamchatka who was there on holiday with his wife sussing out for future clients (he also flys with the emergency medical helicopter in Valais), and they were in our group, so I think if anything had happened we would have been alright, but then it would have been a long journey to the hospital, or maybe a heli would have been called in, depending on the severity of the injury?
A few years on, and now would I be so keen to go to such remote places, reading the above post from @mountainaddict ?
That said I plan to take the E-Mtb out this morning and go up some remote valley to suss the snow out, and I know I'll be on my own up there, but I will take my InREach as I know there is no mobile reception, which was the reason I bought it in the first place as we tour up there a lot.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Bergmeister wrote: |
| Mike Pow wrote: |
| Gämsbock wrote: |
| @Mike Pow, thanks for coming and sharing your knowledge about the rescue situation. |
My pleasure
It's one of the trickier things to decide upon
The out of resort terrain is right there, with entry back in to resort fairly straightforward
But the implications of getting injured / breaking or losing equipment makes it a world away |
That is something of an understatement! |
It's actually spot on without any flamboyance
It's the mountains
It's wild
It's not where you may have been before
Know the protocol and plan for it
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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There's plenty of great powder skiing within the resort boundaries without the need to go deep in the backcountry
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Weathercam wrote: |
| Mike Pow wrote: |
.....The out of resort terrain is right there, with entry back in to resort fairly straightforward
But the implications of getting injured / breaking or losing equipment makes it a world away |
Think the above statement might well make a few SH's re-evaluate Japan as a choice, I certainly was unaware of the frailties of rescue provision, but there again that's something that often is superseded by the prospect of great skiing, and one just does not think about the "what if" ??
@Mike Pow, can't recall whether it was Kokusai or Nito but when ski-touring / slack-country there were a lot of snow-mobiles about when we up there which was a tad depressing to see when ski touring, but seem to recall it was a National holiday, but do they not use snow-mobiles for remote evac ?
When I signed up to ski-tour in the depths of Siberia injury and evac were not something on my radar, but it was on our guide's who I've done many a trip with, and that's a good example of his professionalism and experience, and he often used to dig me out for all the tech I had, but this was one time he was relieved as I had the Garmin InReach.
Ironically he never, in the end, came with us, as the French lost his passport when applying for the Visa, so in the end we were with a local guide, but he was known to another UIAGM guide, from Verbier who he worked with in Kamchatka who was there on holiday with his wife sussing out for future clients (he also flys with the emergency medical helicopter in Valais), and they were in our group, so I think if anything had happened we would have been alright, but then it would have been a long journey to the hospital, or maybe a heli would have been called in, depending on the severity of the injury?
A few years on, and now would I be so keen to go to such remote places, reading the above post from @mountainaddict ?
That said I plan to take the E-Mtb out this morning and go up some remote valley to suss the snow out, and I know I'll be on my own up there, but I will take my InREach as I know there is no mobile reception, which was the reason I bought it in the first place as we tour up there a lot. |
They're not frailties IMHO
It's just a different system from one visitors to Japan may have experienced in other areas of the world
Possibly the guide didn't know the area
The snowmobile areas are well known, and well patronised
There are hundreds of areas where sleds don't go
They use helis if needed and where it's accessible
The trees make it very difficult for mechanised evac
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Some of the problems which arose were similar to some of the difficulties following accidents in the UK recently, with long waits for accidents, even for people with fractures. As for sports, my son-in-law's father fractured the head of his femur on a cycle race a few years ago. Even though it was an organised event it took some time to get even a fairly hapless first aider to the scene - then he was bundled into the back of a car  and taken to hospital for what turned out to be a new hip. This was on a well-frequented forest path in Sussex! But at least it wasn't freezing cold and everybody spoke English. The ubiquity of mobile phones perhaps gives people the impression that help is never far away, but that's not necessarily the case and probably none of us is entirely rational and well-informed about the risks we take. We probably all know people who were paranoid about Covid but cavalier about road safety.
This case - straightforward injury but far from home and in a very different health system - will be a good test of how well MPI cope with getting the MA and Mrs MA home. Meanwhile I hope comfort, food and shelter have done their job and started to overcome some of the shock.
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| Quote: |
| Think the above statement might well make a few SH's re-evaluate Japan as a choice |
I don't think so. That's essentially identical to what would happen if you are rescued from outside a resort in Canada. Or Iceland. I'd be surprised if any other country did it differently. It's not Disneyland on the other side of the boundary. I'd say Japan is actually safer, because I understand that you can find decent snow even at resorts.
I'm sorry to hear of the accident and hope it works out smoothly. It's the risk we all take though. If you can walk (even on crutches) away from it then to me that's a win, and you can BS about it on the internet for years... When I broke my ankle in the deep backcountry I was fortunately able to ride down to a clear-cut on adrenaline. The unbearable pain didn't cut in until I'd been helied out. I just sat out the rest of the holiday, which got me past needing crutches, and ended up paying a grand total of $50 for the DF118s. I learned that I should keep back some of the strongest pain killers and sell them on the street for future incidents.
You can't just long line people out from dense trees: it's immediately serious. Worse is when people fall into water in an isolated deep forest at minus 20. That's one someone in the party needs to know how to deal with before it happens: "Know the protocol and plan for it".
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| phil_w wrote: |
| ....I'd be surprised if any other country did it differently. It's not Disneyland on the other side of the boundary. I'd say Japan is actually safer, because I understand that you can find decent snow even at resorts........ |
I only know France very well, and most days see the rescue Heli flying up and down the valley to the hospital in Briancon, and then in the media they often report on what incidents the PGHM have been involved in.
Only this week, 10km from where I live, tragic avalanche, guided group and one client killed, PGHM were there very quickly.
They are highly regarded here, similar to the RNLI when they're not rescuing, they're constantly training along with the Heli as they're are no budget limitations, and unlike other branches of the gendarmes they actually are quite good with the public.
It's really good to know that we have them, and that their base is in the centre of our playground
I should add for those that don't know they operate in all Alpine areas and PGHM are Peleton de Gendarmerie de Haute Montagne, High Mountain Police.
Plus guides here carry radios and are in direct contact with them when needed. After I did my ACL and the guide radioed in think it appeared within ten mins or so!
So they really are in another league to what you might come across in Japan etc, but hey we don't get the powder so win some loose some, though not too sure Mrs MA would agree?
I'm sure others will know about Switzerland, Austria, Italy etc
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Sat 11-02-23 16:56; edited 2 times in total
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| pam w wrote: |
Agree with those who have suggest you throw repatriation responsibility onto your insurance company. If you do too much yourself they can, if they so wish, wash their hands of it. And they might provide informed, sympathetic, support and make arrangements to help you relax after such an awful ordeal.
I can quite understand why you just want to get home as soon as possible. |
Hmm insurance could be tricky if it does not cover off piste.
Most normal insurances that cover winter sports, only covers piste skiing
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Quote: |
Hmm insurance could be tricky if it does not cover off piste.
Most normal insurances that cover winter sports, only covers piste skiing
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I doubt if the OP would be off-piste without appropriate insurance. Our insurance bill for skiing in Japan was eye watering, but the off-piste extension was only a few pound extra.
Actually I was fairly impressed with the way off piste, or technically "back country" was organised in Japan. when we were in Hakuba a few years ago you had to fill in a form when you left the top lift saying where you were going and record your return. In Niseki the "out of bounds" were fenced off with entry and exit gates and with big(ish) warning notices. After heavy snow when the avalanche risks were high they were closed.
I assume that the guide the OP was with was highly qualified in first aid, had a good first aid kit with them including ways to keep injured clients warm and knew about the moutain rescue procedures. Our guide in Hakuba certainly did and wouldn't let us proceed until he was happy with out avalanche rescue skills.
I have to confess that I get a little concerned with some of the mentions in this forum about off -piste skiing (though not this post). We see terms like "I'm a good piste skier just venturing onto off-piste" or "progressing to off-piste" as if this is the culmination of the skiing skill progression. However, I think we need a little bit more mountaineering skills than just avalanche trasceivers and shovels.
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