Madarao Kogen, Nagano, Japan Snowshoe Tours at Lake Nozomi

Snowtrip Tip 1: Dress for the weather

Sounds pretty obvious, right? But winter weather in one of the snowiest places in Japan can be much harsher than you`re accustomed to. Aside from mid-season winter temperatures that regularly drop to -5 C, strong winds are common at Madarao, requiring waterproof outerwear, face coverage, warm gloves, warm socks and eye protection (sun glasses or goggles) on snowshoe tours. We recommend bringing a lightweight (ski) backpack so you can add or remove layers/gear as needed. Remember to also bring a bottle of water.

Snowtrip Tip 2: No need for your airline bags to be overweight because of snowshoes.

Modern snowshoes are generally light-weight pieces of equipment. But you`ll already have tons of gear with skis/board, heavy winter clothing and potential weighty souvenirs (can anyone say “sake bottles”) that`ll put you perilously at or over the airline baggage allowance limit. If you decide to bring your own snowshoes and poles (not a bad idea for out-of-bounds snowboarders), you`re all set. Otherwise no worries. You can rent quality snowshoes and poles at the Madarao Yamanoi-e (Madarao Mountain House) for only 1000Yen.

Snowtrip Tip 3: Morning pow facehsots on your skis/board, then afternoon freshies on your snowshoes.

The snowshoe tours offered by the Madarao Kogen Tourism Office aren`t necessarily designed with Olympic caliber stamina in mind, which allows nearly everyone to enjoy the activity. If you want a challenge, Ryoma (your local English speaking guide) can take you on a trek that`ll get your blood flowing, heartbeat racing and thighs burning. But normally, the 1.5 to 3.5 hour tours aim to lead you through the tranquil Madarao National Forest leisurely. This means that you can realistically shred Madarao pow (Madapow as the locals call it) all morning until your legs feel like jelly, hop into the onsen for a few revitalizing minutes, then still enjoy a mellow afternoon snowshoe tour before the sun goes down. Much of the snowshoe trekking around Lake Nozomi is relatively flat, but there are some uphill & downhill spots that`ll (briefly) work your legs so make sure you have enough energy to be safe out there in the forest.

Snowtrip Tip 4: If a snowshoe walk in the woods isn`t for you, maybe take a walk down Iiyama cultural lane.

A short 25 minute drive/bus ride down the road from Madarao Kogen to Iiyama City will give you the chance to explore some timeless local cultural offerings with ancient regional roots. Even if you decided to participate in a snowshoe tour or ski-snowboard at Madarao during the morning, you could still make it into the valley to design your own metal crafted momentos with a local master artisan, make your own traditional paper products or tour & taste at one of Nagano`s top sake breweries with enough time to catch the last bus back to your Madarao ski hotel at 17:45 (5:45PM).

Snowtrip Tip 5: Not enough adrenaline walking on snowshoes? No problem…

Clearly, if snowshoe tours are offered by the “Mountain House,” there must be mountains around that you can ski or snowboard.  Madarao Kogen, interconnected Tangram Ski Circus and near-by Togari Onsen each offer great on-piste and off-piste pow filled terrain in the the Iiyama region of Nagano prefecture. If you`re looking to step out-of-bounds into unforgettable Madarao trees, get in touch with Madarao Kogen backountry skiing & snowboarding guides, North Nagano Outdoor Sports.