Q: I am wondering what your powder tours is all about ... do you provide tours? We are looking at riding at this resort for about a week in January, there will be about 5 of us. What kind of deals can you offer including accommodation, lift passes and transfers.
A: Yes, I am the only English speaking powder snow tour guide at Hakkoda! I would love to show you around. After tasting Hakkoda you might never want to go to another "resort" again! Hakkoda can spoil you very easily. Please carefully read my web site including the customer comments and Accommodation FAQ to get a better idea what you are coming for! My guiding fee is 5000 yen per person per day. I can help you make reservations (no charge). The best is to stay right on the mountain. The best place is the Hakkoda Resort Hotel. There is a shuttle bus to the mountain from the Aomori airport, but just for the first flight from Tokyo. If you come on another flight, let me know and I can figure out the best way to get you to the mountain. For those coming by train, if you get to Aomori station no later than mid-afternoon, you can take a bus from the station to either Moya Hills or the public university. I can get the hotel to pick you up and take you the rest of the way up the mountain.
I have no control over the ropeway (gondola) tickets. If you are boarding for 5 days usually the best and cheapest to get a monthly ticket which is 14000 yen rather than the 5 time ticket which is 4900.

Q: I live in Japan, are there package tours?
A: If you are in Tokyo and speak Japanese or have a translator, please call JTB or JAL. They have ski packages to Hakkoda Resort Hotel.

Q: Can you help us make hotel reservations?
A: Yes, for those who will be taking my guided tours, feel free to let me help you.

Q: Can I use a credit card at Hakkoda?
A: Credit cards may be used to pay for hotel charges and ropeway tickets. However, for everything else, make sure you bring cash. Please note that there are no ATM machines or convenience stores on or around the mountain! If you show up without enough cash to pay me (yes, this actually happened) and I have to take your card and find an ATM machine (this is not a simple thing as most convenience stores do not take non-Japanese credit cards), I will have to add a surcharge.

Q: Can you give me any advice on booking a holiday from here from Australia?
A:I think the cheapest route is to fly to Seoul, Korea. Then take the flight from Seoul to Aomori, Japan. If you have frequent flier miles and you want to go with another airlines, go through Tokyo and then catch a domestic flight to Aomori. There are no package tours to Hakkoda from out of country yet , but we have approached JAL about this and hope in the near future they will offer something.

Q: Where is the best place to stay?
A:I highly recommend staying on the mountain at the bottom of the gondola. That way you are right at the action with no commuting and no need to rent a car. The best place to stay is the Hakkoda Resort Hotel, a 30 sec. walk to the gondola. If the lodge is a bit too much for your budget, the cheapest way to go is to rent a car and I will try to book you into some cabins at Moya Hills ski resort, a 30 minute drive. You would have to buy food and cook all your meals.... I think the cabins run about 10,000 yen a night no matter how many people sleep there.

Q: What are my other options?
A: Your options are renting a car and staying down the mountain and commuting to save a little bit of money on hotels. Most of the other hotels on the mountain are more expensive than the Hakkoda Resort Hotel.

Food:
The meals are a East/West mix, something for everyone's taste. Breakfast is usually typical Japanese style, you might want to bring a few things with you. Dinner is unbelievable, something different every night. No one goes away hungry and usually people end up stuffing themselves because the food is so good!

Q: Generally, what is involved in the guiding?
A: You pay me in advance for the days you are going to be here. I take you to the best places for the conditions of the day. (speaking of conditioning, I suggest you work out and stay in good shape after your ski season there, so you won't need too much adjusting time). I keep the groups to a small limit, I want to have fun too!. There is even a chance you will have me as a private guide during the weekdays. If we hike and go touring , I will call for the van to come pick us up where and when we are planning to come out and bring us back to the gondola. Don't worry, I have it covered...even in totally white out conditions, we are on the mountain. In fact, I really like zero visibility, as it keeps the locals away from some of the really good runs!

Q: What can you offer....?
A: If you have never skied/boarded Hakkoda you are in for a pleasant surprise! Powder snow all day long! No groomed slopes! No 100s of fellow countrymen and woman vying for fresh tracks... Sound good so far?

Q: What about Lift tickets?
A: There are no lift tickets (well, there is a lift but we won't be riding that...) The gondola will take us to the top of Mt. Tamoyachi and from there depending on snow and weather we will lose sight of anyone else. The gondola sells a 5 time ticket for 4900 yen which can be shared and used again next season as well. Depending on where we go, you might use it just once or twice in the morning and again once or twice in the afternoon. If you stay for 1 week or longer you may want to buy a monthly lift pass for about 14,000 yen. I do my best to keep you away from any avalanche danger zones. Transceivers (beacons) are required. I can rent you one. Shovels,probes are optional but always worth carrying if you have them already or you can rent from me. You do need snowshoes and backpack that can carry your skis/board. Adjustable pole are best (you can rent it here if you do not have your own).

Q: My experience is exclusively in downhill skiing and apart from some occasional hiking out of resorts to find better snow, I'm not really down with the whole back-country situation. My friends are all boarders and have all the back country gear (poles, shovels, probes etc). But what would you recommend for someone trying to get around in hard downhill boots and skis? Are snow shoes the go?
A: In powder, snowshoes are what you need. Atlas makes great SS that will fit around ski boots. You also need a backpack that is made to carry your skis in an upright position. Extendable poles are preferred when hiking, but are not essential. This year I am renting beacons and shovels as well as backpacks, snowshoes and poles.

Q: You mentioned that your clients pay you in advance. What are your fees? How and when would you accept payment given that the first part of the process is for you to organize accommodation for us? Do you have a business address and business number?
A: My fee is 5,000 yen per day per person times as many days as you are going to be here. Quite reasonable as the guides in Niseko ask for 10,000 yen a day per person! You can just pay me when you arrive, in cash yen. I really don't mind helping my clients find good accommodations. I'm happy if you are happy!

Tipping is at the discretion of the customer.

My business address is:

Simon Bernard
P.O.Box 60
Misawa Post Office
Misawa City
033-8691
Japan

My phone numbers are listed on my site:

Home phone: (176) 54-2927
Cell phone: 090-5599-8890


I will say that after you come to Hakkoda you may not want to ski another groomed slope again!

Any other questions, or any other help I can be, please don't hesitate to ask.

Looking forward to seeing you,

Simon