Kiroro 1107m & 992m Peaks (Hokkaido, Japan)

Kiroro's 1107m and 992m peaks 1107峰／992峰 just west of the Kiroro Snow World ski resort afford excellent access to some amazing backcountry terrain away from the madding crowds of the resort. Kiroro is known for abundant powder snow, and this area east of the resort is no exception. Close proximity to the lower backcountry gate makes for very efficient access to great powder-lapping terrain. There are plenty of options here to dial up and down the exposure, from ridgelines, well-spaced glades, and large open bowls.

To the west of the sprawling Kiroro Resort is a large backcountry playground, involving a number of un-named peaks along a north-to-south ridge. It’s not feasibly accessible from higher up in the ski resort, so it’s very much a human-powered backcountry zone. It shares the same great powder snow that falls in the resort itself, and offers a number of different aspects. The upper reaches offer great views east to the resort.

Exposure and difficulty:Being so close to the resort, it would be easy to take this zone less seriously than backcountry areas not adjacent to a resort. The bowls, peaks, and ridges in the area are, however, very much the backcountry; . In 2021, there was a fatality due to an avalanche in the area (see the report here). That said, experienced skiers will find it relatively easy to dial up and down the exposure depending on snowpack stability on the day. Even the ridge-line skiing can be fantastic, given the sheer amount of powder that settles on the terrain in this area.Mountain plan submission: As per the resort policy, Kiroro Resort requires all parties accessing the backcountry from the resort to submit a mountaineering plan to the Hokkaido Police prior to setting off. Skiers can do this online in English using Mt-Compass. The English interface is a bit clunky, but we’ve created some instructions here.