March 28, 2020: In response to global uncertainty in light of the COVID-19 situation, JST has relaxed our cancellation policy to protect our guests in the event that the world doesn't stabilize in time for winter season! Have a look at our updated COVID-19 booking policy here.  

Hachimantai Cat Ski Trip

• ​2 night/3 day trip, 2 Cat ski days, 1-to-4 guide/client ratio, max 8 guests 
• Best for Strong Intermediate to Advanced level riders/skiers
• ~¥150,000+tax (approx US$1,375)

Introducing the Hachimantai Cat, the best and biggest Cat ski operation in the Tohoku region. A favorite among "core" locals, Hachimantai boasts extremely light snow in great quantities, constantly reset by predominant westerly winds and big storms.

The terrain on offer is high elevation and east facing which means its constantly loaded by weather systems which come from the west. The ski zone is very open with trees available for skiing in as an option--not a requirement. 
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Our Hachimantai Cat ski trip is an inclusive three-day, two-night experience, with two days on the Cat. Of the ski days, one day is spent lapping the Cat and the other is spent using the Cat as a backcountry access tool, slapping on skins or snowshoes to do a scenic, flat, one-hour traverse to access a different aspect of the mountain to get some long open freshies.

Our Cat ski trip is a package that includes an airport or bullet train station pick up, transfers by private vehicle, two nights at a Western or Japanese style hotel, six meals, and an English speaking JST guide. While our hotels do have Onsen (hot springs) available on-site, we also go to a little snow covered Onsen by a river as well.

• Itinerary
• Lodging
• Logistics
• Inclusions
• Pro Tips

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Day 1: Meet and Greet

• 2:45pm - Pickup at Hanamaki Airport (HNA)
• 3:45pm - Pickup at Morioka Station South Exit
• 4:45-5:30pm - Arrive at accommodation 
• 6:30pm - Excellent dinner provided by your hotel

Day 2: Cat Ski Hachimantai and Onsen Hot Springs

• 7:00am - Hearty skiers breakfast 
• 7:30-8:30am - Depart for Hachimantai Cat ski zone (pickup time is dependent on your hotel choice)
• 9:00am - All day Cat ski, usually 6-8 runs in the day
• 12:00pm - Lunch at the base building. Bento boxes are provided for lunch
• 3:00pm - Pack up the Cat and head back down the mountain for a after-Cat soak in one of Hachimantai's famous onsen hot springs
• 6:30pm - Multi-course dinner provided by your hotel

Day 3: Cat Ski Hachimantai and Departure

• 7:00am - Hearty skiers breakfast 
• 7:30-8:30am - Depart for Hachimantai Cat ski zone
• 9:00am - This is a Cat-accessed backcountry ski day. We usually take the Cat up once to gain our elevation, snow shoe or skin a scenic flat one hour traverse, then ski a long, wide area on a different aspect.
• 12:00pm - Lunch in a mountain hut, provided by the guide
• 3:00pm - Pack up the Cat and head down the mountain to Morioka Station or Hanamaki airport
• 4:30pm - Arrive Morioka Station
• 5:30pm - Arrive Hanamaki airport

Lodging

Guests on the Hachimantai CAT trips can choose their preferred accommodation from two options and price points. Pricing is based on shared twin room accommodation; a single supplement may be requested during the checkout process for an additional ¥5,000 for both nights.

• Option #1: Mountain Hotel. This recently remodeled high end western-style hotel has everything you would expect from a great ski hotel, with an incredible in-hotel hot spring to boot! Each room has an en suite bathroom/shower, and the breakfast and dinner buffet's offer an abundance of both Japanese and Western style options.
  

 

• Option #2: Kyounso Ryokan. Located at the end of a windy mountain road. This mystical, secluded Ryokan is a traditional high end Japanese style accommodation with an outdoor hot springs second to none. As well as the usual gender-separated pools, the hot springs at Kyounso also has a coed pool so couples can bathe together. Meals here are multi-course and on par with high standards which Ryokans have become internationally famous for.

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more details on accomodation

Pickup's from Morioka Station and Hanamaki Airport (HNA)

This trip starts with a pickup at Morioka Station which has direct access to Tokyo and Hokkaido on the Shinkansen Bullet Train or a pickup at Hanamaki Airport (HNA) which has good access from Hokkaido or Osaka/Kyoto areas.

It meeting at Morioka Station, guests will need to find their own way to the meeting point at Morioka Station South Exit by 3:45pm. To find a train schedule that works for you, use this route finder here.

If meeting at Hanamaki Airport (HNA), guests will need to be at the airport by 2:50pm


Dropoff's at Morioka Station and Hanamaki Airport (HNA)

This trip ends with a drop off at Morioka Station which has direct access to Tokyo and Hokkaido on the Shinkansen Bullet Train or a drop off at Hanamaki Airport (HNA) which has good access to Hokkaido or Osaka/Kyoto areas.

If ending at Morioka Station, the drop off is at 4:30pm.

If ending at Hanamaki Station, the drop off at the airport is 5:30pm. Note that the airport is tiny and you only need to arrive 45 minutes before the flight departure.

What's Included

Included: 

• Vehicle transfers to/from Morioka Station (South Exit), which is the local bullet train station OR Hanamaki Airport (HNA)
• 2-nights lodging at Western or Japanese style accommodation of your choice (selected during the checkout process)
• 2 dinners, 2 lunches and 2 breakfasts. Breakfast and dinner is provided by your accommodation, lunch is a bento-box provided on the mountain and can be eaten in the CAT or outside (depending on weather)
• 1:4 guide/client ratio with an English speaking guide

Not included:

• International flights
• Domestic transportation to/from Morioka Station on the bullet train (we recommend purchasing the JR East Tohoku Rail Pass if coming from Tokyo), or domestic transportation to Hanamaki Airport (HNA)
• Avalanche safety sets -- available to rent through JST during the check out process
• Travelers insurance is not included, and is mandatory for participation in this trip. Proof of medical travelers insurance will be required on day-one of your trip

Mailing your luggage

If you're planning on staying in Tokyo before the trip, you can mail your big clunky ski bag directly to the Mountain Hotel or Kyounso Ryokan in Hachimantai for only ¥2,000 (approx US$18). If you're spending an extra day or two in Japan after the trip, you can mail your ski bag directly to NRT or HND airports. It only takes 48 hours from the time to mail your bag until the time it's delivered. 

For example:
Arrive into Tokyo two days before the trip at 6pm and mail your bag to the Mountain hotel in Hachimantai from the airport. Your baggage should arrive at the hotel before 9pm the next day. Before mailing your bag, be sure to confirm with them that it will be delivered by the night of the trip start date. In Japan, if they promise a delivery time, it'll be there when they say. 

Just like that, if you mail your bag you won't have to lug it around Tokyo. It's a big life-saver, very reliable and incredibly reasonable. 

​For more information on mailing bags, checkout this great article about how it's done here. 

JR East Tohoku Rail Pass 

If you're planning on taking the train: Even with just one Tokyo/Morioka round trip, you'll save ¥13,000 (approx US$110) by buying a JR East Rail Pass for the Tohoku area. You can buy this train pass on arrival at NRT or HND airports, as well as major hubs like Tokyo Station. This pass gives you 5 unlimited days of riding anywhere on the JR East Rail Network, which is perfect for where the Hachimantai Cat operates. As a bonus, you'll still have 3 unlimited days left at the end of the tour to use as you want! You can see full details on the pass here. ​

2021 Cat Dates

January 18- 20
January 27- 29
February 1- 3
February 8- 10

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