Resort Guiding & Lift Accessed Backcountry

Payment of your lesson or tour (either via a third-party agent or directly to Rhythm Japan) constitutes acceptance of all terms and conditions listed for all parties participating in Rhythm Rides lessons or guiding (named or otherwise).

Payment of your lesson or tour (either via a third-party agent or directly to Rhythm Japan) constitutes acceptance of all Rhythm Japan and Flywire terms and conditions listed for all parties participating in Rhythm Rides lessons or guidingand/or Summer Tours Niseko products (named or otherwise).

Flywire is the Payment platform that facilitates online payment transactions for Rhythm Japan.

Flywire Terms and Conditions

Lift passes are not included with any lesson or guiding product. They are required to be purchased separately for the duration of the lesson or guided product, when accessing a resort area. 

No refund will be given for any unused portion of lift passes.

Please arrive in suitable warm and waterproof gear for your activity, with a valid lift ticket five minutes before your scheduled lesson/tour time. All lessons/tours start at the scheduled time and lessons/tours cannot be extended or rescheduled following the late arrival of a guest for any reason.

All parties agree that they have valid travel insurance that covers the snowsports/outdoor activity being participated in. Please note, guests are responsible for their own medical expenses including rescue fees when accessing terrain outside of the resort boundaries.

Rhythm Rides lessons and guiding may be recorded by a Rhythm sponsored photographer/videographer. Customers acknowledge that they and their party’s likeness may appear in future print or digital media without remuneration.

The 20% off* Early Bird discount only applies to bookings of three days or more of Rhythm Rides full-day or 4 hour lessons/guiding. Blackout periods apply. Black out dates: 16th Dec – 5th Jan & 25th Jan – 2nd Feb.

Early Bird booking period: June 6th – July 31st

Skiing, snowboarding and other mountain sports are high-risk activities.

Rhythm Japan and its employees cannot be held liable for accidents or injuries, including serious bodily harm or injury resulting in death that occurs before, during or after your guide or tour.

All those who partake in a Rhythm Rides lesson/tour

All those who partake in a Rhythm Rides will indemnify and keep indemnified Rhythm Japan, its employees, affiliates and agents from all actions, suits, claims for damage and demands for personal injury, loss or damage.

A deposit of 20% is required within seven days of the booking.

The remaining 80% is due at least seven days before the lesson/tour date.

• Up until seven days prior, a full refund will be provided for any reason.
• From seven days prior until 48 hours prior a 20% cancellation fee will be incurred.
• Within 48 hours of the booked lesson/tour date a 100% cancellation fee will be incurred.
• No compensation can be made for the loss of tour time due to injury or illness if the guiding has commenced. Upon receipt of a valid medical certificate, a reschedule or refund of future lessons is possible.

1. We must be advised before your new lesson has commenced.
2. Rhythm must receive the report within 24 hours of the cancelled/missed lesson.

• We reserve the right to cancel any reservations that do not meet our booking terms or have not been paid by the due date.
• Flywire may charge additional processing fees, including up to 1% of the refund amount.

In the event of extreme weather that has caused the resort to cease operations or the safety of the tour is at risk, we will offer a reschedule or refund of the lesson/tour

• A 100% refund  is only available at the discretion of the manager  for lessons/tours that have not commenced.
• A partial refund for the unused portion of lessons/tours that had already commenced.
• No compensation is available if suitable terrain is accessible for the booked lesson or tour.

• Private Lessons from December 9th – March 31st
• Resort Guiding from December 16th – to March 31st
• Backcountry Guiding from December 16th – March 31st
• Night Lessons are available from January 1st – March 15th

• Up until 7 days prior, a full refund will be provided for any reason.
• From 7 days prior until 48 hours prior a 20% cancellation fee will be incurred.
• Within 48 hours a 100% cancellation fee will occur.
• No compensation can be made for the loss of lesson time due to injury or illness if the lesson has commenced.
• Upon receipt of a valid medical certificate. A reschedule or refund of future lessons can be made.
  • We must be advised before your new lesson has commenced.
  • We must receive the report within 24 hours of the cancelled lesson.

We reserve the right to cancel any reservations that do not meet our booking terms or have not been paid by the due date.

We want you to have the best on-mountain experience with us, so if you are feeling unwell or are injured we will be happy to reschedule your lesson upon receipt of a medical certificate or accident report, providing we have been advised prior to the lesson commencing.

Ski Patrol will make a treatment recommendation based on the seriousness of the injury, this may include:

• Immediate transfer to a local hospital (or other appropriate facility) via emergency services
• To seek further medical advice independently (at a private clinic, physio, or hospital) 
• Rest

If your child is injured we will call you immediately to inform you of their condition and confirm where you can meet your child. Therefore, it is crucial we have a number we can reach you on at all times.

If the injury is deemed not an emergency we will wait for you to arrive so that you can decide the best form of treatment for your child. 

If the injury is deemed critical, your child will be taken to an emergency service deemed appropriate by the ambulance service. In this circumstance, we will endeavour to reach you and reunite you with your child as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately once a lesson has commenced we are unable to offer partial refunds or reschedule lessons.

We recommend allowing a minimum of 1.5 hours before your scheduled lesson start time to collect and be fitted with your rental equipment. For morning lessons we strongly recommend arranging your rental equipment the day before – you are able to collect your rentals from 3pm the day before your booking begins for free. If you are running late please call our guest services team on 050 3773 0913.

For Private Lessons, the lift pass you purchase will depend on your goals and ability level. For those who are new to the sport (Level 1-3), we would recommend a Grand Hirafu full day pass which will give you access to Grand Hirafu & Hanazono resort. If you are more experienced (Level 4-7) and you would like to explore more Annupuri or Niseko Village you will need an All Mountain lift pass. 

For Resort Guiding, you will need an All Mountain lift pass

For Explorer Upgrades (Privates & Resort Guiding) visiting resorts outside of Niseko please contact our Guest Services team to confirm the correct lift pass for your day.

Yes. Lift passes are required to use the resort facilities which include the groomed runs that you will use during your lesson.

We are incredibly lucky that Hokkaido receives arguably the best snow in the world! That does mean that the weather is often extremely cold, snowy and windy and then sometimes even rain towards the end of the season. The good news is that this does not mean that your lesson can not go ahead. We will generally run our lessons every day providing the lifts appropriate for your level are operating.

If the resort has closed all of its lifts for the day due to weather, we will offer a full refund or reschedule. If your lesson has already commenced we will offer a partial refund or partial reschedule.

Yes. We recommend that you have a travel insurance policy, and it is important to ensure that it covers the type of skiing/snowboarding you plan to enjoy. If you’re planning to go into the backcountry via the Niseko gate system or touring your policy must cover ‘off-piste’ or ‘backcountry’. Depending on your policy this is sometimes an optional extra.

If you would like to change the start time or meeting location, please contact us 48 hours prior to your lesson/guiding.

If it’s more than a week before your lesson, we’re happy to reschedule. From 7 days prior until 48 hours prior, we offer rescheduling if we have availability. From 48 hours prior, we unfortunately do not offer a reschedule unless a medical certificate is provided. (Please see our cancellation policy.)

During the booking process you will have selected a meeting location, either our Rhythm Base store or one of our on snow locations. Typically, we recommend an on snow meeting location to ensure you make the most of your lesson time. 

The available meeting locations are:

• Dot Base – Your instructor will meet you in front of Dot Base, within the ‘Meeting Point’ bannered area.
• Gondola Base – your instructor will meet you by the stairs on the carpark side of the mountain centre.
• Family Base – your instructor will meet you on snow, next to the ticket sales window.
• Rhythm Hirafu store – located here, your instructor will meet you on the top floor by the Rhythm Rides sales counter.

If you’ve booked a full-day lesson then you also have the option of meeting at Annupuri resort; your instructor will meet you on snow, outside the Nook. Please note that travel time is not included so it is imperative you arrive in Annupuri ready to ski/board for your chosen start time.

Our Premium Private and Explorer Upgrades include private transport to and from the resort, you will be picked up directly from your accommodation by your instructor and dropped-off there again at the end of the day. Our guest services team will be in touch once your booking is confirmed to make the necessary arrangements.

Backcountry Touring includes private transport, you will be picked up directly from your accommodation by your guide and dropped-off there again at the end of the day. Our guest services team will be in touch once your booking is confirmed to make the necessary arrangements.

Full-day lessons and guiding can start at Annupuri Base, by pre-arrangement only. If this is your preferred meeting location we must be advised at least 24 hours before your lesson start time.

Unfortunately not, we can not begin lessons in Hanazono. However, we can ski in the resort once your lesson has started and you are with your instructor/guide.

Unfortunately not, we can not begin lessons in Niseko Village. However, we can ski in the resort once your lesson has started and you are with your instructor/guide.

Private transport with pick-up and drop-off from your accommodation is included with the following products:

• Premium Private
• Backcountry Touring

 We can also offer private transport for the below full-day products if you add on our Explorer Upgrade for ¥25,000. 

• Resort Guiding
• Lift-accessed Backcountry

If you would like private transport for your lesson you will need to book our Private Premium, or add our Explorer Upgrade if you are booking our Resort Guiding or Lift-accessed Backcountry products.

Grand Hirafu operates a free village shuttle service that runs on a continuous loop every 15 minutes to the key resort base areas of Dot Base and Gondola Base. Your accommodation provider may also offer a shuttle service, and they are best placed to advise you on how to get to the resort from where you are staying.

There is a free resort shuttle that operates between Hanazono and Hirafu Village.

While Niseko is known for its never-ending powder, each season can of course vary. Statistically speaking though, we find that the most consistently snowy months occur during Dec, Jan and Feb.

That being said, March can also bring the goods and is known for its clear skies and warmer days bringing magnificent scenery and opportunities to summit mountains otherwise  inaccessible.

Good question! Slackcountry refers to the terrain that can be accessed via a lift, however it is outside of the resort’s operational boundaries. Typically this means there are no or little avalanche control measures. Therefore it is backcountry terrain that is just more easily accessible, and the same precautions should be taken.

Backcountry is usually referring to terrain that is accessed without the use of lifts. This means you will need touring equipment to walk up the mountain and then ski/board down. There are also no avalanche control measures undertaken here, which is why it is always recommended to visit the backcountry with a qualified guide.

Generally, this will not be a problem. The major concern with mixing a group of skiers/boarders is the ability level of the group. In particular, for snowboarders in slackcountry terrain, the ability to hold a strong traverse and maintain speed on the flats. If this is not an area of strength then the terrain may need to be carefully considered to ensure the snowboarder is not put in a tough spot. 

Please reach out to our guest services team to discuss your group’s suitability for a mixed tour.

Absolutely! All of our guides are also instructors and can coach you on powder techniques so you can get the most out of your day. However, we do require that you are at least a high intermediate to advanced skier or boarder. That is a level five or higher on our skills chart.

Unfortunately our tour dates are fixed, unless the weather is too harsh to get out there at all. If that is the case, we will work with you to find a new date for your tour.

Our goal is to always provide the best experience in the backcountry. Our experienced guides will be able to show you an amazing experience pretty much every day during the winter in Hokkaido! 

If you’re booking a multi-day tour, then our guides will tailor where you visit each day based on the locations that will deliver the best experience based on the conditions.

In midwinter, Hokkaido will be in the negative degrees 24 hours of the day. The temperature in town can go down to -8 degrees and further up the mountain it will be even colder on those days. Carrying layers with you to wear under your jacket is highly recommended.

We recommend that you have a comprehensive travel insurance policy, and it is important to ensure that it covers the type of skiing/snowboarding you plan to enjoy. If you’re planning to go into the backcountry via the Niseko gate system or touring your policy must cover ‘off-piste’ or ‘backcountry’. Depending on your policy this is sometimes an optional extra.

This is completely up to you (with the exception of Backcountry Touring.) Our guides will fully customise your tour to include the amount of hiking you are comfortable with. They can also adjust the plan over the day depending on your energy levels.

Yes, at the start of every tour, regardless of your experience, your guide will run you through an avalanche safety briefing. This will include:

• Beacon functions and basic use
• Probe assembly and basic use
• Rescue basics including (search and receive modes) 
• Beacon function and range test

It is important to understand when venturing into any backcountry or slackcountry terrain that conditions can never be 100% safe. Backcountry touring comes with inherent risk and while all measures are taken to tour in the safest possible way, accidents and avalanches can still occur. 

With this in mind, we take a safety-first approach and have a number of daily procedures in place to ensure we’re as informed about the current conditions and hazards as we can be. This information, coupled with the experience of our guides themselves is then used to create a plan for the day based on your skill level and goals.

Our safety procedures include (but are not limited to):

• Daily review of local official forecasts – Niseko Avalanche Bulletin. We operate within the Niseko Rules, and will not guide you outside of the gates when they are closed
• Daily review of global weather forecasting models
• Ongoing assessment and recording of weather, temperature and snow conditions
• Ongoing assessment of local hazards and changes in conditions
• Daily guide briefings to review all conditions and trip plans
• Actively involved in the local guiding community in which we encourage open communication and sharing of information related to the conditions

The big difference between the two is the terrain you will be riding. Resort guiding will focus on the terrain inside the resort boundaries. This doesn’t mean just the groomers. There are plenty of tree runs and powder to be found!

As soon we step outside the resort boundaries, we will end up in the world of the backcountry. The main difference with backcountry terrain is that the resort does not maintain or control the conditions to mitigate risk for riders (like avalanches.) This is one reason it is highly recommended to always go with a guide who can assess these risks, and choose the safest and most enjoyable terrain for you. This is also the reason why we carry avalanche safety gear when we step outside the resort boundaries.

A day led by one of our experienced guides inside the resort boundaries of Grand Hirafu, Hanazono, Niseko Village and Annupuri resort, starting at either Grand Hirafu or Annupuri. 

This tour is suitable for those that are at least a level five on our skills guide, can accommodate up to six people per group and is 6.5 hours long, including 6-hours of guiding.

A day led by one of our experienced guides out of Niseko’s unique gate system to experience the incredible backcountry terrain and powder it offers, whilst being able to make the most of the resort’s lift infrastructure to get in as many runs as possible. 

This tour is suitable for those that are at least a level five on our skills guide, can accommodate up to five people per group and are 6.5 hours long, including 6-hours of guiding. On this tour you will also be provided with an avalanche safety pack that includes a backpack, beacon, shovel and probe.

By upgrading your Resort Guiding or Lift-accessed Backcountry tour you will open up a range of resort options outside of the Niseko area. Check out our Terrain Guides to see where else you could explore.

Your upgraded tour will now include:

• Six-hours of guiding 
• Private transport, with pick-up and drop-off directly at your accommodation 
• Additional two-hours to cover travel time

Yes, you will need a lift pass for the Resort Guiding and the Lift-accessed Backcountry tours. 

The only tour we offer that does not require a lift pass is Backcountry Touring.

Yes, we highly recommend that you bring or hire Premium Powder Equipment to get the most out of your day. Powder in Japan is often deeper and drier than anywhere in the world. This is amazing but it can also be challenging. Powder-specific equipment has really made leaps and bounds in recent years, and having the right equipment can take you from zero to hero in no time. If you are unsure what you should book, please contact our team.

For our resort-guided tours which stay within the resort boundaries a skill level of 4 - Refining Turns is recommended as this will allow you to ride a variety of terrain on your tour. 

For any product which will access the backcountry terrain (Lift-accessed backcountry or Backcountry Touring), a minimum skill level of level 5 –  Intermediate is required.