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When TSC influencers @allusinwinterland put together a last-minute trip to Japan at the end of an unseasonably dry Japanuary, they did so with minimal planning. Arriving in Hakuba on the 15^th of January to bare rice paddies, dry roads, and the worst start to winter in over 50 years, they waited.

With no fixed plans, they roamed lost in a tiny rusted van named Sauce and indulged in the delights of Japan. The first week was spent idly wandering through valleys and villages, exploring shrines and out-of-the-way onsen, chasing snow monkeys, walking frozen beaches, and enjoying the gentle generosity of the Japanese people.

Patience was rewarded when the floodgates blew open and Hakuba’s unique coastal position delivered a 2 metre overnight insta-base. Every action immediately became a means to a simple end: getting as pitted as possible and having all the fun doing it. When it snows 3 metres in a week that’s a simple task.

From runs through the Cortina trees to hike-accessed lines behind Tsugaike Kogen and Happo One, the small crew gorged themselves on everything the Hakuba valley could offer. As their appetite increased they outran patrollers in private tree zones, hiked one-turn lines from the side of the road, ski toured up avenues of ancient trees, and dropped alpine faces in the gaps between snow showers. It was all too easy.