Contact Information


I’m now back in civilisation and in the ‘real word’. My wife and I live in Sapporo City, in Hokkaido, Japan. We live about 10 minutes walk from Shin-Sapporo JR train station, at the southern end of the city. Contact me via the following means:

Telephone: +81 (0)80 4228 6132 (Japan)

Email: rob.thomson@14degrees.org


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96 thoughts on “Contact Information

  • Ben Pike

    Hey Rob
    me and my girlfriend have for the last 2 months been staying in trelis bay with aragorn in the BVIs…
    and he informed s of your epic journeys.
    basically this year we will be heading from England to China via india on bicycles…and just wanted to grab some advice on the route….do you think heading through the northern stans is the best option as we would then have to cross the himalayas down to india ??? and also how was getting visas for some of those countries?
    would be awesome if you could throw any information you think handy our way

    thanks bro

    Ben

    • Rob Thomson Post author

      Hey Ben, thanks for the message! Give my warm regards to Aaragorn. I have very fond memories of Trellis Bay! That sounds like an awesome journey you’ve got planned. As far as I know, getting to India via the south (via Iran/Pakistan etc) or from the North (via China) both involve some very difficult bureaucracy and/or regions in unrest. Namely Pakistan (if taking a southerly route) and Tibet (from the north). Tibet in particular I’ve heard is a tough proposition to cycle through without a group and guide (in terms of permits etc). That said, cyclists do both of these routes routinely. Some go for the no-mile-uncycled approach (with associated risk), while others jump on other transport through hot-spots. You’d have to do some research on recent conditions either way. I definitely loved my time cycling through the ‘Stans (Turk, Tajiki, Kyrgyz, and Kazakh -stans) and thoroughly recommend it. Visas can be a labyrinth to orgainze, but nothing that a little pre-research before setting off won’t solve.

  • Les Howard

    Rob,
    I’m a novice sailor looking to crew on a sailboat voyage .
    I’ve enjoyed watching your Atlantic crossing numerous times.
    Are the couple you crewed with still delivering boats?
    I would really like to sign on to a trip like that to learn more about the sea.
    I’ve been on one voyage from Maine to the south on the Atlantic .
    Turned out to be a bad one .
    The owner and his crew became sea sick .
    I have to sail the boat back to port in Boston after five days of them yakking over the side with no relief in sight.
    Thanks for your response

    • Rob Thomson Post author

      Hi Les, thanks for the comment. Interesting to hear about your experiences! I’m pretty sure that Captain Steve Dewhurst is still skippering on deliveries…you’d have to contact Reliance Yacht Management in London to find out.

  • Dina

    Hi Rob, following your blog I could see that you travel with a Bike Friday and the new Tern Verge S27H. I know that the Bike Friday isn’t a quick folder, but a great touring bike. The Tern Verge S27H is said to be a great folder, but is a rather heavy machine.
    In direct comparison with each other, what is your opinion on both bikes (concerning speed, behaviour on gravel roads, pot holes…)? Any information will be highly appreciated. Thank you!

    • Rob Thomson Post author

      Hi Dina, thank you for the comment!

      In my opinion, they are both excellent bikes for touring. The Verge S27h is extremely stable and the long wheelbase makes carrying a big load a no-brainer. It is a pity that it is so heavy though…I suppose this contributes to it feeling like a very solid reliable bike. And yes, the fold is fantastic. Much quicker than the Bike Friday Silk. The best part about the Verge, however, is the price. For me living in Japan, the Tern S27h cost equivalent of about US$2,000. For this, you get every accessory you could ever want…dynamo hub, an OK headlight, and rear light, racks, fenders, stand etc etc. It would be difficult to get a Bike Friday with the same specs at the same price.

      That said, the factory gearing (the SRAM Dual Drive) on the Verge S27h is useless. The SRAM Dualdrive shifting mechanism on the rear hub sticks out too far: Ortlieb panniers hit it, and cause all sorts of issues (can’t shift, pieces fall off etc). I’ve changed the rear hub to an Alfine 11-speed internal gear hub, and now it is perfect (the Verge frame has an eccentric bottom bracket, which makes using internal gear hubs very easy).

      So, all up, including changing the rear hub, the Verge S27h has cost me around US$2,400. If you live in the US, you could get an OK Bike Friday for this price.

      In the end though, for me living in Japan, the Verge S27h is better value all around. We paid close to US$3,500 equivalent in the end for Haidee’s Bike Friday Silk. The base price for the Bike Friday Silk, including the upgrades we ordered, was US$2,870 (this didn’t include pedals, saddle, dynamo light, comfortable handlegrips etc), but once you add in shipping to Japan, conversion of price to Yen, and consumption tax within Japan it all becomes rather expensive (although I do love the Gates Belt drive…so clean!)…overall though, I think the Verge S27h is better value if you’re buying from outside the US.

      If you live in the US, however, the difference is much less distinct…it might be worth going for a Bike Friday instead….

      My rambling two cents for you 🙂

  • Ken Staib

    Hi,

    We are coming to Hokkaido this June/ July. I have planned a bike rider from Número to Wakkanai which is all finalised. We will have 5 days in Sapporo and want to ride the Shiroishi and Chitose – Shikotsu cycle paths. I have a copy of the maps in Japanese. Is it easy to find the starts of these roads and once on them are they signposted OK so once on it is easy to stay on.
    We have Airnimal Joeys, 24 inch wheels, one with Alfine 11, the other 2* 10
    Ken

  • Haley

    Hey Rob,
    Wow, it’s so cool to find you on here(on the internet, I mean). I just think that you’re skateboarding trip must have been amazing. I watched so many of your videos last night.
    You see, I am also a traveling/ transient kind of a person. Ive always loved just going and moving and exploring and learning and growing. It all seems to work together. In 2013, I did a bicycle tour from Washington DC to the capitol of Florida and I found that I am so in love with the self propelled forms of transportation!! There’s nothing like it. So rewarding, so magnificent, this is what I want to do with my life!! (I’m going on about it because I know that you have to understand what I mean)
    So when I recently decided to travel again, I was brainstorming about alternative means of transportation. And then I had this idea, what about skateboarding?…. Skateboarding?…. Hmm…. Yes… Slower than a bicycle but faster than walking…
    From that point, I started doing obsessive research on the subject of long distance skateboarding as a means to travel. There’s not a whole lot of information on it but I found some people that have done it and I found you and this and I just had to reach out to you. I want to go across the US too. About the same route you took but I’ll be coming down from DC. Man, can you contact me? Can you tell me if a hitch on the back for your belongings is seriously worth it? I would just love to talk to you. I had to take the opportunity to reach out. Thanks Rob.
    Sincerely, Haley

    • Rob Thomson Post author

      Hi Haley, thanks for the message, and a serious sorry for not getting back to you sooner! Great to hear that you’re considering traveling by skateboard. It is hard work but can be very rewarding. As for a trailer vs a backpack, in reality a backpack is simpler and more straight forward: put a pack on your back and go. A trailer is only really necessary, I think, if you plan on going more than two days without having anywhere to stock up on water etc. In the US, there aren’t many places like that, so probably a well-fitting backpack with a good harness would be fine (climbing packs are good in this regard). I hope this helps!

  • Baris Tandogan

    Hey there,
    This summer I am going to skate from Amsterdam to Serbia which will be a 2000k ride. I just wanted to thank you for being an inspiration for me to decide for this trip. I am now working on the planning of the exact route.
    I hope someday I will be ready to break your record. But I am pretty sure that will not be anytime soon.
    Thank you

    • Rob Thomson Post author

      Awesome. It sounds like a great trip! Will you share the journey on a blog or social media somewhere? I’d love to follow along.

  • Bruce ( kiwi )

    Great post Rob — some nice little corners left to explore. Looked amazing and so little traffic.
    Still likely to be in around Sapporo by the weekend of 25th – 27 th may . Ferry from Aomori on Friday 20th and will follow Japan cycling org suggested route ( 450 kms to Sapporo ) Love to get some help with my paper map – marking on some onsens and rider houses.
    Cheers,
    Bruce

  • Art

    Hey Bud – Great website, very inspiring. American, living in Japan 7 years, returning to Hokkaido for the 3rd time from English/Spanish teaching in Osaka, leaving Wakkanai, 01AUG16, pedaling unsupported to Shiretoko on my Friday NWT, hiking, camping around a bit, then I don’t know what, have about a month to play with, any info, peoples/places to run into and/or ride/camp with is much appreciated! Thanks! Arturo Rolla

  • Stuart Rtichie

    very cool site – found it after finding your little charger circuit!!

    this is now on my bucket list (rather lifted up the priority!)

  • Cherry

    Hi Rob! Thanks for this amazing blog! Question- What are the most scenic and beautiful places to camp in Hokkaido? I will be visiting in Autumn. Thank you!

  • Rok

    Hi Rob,

    I am going to Hokkaido this winter for powder / touring skiing with a group of friends. It is really hard to get any information on tours. I just found your site and would like to thank you for the information.

    Best regards,

    Rok, Slovenia

  • Giovanni Anderis

    hello Rob, my name is Giovanni but my nickname is El Tano and Italian, excuse my language but not speak it very well. Most likely next month I will come for 10 days in Hokkaido for some ski touring. I am already 12 years ago and I climbed Eniwa-dake – Yotei-zan – Sandan-yama – Asahi-dake -Tokachi-dake as well as the Fuji but it was the end of March. You think I still be able to climb these mountains in February or I’ll have to find some other climb?
    Thank you for your response and I congratulate you on your website, you can find there everything you need.

    Giovanni

    • Rob Thomson Post author

      Hi Giovanni, thanks for the message. Yes, you will be able to climb all those mountains in February. However, compared with late March, the snow conditions will be much ‘deeper’ and more like powder. Also, February is really the coldest time of the year, so you will need to be prepared for extreme mid-winter skiing/climbing. If in doubt, enlist the services of an experienced guide (see this Google search for a start).

  • Eric Timmerman

    Hello hello!

    I just came across your trans Hokkaido gravel route on RWGPS, which lead me to your site. Good job, it looks like an epic route. We have been cycling for the last 7 months and hope to do a month of cycling in April. we look specifically for dirt and gravel routes but its hard to find dirt in the south. Do you think it would be too cold to do your route in April? any leads on gravel roads that go from Hokkaido to Tokyo? thanks for putting together all of this information.

    our site is ridingwild.org
    insta @ridingwild

    -Eric

  • Henryk

    Dear Rob,

    thanks for your inspiring blog first of all! I invested into a Tern Verge s8i recently and plan to take it for a tour across the African island of Sao Tome in the Atlantic in June. My question would be, what do you find the best way to pack it for the journey (flying in from Berlin via Lisbon). Best to pack into something resembling a box or any other ideas on that (the plastic bag idea)? I considered the Tern Airporter, but the Verge doesn’t fit into it. I have the original package still with me (bought it online), which would be one alternative to send it by air (could be with a hefty bulky baggage price tag @ryanair, though).

  • Robin van 't Veer

    Hii Rob,

    great to read your blogs about cycling in Hokkaido. As a cycling fan myself, after cycling from Seoul to Busan, I am looking forward to my next trip. I was thinking of visiting Hokkaido coming July, for 2 weeks. The following itinerary I have in mind, Sapporo to Abashiri by train, cycling with a racingbike; Shiretoko Loop Tour followed by the Sapporo Trans-Hokkaido Route.

    Do think it will be possible to do with racingbike? Maybe with some wider tires? Will the two weeks be enough?

    Many thanks for the replies, and any tips or alternatives (routes) routes, I am happy to hear.

    Greetings Robin

    • Rob Thomson Post author

      Definitely possible on a racing bike! The roads are mostly great, apart from some with cold-weather-induced cracks etc.

  • Robin van t Veer

    Hii Rob,

    great to read your blogs about cycling in Hokkaido. As a cycling fan myself, after cycling from Seoul to Busan, I am looking forward to my next trip. I was thinking of visiting Hokkaido coming July, for 2 weeks. The following itinerary I have in mind, Sapporo to Abashiri by train, cycling with a racingbike; Shiretoko Loop Tour followed by the Sapporo Trans-Hokkaido Route.

    Do think it will be possible to do with racingbike? Maybe with some wider tires? Will the two weeks be enough?

    Many thanks for the replies, and any tips or alternatives (routes) routes, I am happy to hear.

    Greetings Robin

  • Mag

    Hi Rob!
    Thank you for your wonderful website full of useful info.
    I am planning a 20 days trip by bicycle in Hokkaido this Summer.
    I move slow, about 40 km a day.
    Everything looks so beautiful I really cannot make up my mind about the itinerary.
    Would you have some suggestion if you have time?
    I am not planning to take a return ticket, I’d rather will fly to one city and fly back from another so I do not need to make a loop.
    Thank you very much

    • Mag

      Hi Rob, browsing again the website I found all the info I needed. I am gonna cross Hokkaido from Sapporo to East. Thank you again for putting up together so much useful info. This is one of the best website for riders I’ve seen!

      • Rob Thomson Post author

        Thank you for the kind words – really appreciated! I’m glad you could find out some tips. Going from Sapporo out east is a great choice. I am sure you’ll love it.

  • george bull

    Hi Rob,

    Me and a friend are planning a cycle week in Hokkaido and would love to have your suggestion on which way best to go, across the centre or to go North seem good week voyages. we have good 6 days and can get some good distance per day, around 100km. I’m not much of an explorer but constantly trying to get off the ‘beaten track’ more and more. after being stuck in a city life the last 7-8 years I’m dreaming of being out on the open road and camping fresh in the evening for a good week. my plan as to start in sapporo where id hire the bikes and get the camping gear then set off, any suggestion u can give on a route would be most appreciated.

    • Rob Thomson Post author

      Across the center would be my recommendation. I think that gives the most variety in terms of terrain and scenery. Once out east, you can take a train back to Sapporo from Abashiri or Engaru.

  • Yuki

    Hello Rob from the states! I am taking a trip visiting the homeland this october 4-14. My hope is to spend the majority of my time in the Tohoku/Hokkaido region because I kind of want to get away from the usual tourist hotspots down south, and also because I just really enjoy experiencing nature and breaking a sweat when I travel. I get really really couped up when I stay in somewhere like Tokyo or Kyoto a few days :/

    Anyways, I follow your instagram and I’ve been reading your blogs as well about your biking adventures all over Hokkaido. Though I won’t be having a bike, I was wondering if you could recommend me some dope places where my buddy and I could experience some real country scenery, legit hikes, camping, great food(though thats never really hard to find anywhere in japan), etc. I’m not sure if your experience and recommendations will specifically only be within Hokkaido, but I am also interested in Tohoku and perhaps even Kamikochi in the Nagano region.

    I really appreciate it for taking your time to read this, and I hope you can be so generous to hook us up with some prime locations and ideas! Thanks!

    • Rob Thomson Post author

      Hey Yuki, I hope your trip is going well! I only really know Hokkaido well…Shiretoko and Lake Kusharo never dissapoint.

  • Paul James

    Hi there,
    Do you think it’s worth buying the Ski Touring guide when you can’t read Japanese? Are there diagrams or topos that give enough starter information to find tours?
    Great site by the way.
    Jamesy.

    • Rob Thomson Post author

      Hey Paul, even the book sections are in Japanese, so it might be a challenge. Although, you might get somewhere using the Google Translate App, which you can use to take a photo of the page, and the app will translate the text.

  • Stephan

    Hello Rob,
    I came across your website while looking for information on skitouring in Hokkaido. Seems to be the best and more or less only source in English. Thanks for sharing!
    I will be there with my girlfriend beginning of january to do some backcountry skiing and skitouring for a couple of days..
    I got the Hokkaido Yukiyama Guidebook, but there’s loads of routes in there and my Japanese isn’t that great so I find it hard to pick the best routes.
    Can you recommend some nice routes for beginning of January?
    Also what do you think is the best location in terms of lodging? Niseko seems to be good but very busy, quite expensive and availability of accommodation for the first week of January already low.
    I assume a car is essential to get to the road heads?

    Thanks in advance.

    Regards,
    Stephan

    • Rob Thomson Post author

      Hey Stephan,

      Try Furano for a place to stay – cheaper than Niseko and less busy. Also closer to the nice touring in the Tokachi ranges. Having a car is definitely the best way to access trailheads etc.

      As for the Yuki-yama guide, try the Google Translate App – you can take a photo of the page and it will translate the text.

      I hope this helps.

  • Ross Lancaster

    Hi Rob,

    Firstly, thanks for putting together such a great website. It’s extremely useful for finding out about cycle routes in Hokkaido and just in general about your trips; what an adventure man! I am planning on flying into Chitose or further North (possibly Kushiro) from the UK next late March and then cycling across Japan before ferrying over to South Korea cycling to Seoul/Incheon and then finally heading to Taipei and cycling round Taiwan. I plan on couchsurfing and wild camping across the country. I know the North obviously has snow/ski season and the temperature can be pretty harsh during the Winter months, I just have a few questions about cycling in Hokkaido in late March/April… Are the roads starting to clear around this time? e.g rideable on a racer with 32 tyres?.. And with camping is it possible or is the temperature still dropping below freezing? From trying to find out online this time of year the snow is melting rapidly in places and the temperature is rising steadily.. I just don’t want to get there and realise I cannot ride.. I want to be able to enjoy Hokkaido and not be racing out of it because of the weather. I hope that makes sense! Any help would be massively appreciated! Thanks

    • Rob Thomson Post author

      Hi Ross, March is still very snowy here. Even in April, there can be quite a lot of snow above about 300m in elevation. All the main roads should be free of snow, however. The only issue will be camping – it will be cold and you may need to shovel snow to clear a camp spot. Most official campgrounds will not be open.

      Of course every year is different, but one thing is certain: nothing is certain around that time of year 🙂

      • Ross Lancaster

        Thanks for getting back to me Rob, really appreciate that! Hopefully, I’ll avoid most of the snow now; flying into Vietnam and cycling up to Hanoi from Ho Chi Min City on the 21st March.

        Just worried about those bears now in Hokkaido! hahah

  • Javier Martin

    Dear Rob,

    First of all congrats for your page, it’s a very useful tool for travelers!

    I wanted to ask you for some info regarding ski-touring in Japan. We are a group of 3 spanish who want to travel in end of december for two weeks to the Hokkaido area. We were thinking on Niseko and Furano area, but we don’t really know much about possibilities there.
    What strategy would you recomend:
    – Rent a camper van and travel around the island ?
    – Rent a car an book hostels?
    – Go directly by public transportation to ski mountaineering areas?

    Which areas are the most interesting ones? Which gear should we take with us… we are doubting on bringing wide skis or not…

    Thanks in advance for your answer and greetings from Spain.

    • Rob Thomson Post author

      Hey Javier,
      I would say one week in the Niseko region, then one week in Furano? Definitely best to rent a car and stay in hostels. Also definitely best to bring fat skiis – at least 100mm under foot! This is not Europe 🙂
      I hope this helps!

      Rob

    • Luke Frisken

      Hey Javier, I’m travelling by myself, going to be near Rusutsu from the 24th to the 27th of December, then no plans yet after that thinking Furano or somewhere near there, but hopefully staying 2 weeks total too. Looking for someone to head backcountry with maybe meet some people over there, couldn’t find any friends that I know keen to come with me. You wouldn’t happen to be up for having an extra on a BC trip or two if you’re there during that time frame?

  • Luke Frisken

    Hey Rob, really like your resource here on this website, you’ve put so much effort into it! I’m headed over to Hokkaido from the 24th of December until (hopefully) the 7th of January. Travelling by myself because none of my usual skiing buddies could get away. Was hoping to mainly head backcountry but obviously it’s kind of not a great idea to do by myself! Just wondering if you might have any tips on how to meet people for some adventurous ski tours while I’m there or beforehand?
    Cheers
    Luke

  • Rami

    Rob,
    I’m in the initial stages of planning a tour of Hokkaido next summer with my 6 (almost 7 by then) year old son and I was wondering if it would be possible to rent bicycle attachments for kids there ? Any suggestions or referrals to local resources will be appreciated .

    Thanks !

  • Murray Munsie

    Is it possible to get the mailing address of the Doi Farm to get their ripe Haskap notification. I very much enjoyed the pics and outline of your haskap picking bike trip. We have just planted 10 acres of haskap plants to start an orchard here in Saskatchewan.
    Cheers
    Murray Munsie

    Facebook murray munz

  • Ben Lubin

    Hi Rob – I love your site and am looking forward to riding some of the Hokkaido routes this coming Summer. One question – I am setting up a similar site, but about riding in Berlin – do you plot all your maps on ride with gps – and are you able to insert the icons (camping, food etc.) through ride with gps?

    Cheers,

    Ben

    • Rob Thomson Post author

      Hey Ben, yes, RidewithGPS has all the icons for different points of interest. Great tool! I have the premium membership, but even the free plan has the POIs icons.

  • Michael

    Hi Rob,

    I hope this finds you well.

    My friend Mark Hamilton sent me the link to your website and I have enjoyed reading about your many adventures.

    Pretty amazing stuff.

    Keep up the fun stuff.

  • Andrew

    Hi Rob,
    First off, thanks for sharing your journeys in this great website with detailed info and pix/videos. I’ve been following your site for more than a year now and finally come end May I will be heading to Hokkaido for a short two weeks cycling trip. I think more than 80% of the planning is already in your website.. so thank you very much for that.

    Under the Accomodation tab the two links to Camping Grounds and Rider House is not working. Hope you can get that fixed soon.

    Cheers
    Andrew (Singapore)

  • Matt

    Hi Rob,

    Just wanted to say I love your site and you’ve been on some fantastic adventures! A couple friends and I are doing a 1200k ride over several days in mid-August that will start and finish in Otofuke. Afterwards we plan on touring around Hokkaido with our spouses via train or car for a week.

    I was wondering if you had any advice for transporting our road bikes from Chitose airport to our hotel in Otofuke and back. We’ll be spending a day or two in Sapporo before the ride but were thinking of shipping the bikes to the hotel in Otofuke ahead of time so that we’re not lugging them all over the place. After the ride we plan on heading to Shiretoko and then Asahikawa, and we’d like to ship the bikes to the airport (or somewhere close) so that we don’t have to go back to Otofuke to get them.

    We’ll have one bike in a soft case, one in a Thule hard case, and the other TBD. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

    Matt

  • Damien

    Hi Rob –

    Firstly, thank you for a very informative site. It’s very useful!

    I’m wondering if you might have some insights? I expect to be ending a cyclo-touring trip (from Fukuoka) in Kushiro around May 23/24, 2018. I’ll be desperate for a bike box when I do. Any suggestions for reliable bike shops in Kushiro that I should reach out to for a box?

    Thanks for your help,

    Damien

  • Andrew Seager

    Hi, this is Andrew.

    We ‘spoke’ early 2017 when I was planning a tandem trip to Hokkaido in August 2017. Just to let you know it all went very well – no problems with the bike – tho’ lots of people photographed it – either on the road or the trains. We had a great time. Highlight was probably cycling round Rishiri. Lowlight was the track that petered out into nothing in bear country forcing us to push the tandem through 1.5m high vegetation for a km or so – a failure for Ride with GPS/OSM cycle.

    Andrew

  • Karen Hesterman

    Hi!

    I only have about 3 days in Shiretoko this June. Any chance for a 3 day cycling trip? I live in Kobe and could bring my own road bike.

  • Kerri McKenna

    Hi Rob
    I just wanted to thank you for all your efforts in publishing these amazing Hokkaido cycle touring routes & blogs. I am coming over from Melbourne, Australia on July 9, riding for 5 weeks. I can’t wait! Your blogs have inspired & informed me and who knows what adventures are to come! I have cycled in Oz, New Zealand, the UK, the US (got arrested on the Canadian border for accidentally wheeling my bike across the grass verge into the US, oops) and travelled in lots of Asia (Japan, around Tokyo) but my first cycle trip in a country where I don’t speak the language.

    Thanks for all your help.
    Best wishes
    Kerri

    • Rob Thomson Post author

      Great to hear! I am sure it will be a great first forray into the unknown world of non-English speaking country cycle touring 🙂

  • Urs Hausherr

    dear Rob,
    we are a Swiss-couple from Basel, Switzerland
    we recently found your webpage. so great!!!!
    we are coming to Hokkaido this september with our own bikes.
    we have 10 weeks to spend in Japan and are going to fly back from Fukuoka mid of november.

    i just reached to install an open street map (garmin.openstreetmap.nl) for Japan on my Garmin and it seems to work.
    my first download of your trip:
    Sapporo Out-and-Back via Lake Shikotsu (Hokkaido, Japan) was a success.
    as we’ll arrive on Chitose-Airport, your suggestion could be our first stage!

    yesterday Ursula, my wife, booked two nights in Sapporo.
    up till now we plan to stay for 2 or 3 weeks in Hokaido before going south.

    what would you recomend to do in that time? 80 km per day or a bit more is realistic.
    a suggestion for a roundtrip would be fine.
    what about sleeping in the tent at that time of the year?

    we would love to get in contact with you.
    kind regards
    Ursula and Urs

    • Rob Thomson Post author

      September is fine for camping. Not too hot, and still not too cold. For two or three weeks, linking together the Shakotan and Niseko hills route and the two southern Hokkaido routes could be good. If you don’t mind putting bikes on a train (you have to pack them into a bike bag) then the Shiretoko Loop tour would be nice.

      Hope this helps.

  • Sebastian Ayares

    Hello, Im´m Sebastian from Chile, I will be in Hokkaido for February 2019 10 till 25… should be good can set something…. it is possible you send me information about the trips you will do during those dates?.. also the price per day too?… I´m looking for accomodation close to Sapporo… it looks good area with a lot of ski area… well let me know.

    regards.

    sebastian.

    • Rob Thomson Post author

      Hey Sebastian, great to hear you are planning to come up this way. I am just a guy with a day job, so you might want to contact a guiding outfit. Do a Google search for Hokkaido backcountry ski guides – there are plenty out there.

  • Gergana

    Hi Rob,
    Greetings from Leysin! This is Gergana, we briefly met camping at Lake Toya in early June.
    Mark and I are currently in Leysin and I recall reading at some point that you started your journey around the world from here. Cool connection. Anyway, just thought to say hello.

    Enjoy the summer in Hokkaido and hopefully, we can hit the slopes together this winter.

    Gergana

  • Greta Schneider

    Hi Rob,

    I stumbled across your blog on a TGR forum and I wanted to thank you for sharing your advice and enthusiasm so freely!!

    I’m moving to Hokkaido in November to ski a season and have been thinking of buying a van to bum out of. I was wondering what your thoughts are about living in a van (hopefully with a heater) given what I’ve heard is a brutally cold winter.

    Do you have any suggestions on multi-mountain ski passes?

    Thanks so much for your help!

    Best,

    Greta

  • Wilson

    Hi, I’m wilson, thank you for your post, Much appreciated.

    We are planning with my gf to travel in Sapporo and noted that u rented campervan and having good journey.

    Can we have the web site on the campervan that u rent?

    Thank you so much.

  • Emmanuel

    Hi Rob,

    I intend to go to Sapporo in January for 7 days just for ski touring .I live in France in the Alpes.
    I don’t know for the time being if I will be on my own but I need anyway informations and advice to go there .
    Can you perhaps help me with that ?

    Thank you for your answer

    Emmanuel

    • Rob Thomson Post author

      Hi Emmanuel, thanks for the message. If you need more guidance than what is on my Hokkaido Backcountry Ski Touring Resourses page, then I recommend you contact a guiding company. If you do a Google search form Hokkaido backcountry ski guides, you should find a few to choose from.

      Cheers,
      Rob

  • Remi

    Hello, while looking for information about Hokkaido winter activities, I found your site. We would like to do snowshoe daytrip in Hokkaido next february, but can’t manage to find many information about possibilities. Do you know if there’s guides that can organise 4-5 hours trip ?
    Regards
    Remi

  • Liz terry

    Hi Rob, I came across your page when I arrived in Sapporo a month ago and I’ve just spent a wonderful month biking around Using your page as a guide line. Had so much fun. I’m now in Aomori and am trying to plan my trip south. A friend of mine suggested that I go to Lake Towada via Oirase gorge, but they also said that they thought that you couldn’t get there via the 103 as it was a car only road?! Do you know if that is correct? I see you did the gorge but from Hachinohe.
    Look forward to your reply
    Cheers
    Liz

  • Zach

    Hi Rob! Love your website, it is really well done and has been an invaluable tool for as we plan a ski trip to Hokkaido for this winter (Feb 2019!).

    I had a couple questions about the tours. Most of the lodges sound very remote and bare. From description, it sounds like you are packing in and out everything you need. Aside from the ski gear, should we expect to need sleeping bag/pad, food, and cooking equipment? Also, is there a specific way you travel with all this gear? Do you typically use a sled or just pack it all in a backpack?

    Thanks for the insight!

    • Rob Thomson Post author

      Hey Zach, we’re about one or two weeks away from lauching hokkaidowilds.org, which will have a whole bunch more information about Hokkaido huts (I’m basically transferring all the Hokkaido route info from 14degrees.org to the new site). In the meantime, here’s an answer to your queries:

      As a rule, all huts in Hokkaido should be assumed to be extremely basic by any developed-world standards. Everything is pack-in-pack-out. Food, rubbish, bedding (including sleeping pad/mattress), cooking equipment, electricity…everything. The only thing you generally don’t need to pack is heating – many huts have wood or coal stoves that are a god-send in mid-winter. If there’s a stove at the hut, there’ll also be fuel. Check the individual hut details. If you have any specific queries about any specific hut, hold off until the end of the first week of November, and check https://hokkaidowilds.org/huts for the updated info.

      As for the sled vs. pack issue, it really depends on the hut and the approach. You’ll be safest to count on using a pack.

      An example is a trip we did to the Shakotan Hut. One member of our party brought a sled (700yen plastic cheapie – which works well, usually), as we all assumed we’d be able to skin up the snowed-in forestry road all the way to the hut. As it turned out, the road had been bulldozed back to the gravel, and we had to skin along the gully next to the road. Our sled-toting member had to abandon the sled and carry on with a very unwieldy tote-bag around one shoulder.

  • Joya

    Hey rob

    I was just thinking to travel by my longboard after my apprenticeship and then i found your website.

    -did you plan your route before starting or did you planned from day to day?
    – you wrote how much cash you spent in a day but i wanna know how much you spent with all together?
    -what did you most miss from the life in civilation?
    -how did you prepare for the trip?
    -where there days you didn’t drove or your motivation disappeared?
    -and do you think it’s possible for me to do that i mean i’m a complete other generation my apprenticeship ends in 2 years i’m going to be 18 then