Exploring the Backcountry at Yamagata Zao

For someone who just learned the fundamentals of skiing, diving into the unknown is really scary and exhilarating at the same time. 

So, I guess this is my backcountry ski debut? 🙂 

In Yamagata prefecture, the Kaminoyama Area is on the other side of the Zao mountain range and it is only a 30-minute mountain road drive from Zao Onsen. It is the home of some ski resorts like Zao Sarukura and Zao Liza World. These local ski resorts are the playground of the neighborhood skiers and occasional visitors who love to venture and explore the Zao backcountry. 

Zao Liza Ski Resort is the perfect place to start if you’re thinking of climbing the Zao mountains during the winter season. There are a number of snow shoe hikers that trek the mountain as this beginner-friendly route is the fastest to get to the Zao Okama, the volcanic crater with a lake which resembles a lot like a cooking pot, hence the name. Starting from the base of the ski resort, go up through the chair lift and hike the remaining distance for an hour (in winter) or longer depending on your pace. In summer season, the Katta chairlift should be open to easily take you up to the Zao okama view deck. It is more popular during that time because you can enjoy the view even without hiking. In our case, instead of show shoes, we used our skis to hike up so we can have the pleasure of skiing down the mountain after. It wasn’t that difficult as the slope wasn’t a difficult one and easy to ski down safely. Even if you’re confident in your skills, it is still recommended to go skiing with a guide as it is difficult to tell the dangerous areas of the terrain. 

I visited Zao Okama a few years back during summertime and the view in winter is very different as it has a whole other charm on its own. I mean, you can’t even recognize the crater lake immediately as it is covered in snow. The area also has very strong wind passing through and when we hiked up the Kattamine Shrine which was overlooking the lake, I could already feel the hard push of the wind. In some days, you cannot even go to the peak as the wind is too strong to stand up. 

Skiing down off-piste was an experience to remember. Depending on the snow condition during the time of your visit during winter season, the mountain can greet you with very veeery deep snow, or hard slushy spring snow. Both are fun to maneuver in, as it can train your skills to be prepared for all sorts of snow conditions. Once you get the hang of it, you can finally focus on looking around you, and see the beautiful mountain landscape of Yamagata. It’s also fun to slowly recognize the mountain roads as some of the road signs are peeking out from meters of packed snow.  

Zao Liza World Ski Resort enables you to do side country as well. Take the ski lift and enter the tree areas for more deep snow adventure in the mountain. Taking the side country will let you ski many times in one day, as riding the lift is so much faster than hiking up. Also, in the patch of trees inside the ski resort is a natural mountain spring which is in a trail that is accessible during summer. There are ancient trees in the area as well which are often not recognized by passing skiers, even if it’s just literally beside the main slope.  

Aside from the fun skiing activities, there is also a path accessible on foot towards the frozen waterfalls called the Takiyama Otaki. You can take your snow shoes, or crampons, or even your ski boots and tread across the mountain for less than an hour to get a glimpse of the frozen waterfalls. It’s an amazing sight as the once strong flowing water became still as if time has stopped. The frozen structure also changes as springtime approaches, with pieces of fragments breaking off from the main clump of ice. 

For more information about the backcountry skiing activities and the wonderful nature spots you can visit, check out Pension Noel and NRS ActiveOutdoor to plan your trip: