Niseko United boasts some of the greatest tree skiing in the world thanks to an ample supply of powder and plenty of nicely spaced silver birch forest. It also has some incredible skiing above the tree line too and in this installment we will cover a little of both with a quick look at what the summit of Mount Annupuri or The Peak has to offer. 

The Peak is the highest point of Mount Annupuri (1308m) which is of course home to The Niseko United Area. The peak is accessed via a single chair know by many as "the pizza box" or King Lift #4 and then on foot. You can access the pizza box from either Hirafu via the The King Hooded Lift # 3, or The Hanazono Quad Lift#3. This iconic single seater will swing you up to gate 3 where you you can begin the 20 - 30 minute hike to the summit.

Peak access is governed by Niseko Local rules, get familiar with these before you go -https://www.niseko.ne.jp/en/niseko/niseko-rules/ . 

Gate 3 being open is dependent on weather and snow conditions. If the weather is bad and the gate happens to be open, if you are not familiar with the area you will probably best to leave it for another day as it can be easy to get lost if you can't see where you are going.

From the summit you can choose to drop in to the east ridge, down to Goshiki Onsen or back into the Annupuri resort area. The views are incredible and the terrain that the hike opens up is awesome starting with nicely pitched open powder fields and leading into beautifully gladed tree runs.

If you want to get the best out of your peak experience get to the single chair as soon as you can in the morning as the peak's goodness is no secret. Although the secret may be out, the terrain and snow is usually excellent and it's often worth a shot when the rest of the mountain hasn't seen snow for a few days. To get a place in the pizza box line many will start queuing at the Hirafu Gondola as early as 07:00am!

Remember the peak is out of bounds and it is part of the Niseko back country. Although easily accessible, the usual precautions must be taken. Always remember to ride with friends, take avalanche equipment that you know how to use and preferably enlist the help of a professionally certified guide or someone who has been before.

It is also important to check the weather and avalanche reports before you go -

Avalanche Reports - http://niseko.nadare.info/

Weather - https://www.windfinder.com/forecast/niseko_annupuri

Enjoy the ride!