For those who haven't yet had the privilege of the exclusive Iwanai Resort, I'll tell you a little about my experience to make you jealous. The day started with a pick up from my accommodation at 07:30 and an informative, and very scenic, journey through the region, towards the coast. There were teas and coffees upon arrival while we gathered in the lodge to meet our guides. Our briefing with Sveinni and Daigo set the tone for the day: safety, snow, and sick lines. With no rush, but a hurried air of excitement, we donned our avalanche beacons and headed straight for the cat to get the fun underway. The next 6 hours were spent half in the comfort of the glass-walled purpose-built box atop the cat as it effortlessly carried us up the mountain, and half cutting fresh powder lines down the slopes and through the trees of this disused ski resort. The comfy seats were welcome rest for our legs and the homemade onigiri and doughnuts refuelled us for each descent. Special mention goes out to lunch; tearing us away from the powder was a tough sell but soon appreciated after the first bite of our delicious feast at Three Birds Restaurant.
Iwanai Resort is lorded for it's sea views, due to it's proximity to the coast, and we were lucky enough to choose a bluebird day for maximum wow-factor. My Instagram sure gained a few followers that day. Aside from the fact that most days are powder days here, the fun is not as dependent on daily conditions as at our big resorts because, even if it hasn't dumped fresh snow that morning, you and your cat-mates are the only people using it so you won't run out of new lines to cut. With the longest vertical (600m) of any surrounding cat ski operation, and plenty of old-growth trees to weave your way around, you never have to touch the same snowflake twice.
Our day was rounded off at sunset with a few après beers and many laughs as we debriefed the unforgettable day we'd enjoyed together. The main theme emerging from our babble was just how lucky we felt to be the few people in the world to have had the pleasure and the luxury of this coveted adventure.
Iwanai till I die!
