Skiing on Mount Yōtei Volcano in Japan

You've always wanted to ski down the crater of a volcano? Off to Japan then! Because on the island of Hokkaido you can do just that. Our friends Armin and Korbi went back-country skiing on Yōtei-zan volcano, and sent us some impressive snap shots. Enjoy!

Mount Yōtei is an inactive volcano on the island of Hokkaido in Japan. The volcano is located south-east of Sapporo, between the ski resorts Niseko United, Niseko Annupuri, and Rusutsu in Shikotsu-Tōya National Park.

If you want to ski down the crater, you first have to get to the summit at 1,898 metres (6,227 ft) above sea level. Naturally, there are no ski lifts here. So get your ski skins ready and conquer the mountain.

The climb can be exhausting. Some bits are impossible even with ski skins, so you have to continue by foot.

Even beneath the summit, Mount Yōtei volcano treats the participants of the ski tour to an amazing view.

Once at the top, it's time for a break ...

... to take some souvenir selfies ...

... and enjoy the stunning view.

Yōtei-zan surmounts its surroundings by almost 5,000 feet, which makes for an impressive 360-degree view.

If you're not just there for the pictures, you can walk around the main crater in a 2 km (1.2 miles) hike.

However, time is usually scarce, as you should have descended before sun set.

Even though this picture makes it looks like smoke is ascending from Mount Yōtei's crater, you don't need to worry about eruptions. The last volacnic outburst here was dated to 1050 BC.

You want to go skiing in Japan too? Here are some helpful tips to plan your trip!

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