Sake tasting in Japan, followed by eight-hour days of fresh powder runs

I met Janó on a freeride tour. He was competing among the skiers, and I was with the snowboarders, so we didn’t have much overlap back then. Still, I noticed the GoBeyond sponsor stickers during our afternoon beers. For years afterward, I only followed the team from afar, but when they announced the Japan freeride tour, I knew I’d be joining them, even if it meant going without my usual crew. It just felt like everything aligned.

The entire trip was an incredible experience: we could ski for up to 8 hours a day in top-quality fresh powder, without any avalanche worries, and the communal hot spring soaks and meals were the perfect way to unwind after hours of intense sports. One of my favorite culinary memories is tied to these evenings.

One night, we found a small restaurant far from the slopes, where only a few locals were sitting at the counter besides us. The owner-server lady was enthusiastically friendly, and we shared some sake with her. Somehow, it came up that I like pickled foods. That was all she needed to hear—she immediately offered me local pickled plums. It happened so quickly that she didn’t even get a plate, handing them over straight from the chopsticks.

Before, my knowledge of Japanese cuisine was mostly limited to distinguishing sashimi from maki, but during the trip, I experienced what it’s like when sushi is the go-to meal. Even the last “junk food” available at Japanese convenience stores is local cuisine, whether it’s my favorite triangle sandwiches or bento boxes. At the base of the ski slopes, hot corn and cheese soup and various noodles are offered in vending machines.

I also encountered a few local customs that seemed odd at first, like the requirement to wear slippers in the bathroom or the practice of sitting down to shower. I enjoyed the trip and the organization so much that I joined the Japan tour again the following year, and since then, I’ve taken part in several other GoBeyond trips.