About Hakuba Alpine Guides

Hakuba Alpine Guides is managed by year-round Hakuba resident and Damian Banwell. On his days off he goes touring with friends or is gathering snow stability data in the field and is a contributing member to the Japan Avalanche Network. Damian completed his CAA Level 1 Ski Operations in Canada, has current 80 hour Wilderness First Responder training and holds Active Membership status with the Canadian Avalanche Association and instructs introductory AST avalanche courses, however, like nearly all foreigners in Japan, he does not hold any professional guiding certification. Damian is Australian and has spent the last decade living in Europe and Japan. He has enjoyed good backcountry times in Chamonix, Austria, Switzerland, Hakuba, Hokkaido, Canada and Greenland.

This is the Japanese character for dake, which means peak or mountain. For example, the highest peak above Hakuba is Shirouma Dake (2932m) - White Horse Mountain. Red is a colour often associated with the Japanese Shinto religion, the primary belief of which is that life should be lived simply and in harmony with nature and other people.

Lloyd was born in 2000, stands as high as your knees and has been around more than a few mountains - across Europe and Japan. Winter powder is too deep for him, but in spring he is unstoppable. The only dog to have been part of ski descents from the summits of Hakuba's three main peaks. Here he is nearing the top of the NE couloir on Shakushi Dake in Hakuba. And here as we start to ski the east face of Hakuba Yari.