[Walking, skiing, and staying in the snowy mountains] Stay in a mountain hut at the foot of Mt. Makihata and experience snowshoeing, mountain skiing, snow caves, and igloos. [Outdoor Gearzine Snowy Mountain Experience 2026]

Wednesday, December 17, 2025

Written by Yasushi Hisatomi

The snow season finally kicked off with the "First Time on a Snowy Mountain" event the other day, but with the Outdoor Gearzine membership we want to provide as many opportunities as possible for you to enjoy the mountains during the winter season as well.

We held this event last season, and will be doing it again this season. We are pleased to announce "Snow Mountain Experience at a Mountain Hut at the Foot of Mt. Makihata 2026!", a snow mountain experience event based at "Iwamorimatsu Hut" at the foot of Mt. Makihata.

What's more, the content has been significantly improved from last year.

There are many fun things to do in the snowy mountains, such as digging snow caves and snowshoe hiking, but time just flies by. It's best to schedule things with a sense of ease so you don't have to push yourself too hard. So this season, we've decided to hold this mountain hut event three times in total, with each event loosely themed from January to March!

Last season's scenery. We hiked along the forest path with snowshoes to the mountain hut.

Last season, we dug a snow cave that could accommodate four people.

There are many pleasant forests and low mountains around the mountain hut, including Mt. Makihata.

Each of the three sessions will have a variety of activities planned, with the following dates and themes:

1st event: January 24-25, 2026 (Saturday and Sunday) Snow cave digging and hiking

2nd: February 21-22, 2026 (Saturday and Sunday) Igloo building and hiking

3rd: March 14-15, 2026 (Saturday and Sunday) Beacon rescue practice and backcountry skiing

In reality, we would like to make flexible decisions based on the weather and the wishes of the participants, but for the ``backcountry skiing'' event in March, we would like to fix the theme (to avoid confusion if people want to go mountain climbing and backcountry skiing are mixed).

If you have never walked on snow with snowshoes or snowshoes, never climbed a snowy mountain, would like to walk on snowy mountains on skis, have always wanted to stay overnight in the snow, or would like to make a snow cave, or anyone who wants to enjoy the outdoors during the snowy season, please feel free to join us.

table of contents

Event overview

Event overview

This project is for people who can climb mountains or hike solo but find it difficult to gain experience in snowy mountain activities on their own, and who find it difficult to go on expensive guided tours, and who want to experience a variety of snowy mountain activities using Iwamorimatsugoya mountain hut

To get to the mountain hut, it takes about an hour to walk on snowshoes from the parking area along a snowy path (during the summer, you walk along a wide snowy path that becomes a forest road. The difficulty varies depending on how hard the snow is).

The mountain hut has electricity and propane gas, and is fully equipped with a living/dining room, futons and beds, audio equipment, an electric kotatsu, a kerosene stove, and even a wood-burning stove.It is a safe place to stay as a base for activities even in the harsh winter.

These people match:

People who wanted to try snowy mountains but couldn't take the steps
People who want to learn the basics of walking around snowy mountains from experienced people
Those who want to experience camping and experience in snowy mountains, not just walking around the snowy mountains
People who want to relax comfortably and relax while watching the snow in a mountain hut with a snowy scenery

What you can do and want to do at the event

For now, I'll write down what I'm thinking right now.

Walk to the mountain hut on snowshoes or crampons
Climbing a snowy mountain
Mountain skiing experience
Dig a big snow cave
Tent pitching experience in the snowy mountains
Try building an igloo
Beacon search - Trying out rescue using a probe and shovel on real snow
Simulating how to bivouac in case of an emergency on a snowy mountain
Hotpot party using local ingredients

Details can be adjusted according to the members' wishes.

By the way, things you can do will vary depending on the weather on the day. Well, even if there are various unforeseen circumstances, you can rest assured that you can just leave it warm in a mountain hut if it happens.

Date and theme:

1st event: January 24-25, 2026 (Saturday and Sunday) Snow cave digging and hiking

2nd: February 21-22, 2026 (Saturday and Sunday) Igloo building and hiking

3rd: March 14-15, 2026 (Saturday and Sunday) Beacon rescue practice and backcountry skiing

place:

Around Iwamorimatsugoya, at the foot of Mt. Makihata, Shimizu, Minamiuonuma City, Niigata Prefecture

*Details and advice on how to meet up, preparations, what to bring, etc. will be provided after registration.

Minimum number of applicants:

2 people (each session)

Maximum number of recruits:

Approximately 15 people (each session)

*Please note that we will close applications once the maximum number of applicants has been reached

Application period:

Up to 10 days before the event (may be extended depending on the number of entries)

Participation conditions (participation fee):

that you must be a registered member of Outdoor Gearzine's "Standard Membership" at the time of the event (which costs 1,000 yen per month, so in reality it costs 1,000 yen).

In addition to this, we charge 1,000 yen per person as a mountain hut usage fee

Regarding equipment:

We expect everyone to bring their own equipment for day hikes in the snowy mountains, but we do have some spare equipment for specialized snowy mountain climbing, such as snowshoes, snowshoes, crampons, and ice axes, so please feel free to contact us if you have any concerns.

Regarding tents, mats, and sleeping bags, if you would like to sleep in a snow cave or tent, please bring your own camping equipment (if you don't have the equipment but want to try it, you can rent it on a first-come, first-served basis, although the number is limited).

Just to be clear, this is not a guided tour, but rather an offline meet-up between readers, so please keep in mind the basic principle of "protect your own life." However, we will of course provide full support to ensure you have a safe experience on the snowy mountains, so please rest assured about that.

*If you have any concerns about details such as preparations or what to bring, please feel free to contact us and we will provide you with detailed advice both before and after your entry.

↓↓If you would like to participate, please click↓↓

Application form for the offline event "Snow Mountain Experience at a Mountain Hut at the Foot of Mt. Makihata 2026"

Of course, if you have any questions or questions, please feel free to contact us.

↓↓If you have any questions or concerns, please use the Outdoor Gearzine inquiry form↓↓

https://outdoorgearzine.com/contact

Stay tuned for future announcements!