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Sam Khalsa

@chasingparadise2024

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Expat, traveler, snowboarder, adventure enthusiast

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One winter in Hokkaido 🇯🇵

Five months of chasing storms, early mornings, unforgettable lines and a whole lot of moments in between.

Some of the best skiing of our lives, some of the worst conditions imaginable and everything that comes with spending a winter in the mountains of Japan.

I've spent the last few months putting it all together into a full-length film.

UTSUROI (移ろい) — A Hokkaido Winter

The official trailer is now live on my YouTube channel.

🎬 Watch it through the link in my bio.

Full film coming October 31st.

#Niseko #Japan #skiing #backcountryskiing #winter

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If you know, you know 🤣

Some of the best moments in the backcountry are shared slamming down lunch in -15°C before heading up for another lap.

#skitouring #skiseason #skiing #snowboarding #wintersports

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3 hours up, 1 minute down... There's just something about it 🤔

#niseko #skiing #skitouring #backcountryskiing #hokkaido

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I'm full of dumb decisions 🤣

#niseko #skitouring #backcountryskiing #skiseason #skiing

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Would empty my bank account to do this tomorrow 😅

#skiing #skijapan #skitouring #backcountryskiing #niseko

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🥹🍙❄️🗻🏯

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Just because we made it out doesn't mean we made the right decisions.

There's always something to learn on days like this.

Full video out now on my YT channel (link in bio)

#niseko #japan #skiseason #skiing #backcountryskiing

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If there's such thing as too much snow, this was the day 😅

Full video out on my YouTube channel (link in bio).

#niseko #japan #skiing #snowboarding #skiseason

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The window that almost didn't happen 🔥

We'd been scoping this line for months, waiting for a very specific weather window. One that needed timing, patience, a favourable snowpack and a bit of belief. The day finally came and we set off at 5am to do what needed to be done.

As we started skinning through the forest in the dark, headlamps illuminating the track ahead, it honestly felt like a long shot. The forecast said maybe, the mountain said not yet.

We pushed on, snow still falling from the sky and clouds covering our objective. I started preparing myself for the idea that today might not be the day. At this point, it would have been far easier to say no and turn back.

Higher up, the snowfall eased and the clouds thinned. Light started to creep in, but still no sun. It was just enough to keep the dream alive.

And then, almost out of nowhere, the lords blessed us from above. Sunlight poured in, blue sky above and a perfectly lit bowl with fresh Hokkaido powder. We still had an hour of bootpacking until the summit. Hopefully the window would last long enough.

Well, it did. So many things had to go right for this to happen, as all four of us dropped into a line we'll remember forever.

This clip barely scratches the surface of the day, but it captures the feeling. The doubt, the patience, the relief and the adrenaline.

When I dreamt of skiing in the off-season, this was it.

Check out the full video now live on my YouTube channel (link in bio).

#niseko #japan #skiing #skiseason #skitouring

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Yotei Sunrise
🗻🪾🍙🔮

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Life lately 🙏

📸 @quintessential_21

#niseko #japan #skiseason #skiing #life

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Absolutely nailed the weather window this morning 🔥

Here's how the day went:

5:00am - Wake up and stumble out of bed. It's pitch black outside and -12°C.

5:30am - Snow clear and leave the house.

5:45am - Stop at Lawson for breakfast and snacks.

6:15am - Start skinning up the mountain while it's dumping with snow. The cloud cover is dimly illuminated with the first signs of twilight. Initial thoughts start to creep in about whether we got the weather prediction right...

7:00am - Still dumping, low lying clouds are covering our objective. Head torches come off as there's enough indirect light coming from the sun. Maybe we did get the weather wrong?

7:30am - It's bright by now and the snow comes to a halt, but the clouds are still hovering. This day might end up a little different than we thought. A little over halfway to the top.

8:00am - Time to bootpack the rest of the ridge. This is gonna suck...

8:15am - The clouds disappear and the sun comes out. The weather window is here, but we're still 30 minutes from the top. Did we get the call right but we're just behind on time? Are we gonna miss the window?

8:45am - We reach the top with the sun moving in and out of cloud cover. Are we going to get another window? 2.5 hours hiking to not have the sun would really be a shame. Time to transition and hope it clears up again when we're ready to drop.

9:00am - After waiting for the perfect moment, we drop into our best run of the season with the sun gracing us with it's presence.

Truly an incredible morning, the type you can only dream of. So stoked we planned it out, stuck with the plan even when it didn't look like it would happen and executed. Cheers for the day boys, plenty more to come 🤙

@quintessential_21
@tomkatsu._
@chasingparadise2024

#niseko #japan #skiing #japow #skitouring

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