Our Story — Alpine Backcountry Rental & Guiding Australia

The Backcountry Life

Deep in the Tokachi Powder, Hokkaido, Japan.

Telemark Descent from Summit of Mt Fuji, 3776m, Japan.

Furano Resort side-country powder, Hokkaido, Japan.

Family Ski Touring, Snowy Plains, NSW.

Working with Film Maker, Malcolm Douglas, “A Season of Snow”, NSW.

Skiing near the Ruth Glacier, Alaskan Range.

Climbing Denali 6190m, Kahiltna Glacier, Alaskan Range.

Dropping the Knee, Furano, Hokkaido Japan.

Climbing Denali 6190m, Kahiltna Glacier, Alaskan Range.

Nordic Skating, Hokkaido Japan.

Mt. Furano Summit, 1912m, Hokkaido, Japan.

Powder day on the Greymare Range, NSW.

Climbing Pigne D’Aroll, 3796m, the Haute Route Italy.

Fully loaded guiding, the Kerries, NSW

Tomamu Backcountry, Hokkaido, Japan.

Learning the ropes, Snowy Plains, NSW.

Ski Touring, Main Range, NSW.

Ski Touring Main Range, NSW.

Backcountry powder, Tokachi Mts, Hokkaido, Japan.

John & Sam, Summit Mt Sandan, Hokkaido, Japan.

Backcountry powder, Tokachi Mts, Hokkaido, Japan.

Ashibetsu range, Hokkaido, Japan.

Summit Ishi Dake, Tomamu, Hokkaido, Japan.

Climbing Mae Tokachi, Tokachi Mts, Hokkaido, Japan.

Backcountry powder, Asahi Dake, Hokkaido, Japan.

Backcountry powder, Tomamu, Hokkaido, Japan..

John Morrell

Alpine Backcountry Rental was founded by John Morrell to cater for the burgeoning demand for backcountry skiing equipment in Hokkaido, Japan.

Prior to this, John was a pioneer backcountry ski guide in central Hokkaido, where he ran his first guided tour in 1984. At this time no other foreign groups were skiing the wilderness of central Hokkaido.

As Hokkaido skiing gained a broad international reputation and skier numbers increased, the lack of good rental or back up equipment became apparent. So in 2012, John used his backcountry experience, intimate knowledge of backcountry skiing in central Hokkaido and his contacts in the industry to establish Alpine Backcountry Rental. This was the first specialist backcountry ski rental in Hokkaido which catered predominantly for visiting foreign skiers.

John’s Japanese skiing friends introduced him to his shop premises, a wood cabin at the resort that would soon become a meeting point for backcountry skiers from all corners of the globe. It became equally a place to rent quality skis and other equipment, a place to stock up on new kit or to simply share in the knowledge of where and when to go for that perfect powder hit in the nearby mountains.

Going back further, John cut his teeth ski touring in the NSW Snowy Mountains. He graduated to become a nordic instructor, telemark instructor and ski tour guide in the 1980’s with another pioneer ski touring organisation, Wilderness Expeditions.

In between times John did a telemark ski descent of Mt Fuji, participated in a Denali expedition in Alaska, ran guided tours on the Ruth Glacier, also in Alaska, and completed a traverse of the classic Haute Route in Europe, from Chamonix to Zermatt. This traverse was also on telemark skis.

The culmination of this life time in the backcountry is the foundation for our shop in the old bakery in Berridale NSW. Whether it be quality rental equipment or day and overnight guided ski tours in the NSW snowy mountains, we can help. Or just drop in for a chat by the open fire and get the latest information on what the conditions are like. John looks forward to seeing you in Berridale.

Samuel Morrell

Samuel started his love affair with the winter backcountry in the NSW Snowy Mountains, looking over the lip of a sled towed by his father, John. Snow play at an early age was soon followed by his first tentative turns on tele skis which gave way to backpacking and winter snow camping. From an early age he had the backcountry in his blood.

During his teenage years he spent the northern winters in Furano, Hokkaido, Japan. There he first learnt the powder secrets of the resort and honed his skiing skills by following John and others. This pretty soon gave away to John trying to keep up with him on the Furano ski resort and the myriad side-country runs which he now knew by heart.

Then on one perfect blue sky day, he was taken across the valley from Furano, over to the Tokachi Mts. for his first ever climb in the wilderness with skins and acres of untracked powder. That was it, he was hooked, and as he said that day “I don’t think I’ll ski the resort again!” He did of course and continued to explore every nook and cranny, including side country runs, through the big resorts of central Hokkaido, Furano, Asahi Dake and Tomamu.

This was interspersed with days of climbing and skiing the endless backcountry of central Hokkaido either based in Furano or at our lodge, Alpine Backcountry Lodge, in Tomamu. Of an evening he helped in our Furano Alpine Backcountry store with ski preparation and general information.

During winter 2019/20 he cut his teeth as a trainee guide on our in-house guide training course run by Alpine Backcountry guide, Miles Bright, a French based UIAGM qualified guide. That winter Samuel went on to tail guide and on some occasions had to step up to take over the guiding which was met with hugely positive reviews from our backcountry clients.

Samuel is currently a backcountry guide in training and for this winter he will be working on the Perisher ski school as a trainee instructor, an invaluable skill for all guides to have. When he is not on the hill he will be in our shop helping set up rental equipment, assisting with retail sales and generally waxing lyrical about backcountry skiing. He looks forward to seeing you in Berridale.