Some pictures taken during my work skiĀ trip to Sapporo in Hokkaido, Japan. We spent 4 full days skiing at Rusutsu Ski Resort and the experience was awesome! š it was great to be back in an environment thatĀ felt soĀ familiar and comfortableā¦.. Ā and it was also a good feeling to look up at the slope and know that you can be up there in like mins ā in a ski lift!

me with Lisa Araki, a volunteer with Hokkaido YMCA ā in the typical Jap pose. Sheās funny! š

love the wide slopes and powder snow!

Lisa on the left and Shinbo on the right ā both from Hokkaido YMCA and superb skiiers and instructors!

On the summit of East Mt ā and the start of one of the intermediate trails. Gulp, itās actually quite scary cuz you canāt see the bottom of the slope, only a steep drop off!

the kids on the ski trip could ski so well ā much better than me! š

students from a high school in Osaka taking ski lessons on the beginner slope

Organised by YMCA of Singapore in collaboration with Hokkaido YMCA ā they are simply superb! and the kids look so cute!

Sight-seeing in Sapporo after the ski trip

Site of the Olympics in 1972 ā canāt imagine skiing down that slope man

and finally the farewell dinner at Sapporo Beer Garden. Free flow of juicy lambā¦ yummy!

Yihuiās first foray into the outdoors was climbing a snow-capped mountain during a Technical Mountaineering Course in New Zealand back in 2003. She has since developed a passion for hiking and climbing mountains in extreme places.