Terms
Please read this before using SnowWind. By using the site you agree to these terms.
Operator
This site (snowwind.org) is operated by YUKIKAZE, K.K. (株式会社雪風). Contact: [email protected]. SnowWind is a brand of YUKIKAZE, K.K..
Assumption of risk
The backcountry is unmanaged avalanche terrain and is inherently dangerous; serious injury or death can occur. You travel on your own judgement and accept all risks arising from your decisions.
A planning aid — not advice, not a guarantee
All routes, terrain, slope, aspect, wind and danger displays here are planning aids — not recommendations and not a go/no-go decision. The data contains error and may differ from real conditions. Field observations and the day’s official avalanche bulletin always take precedence.
Guide directory and the parties’ roles
Guide-directory information is supplied primarily by each guide. Before publication, SnowWind reviews the qualifications and listing. Liability-insurance evidence is optional; a listing does not guarantee coverage. Review the activity risks and participation terms and arrange any required participant insurance. These terms do not exclude or limit liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited. This review does not guarantee availability on a particular date, safety, suitability for a guest, or the outcome of a service. Each guide provides guide services independently. SnowWind provides the directory, introduction, communication path and, where available, payment rails; it is not the provider of the guide service itself.
Content a guide submits
For every photo and every piece of text a guide submits on a tour page, that guide warrants they own the copyright or hold a valid licence to use it. By submitting it, the guide grants SnowWind a non-exclusive licence to display that content on this site and in related promotional material. If content is found to infringe a third party’s rights, SnowWind may remove it without prior notice.
Enquiries, bookings and specific terms
Sending an enquiry form is not a confirmed booking, a promise of availability or a charge. If a service agreement results after the guide reviews the request and confirms acceptance and the details, that agreement is between the guide and customer on the terms they agree. The trip page’s displayed scope, inclusions, equipment, participation requirements and cancellation terms, together with any later written agreement between the parties, apply to that guide service. If a general description differs from a specific display or later agreement, the more specific and later-agreed term controls the service detail to the extent permitted by law. These Terms continue to govern use of SnowWind itself.
Payments, cancellations and refunds
Where online payment is offered, Stripe processes it. Some trips instead require direct payment to the guide or payment at the meeting point. You do not need to pay merely because you sent an enquiry; wait for the guide’s acceptance and payment instructions. Eligibility and amounts for cancellation or refund follow the displayed cancellation terms, any later written agreement and applicable law. The order page lets you cancel the booking yourself; the refund follows the cancellation ladder shown there, less the payment cost we cannot recover. Contact both the guide and SnowWind for anything outside that. Sending a message does not by itself change the booking status or guarantee a refund.
No warranty · limitation of liability
Site information may contain errors or be out of date and does not guarantee accuracy, completeness, suitability for a particular purpose or the safety of an activity. The operator’s liability for intentional or negligent acts, breach of obligations or other grounds is governed by applicable law. These terms do not require users to waive their legal rights.
Third-party data & intellectual property
Terrain is from the GSI (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan) DEM; roads, lifts, pistes, buildings and other map features: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL); weather/snow from Open-Meteo; some foundation routes derive from Hokkaido Wilds (CC BY-SA 4.0, attributed and shared alike). We do not republish proprietary routes (e.g. YAMAP). All rights remain with their owners.
License
The site’s code and its route content / derived data are released under CC BY-SA 4.0. Reuse requires attribution and ShareAlike under the same license.
Governing law
These terms are governed by the laws of Japan; disputes relating to the site are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Japan.
These are general terms, not legal advice. For avalanche safety, always rely on proper training, gear and the day’s official bulletin.