Mountains are mountains and snow is snow. What’s different here is that
it is colorful, well organized, full of smartly dressed Japanese people and
very different after ski. Everyone is extremely nice and service minded.

Colorful snowboarder and Sandy.

A nice hat for your snowboard not to scratch the gondola window.

I went to see Sandy in Nagoya where she is studying for a year and we
decided to explore Hakuba Goryu + Hakuba 47 and Happo One. Three
of 1998 Olympics Nagano 7 main areas.

Luckily the Olympics and all the Australians coming here give us some
information in English.

Colorful rental.

Spicy rental. 

Good skiing on well groomed slopes. Everything was thought of from the
start with ski rentals also selling equipment, shops for food and presents,
restaurants, Fun parks, picnic rooms with tables, garbage stations, toilets 
with hairdryer, lockers and venue machines for cold and warm drinks and
a spa area. Free buses between the resorts are sponsored by beer suppliers.

Buy a ticket in the machine for today´s curry, pasta, noodles or pizza.

Crowded beginners slope.

We stayed in a cozy, nice backpackers place called K’s Backpackers Hostel
Hakuba. 10 min walk from the train station and 5 min from the cable car
in Hakuba Goryu. 2 bed rooms or dormitories. Kitchen, dining room and
a big terrace. Toshi and his wife runs the plays and take care of you as
if you where kings and queens.

Art and food is handmade and really nice.

Hakuba Goryu is a nice little area with easy slopes in the sun and some
really good steep runs as well as some good moguls. Mostly beginners
on skis and they love to take ski lessons. It’s connected to Hakuba 47
where the snow park is attracting all the good snowboarders. Also some
really nice intermediate, long runs. One slope open for night skiing.
Nightlife includes a few nice restaurants and one bar with live music now
and then plus the local onsen (hot springs), of course.

With an international menu.

Happo One, the bigger sister of Hakuba Goryu+47 is the biggest
resort in the area. You get up over 2500 m and there are more slopes.
Some nice steep ones. Also here they have a good park. Experienced
skiers and snowboarders. Good skiing and a nice view from top. This
resort, a small town, has it all, including nightlife with bars, restaurants
and more fancy Hotels.

Onsen is the thing for after-ski. Less than 4 Euros, shampoo and soap
included as well as the warm water coming up from mother earth. Bring
a couple of beers and you can “talk away” some hours in there.

Guides and ski instructors ski on Japanese skis.

Normally this area gets more than 10 m of snow in winter season starting
in December ending in May. Off pist skiing is strictly forbidden to protect
the skiers and there are signs everywhere. The resort for off pist skiing
in the area is said to be Hakuba Cortina.

Well organized.

From Tokyo you easily get here in 4-5 hours by train. One day ski pass
is about 40 Euros a day and ski + boot rental 35 Euros a day.

To prove I’ve been there. On the metro to get back to reality again.
Bye, bye Japan!

Keep skiing!          

Lian/March-10