NISEKO, JAPAN
Doing a season in Japan you
don’t know what to expect, it is a foreign land with people who speak another
language and have their own unique culture from anywhere else in the world. On
arrival we spent a few days in Tokyo before heading up to the North Island of
Hokkaido. Already within these first days you got a glimpse of the Japanese,
mannerism, characteristics and traditions.
While in Niseko we stayed in
Kutchan in a share house, which is around a 15 minute drive from the main
mountain. We were happy we chose to stay here as you are surrounded by the
Japanese locals and staying in the share house over the season were young
Japanese snowboarders and felt like you were living more like them whereas the
town of Hirafu which is at the mountains base is full of tourists and
seasonaires meaning you could not really define it from any other resort town
other than the Japanese food and people!! Also being in Kutchan we were 5 mins
if that from the Loaf Lounge which has an indoor bowl and mini ramp where you
can go skate, real cool place and good to hang out even if you don’t skate!!
Niseko consists of 4 resorts
round the same mountain meaning you can access each by catching various chairs
and riding to each so you could challenge yourself and ride all 4 in one day,
each having their own unique charm….
HANAZONO….
Piste Map…. http://www.niseko.ne.jp/en/map/hanazono.html
Is famous for Strawberry
Fields, on a powder day it’s pillow lines galore with drops everywhere ranging
in sizes. With Blueberry fields across the piste from it all amongst the trees,
as yes if you love tree runs you will love Japan. Hanazono also has the biggest
park with an FIS standard half pipe which is big and is the first feature
followed by the jumps with an easy line and more intermediate line with a BIG
jump at the end this is all followed by a mix of different rails and boxes so
you can hit pipe, jumps and rails all in one run, sick and there’s a pretty fast
chair that laps all of this!!
GRAND HIRAFU….
Piste Map…. http://www.niseko.ne.jp/en/map/grand-hirafu.html
Is the main area of the
mountain as at it’s base is the welcome centre and the main town of Hirafu,
therefore in this area you will see the bulk of the instructors teaching and on
a powder day this place will be the first to get tracked out. Although here you
will find one of the steepest parts of the mountain to ride with some nice
drops and on a pow day you’ll be in love with this area, across the other side
there is Mihirashi where you get off at the top of the Gondola and hike up a
little and oh boy a mix of open space and then amongst the trees much fun is to
be had through the powder here J You will also find a park on this part of the mountain too with a
mixture of jumps rails and boxes, the jumps are more table top ones here, with
a smaller half pipe to the side.
NISEKO VILLAGE….
With some nice off piste and
natural gully’s which are fun to play about in this can be a fun area to check
out although we did not ride much here at, not that it’s bad but just has a
long slow gondola to take you back up to the top!! It does have probably the
most varied terrain to explore here and will always find something new. A
highlight is the Hilton hotel at the bottom where they have an all you can eat
buffet for a reasonable price. Also a free shuttle bus runs past the bottom of
all the 4 areas of the mountain to take you back to Hirafu..
ANNUPURI….
Piste Map…. http://www.niseko.ne.jp/en/map/annupuri.html
Is one of the quieter areas
to ride. On a pow day I’d recommend going here, especially if the gates are
open as the tree runs and gully that runs through there is amazing to ride,
there was also this huge windlip that formed too. It also has wide open pistes
with trees at the side that you can pop in and out whenever you fancy. They
have a couple of decent sized jumps here and from what I saw just one rail but
really there is so much fun natural terrain here you don’t need it!!
Moiwa is another mountain separate from the 4 resort
mountain as mentioned above, that you can get a free shuttle bus too, you have
to pay separately to ride this mountain, it is small but oh so awesome on a pow
day. I had my best pow tree run here over the season, stoked. It also has a
gate that when open will take you to some rad terrain and drops, a place to
check out for sure and home of the gnarliest track through trees and gullies I
have ever been through one of those where your almost holding your breath the
whole way then phew we made it, haha!! Check it out here…. http://www.niseko-moiwa.jp/english/about/index.html
The peak is never open the
day after heavy snow fall or during it for safety reasons and they are quite
strict on this so you just gotta keep an eye out for it opening up and you will
get one insanely awesome powdery head shots galore ride right to the bottom.
It’s pow morning noon and night on a good day which is most and the piste runs
have inches of white stuff to ride through too, ah it’s so so good.
Japan is all that you hear
it to be and more, the pow really is that soft fluffy and falls in abundance.
It has amazing tree runs with lot’s of natural drops and hits throughout
ranging in size so no matter what level of snowboarder/ skier you are there
will be something for you. There is nothing more magical than the night riding,
especially when the snow is falling under the flood lit slopes with epic spays
of snow looking even more epic while watching from the chair!! Wrap up warm
though as it does get very cold!! :D and that’s JAPOW for ya….
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