The Skiers & Snowboarders Thread

[Captain Halliday]

Mt Yotei with a halo in the mid-morning sun as we carve Stairway to Heaven at Hanazono.



Miss H snapped this one of me in waist deep powder at the start of Silver Dream.

 

[FrankC]

Does anyone know what contactless payment mean? Is that visa/ mastercard/ google pay/ apple pay or is it Japanese IC card or something else?

This refers to the bus that go between the 4 ski resorts in Niseko

(I am not planning to get the all mountain pass for all days)
(Last year was all mountain pass or cash only)
Link to pic Access Information | Niseko United

 

[Captain Halliday]

View attachment 419303
Does anyone know what contactless payment mean? Is that visa/ mastercard/ google pay/ apple pay or is it Japanese IC card or something else?

This refers to the bus that go between the 4 ski resorts on Niseko

(I am not planning to get the all mountain pass for all days)
(Last year was all mountain pass or cash only)
Link to pic Access Information | Niseko United

It’s a wide range of cards, but Mastercard is excluded for some reason.

Its works like public transport in AU - tap on/tap off.

Alternatively, if travelling with a family, the driver can add up the fare and change once for your group with a single tap when you get off the bus.

I’m here for two more days. If I use the shuttle again will try to remember to take a pic of the accepted cards.

Cash is still accepted should you wish.

 

[FrankC]

It’s a wide range of cards, but Mastercard is excluded for some reason.

Its works like public transport in AU - tap on/tap off.

Alternatively, if travelling with a family, the driver can add up the fare and change once for your group with a single tap when you get off the bus.

I’m here for two more days. If I use the shuttle again will try to remember to take a pic of the accepted cards.

Cash is still accepted should you wish.

Thank you

Would much prefer card (if I can) than cash

 

[Captain Halliday]

Thank you

Would much prefer card (if I can) then cash

Couple of other tips and changes re: lift passes.

Firstly, on the all mountain pass there’s no longer any rest days permitted. So a 7 day pass is for 7 consecutive days from first use.

Also if you’re planning some quieter ski days, or sticking to the slower chair lifts, keep in mind the points pass. It has saved us several hundred because Mrs H only does a handful of runs per day.

 

[WilsonM]

Does anyone have any recommendations for a skiing day trip from Tokyo? Not looking for anything in particular, but ideally within a 2 hour travel time each way

 

[larrymull]

In Japan in January skiing, but will be in EU early to mid-April and was going to tack on a week of skiing. Has anyone had any good experiences with spring skiing in europe?

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

Does anyone have any recommendations for a skiing day trip from Tokyo? Not looking for anything in particular, but ideally within a 2 hour travel time each way

Yuzawa! Direct Shinkansen from Tokyo and the Yuzawa Shinkansen station and lift terminal are in the same building along with lockers, hire equipment and ticket office.

 

[Quickstatus]

Yotei with a halo in the mid-morning sun as we carve Stairway to Heaven at Hanazono.

Terrible crowds. What about lift lines?

Post automatically merged: Thursday at 12:00 PM

good experiences with spring skiing in europe?

Val Thorens Ok but altitude...

 

[Cynicor]

Does anyone have any recommendations for a skiing day trip from Tokyo? Not looking for anything in particular, but ideally within a 2 hour travel time each way

Yep, yuzawa area. Shink to Gala direct, not echigoyuzawa station, and they are set up for day trippers. 80 min each way journey. Simple enough slopes for any level for a day.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Terrible crowds. What about lift lines?

Random sample… I count 5 people waiting for a 6 seater.



I don’t want to jinx it, but over the last two weeks the longest wait was about 90 seconds.

Worst we’ve had is being about six deep in a line.

 

[Captain Halliday]

View attachment 419303
Does anyone know what contactless payment mean? Is that visa/ mastercard/ google pay/ apple pay or is it Japanese IC card or something else?

This refers to the bus that go between the 4 ski resorts in Niseko

(I am not planning to get the all mountain pass for all days)
(Last year was all mountain pass or cash only)
Link to pic Access Information | Niseko United

Here’s your answer.

No IC card accepted.



Selection of credit cards with Mastercard the major exception.

 

[Quickstatus]

Worst we’ve had is being about six deep in a line.

Just terrible. And I can't use my Epic Pass either.
Japan needs to bring in the Epic Pass with decent crowds and lift queues.

 

[Cynicor]

Just terrible. And I can't use my Epic Pass either.
Japan needs to bring in the Epic Pass with decent crowds and lift queues.

I think you can use epic at rusutsu and lotte. Hence both have increased crowds and lift prices massively. Good times

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

I think you can use epic at rusutsu and lotte. Hence both have increased crowds and lift prices massively. Good times

Rusutsu and Hakuba Valley, 5 consecutive days at each.
Be interested to see how much of an effect it's really had. Aussies were already flocking to Hakuba and I think Rusutsu's increased business is more driven by the amount of people merely trying to escape how insane Niseko can get in the last 2-3 years.

 

[offshore171]

Austria is on song at the moment

Tirol and Vorarlberg regions especially



2 days to Xmas, no queues. Beautiful

 

[offshore171]

In Japan in January skiing, but will be in EU early to mid-April and was going to tack on a week of skiing. Has anyone had any good experiences with spring skiing in europe?

Can be hit and miss. Try either Lapland or one of the glacier resorts in Austria

The best April skiing on offer anywhere in the world would appear to be Alaska, if you can somehow work that into your travels

O

Post in thread 'Landing in an Alaskan blizzard'

Apr 26, 2023

And late in the day, it starts snowing. Really dumping, and they are beautiful large, light flakes, falling straight down with no wind. View from the bar.


It snows all night, and then stops bang on 11am when the lifts open. A foot of fresh dry powder snow, right down to village level. It's -8 and the sun is breaking through.

This would be a day of days. This is why we travel.

Speaking to someone on the lift, we figured we had chanced our way into probably the best conditions of any ski resort in the world on this day, in mid April.

Crowds are quite low as it’s...

• offshore171

• 

 

[markis10]

Yep, yuzawa area. Shink to Gala direct, not echigoyuzawa station, and they are set up for day trippers. 80 min each way journey. Simple enough slopes for any level for a day.

Enchigoyuzawa is a nice option if your staying longer than a day trip, it’s a short walk to the chairlift, these two from Aug this year



Gala isn’t far away, it’s the big building in the valley and their lifts go up to the same area, although they get plenty of snow at the base, this was Jan 2019

 

[Cynicor]

Enchigoyuzawa is a nice option if your staying longer than a day trip, it’s a short walk to the chairlift, these two from Aug this year

View attachment 420705
View attachment 420706
Gala isn’t far away, it’s the big building in the valley and their lifts go up to the same area, although they get plenty of snow at the base, this was Jan 2019

So the close by lift base is yuzawa kogen. It’s a small resort and only linked to gala when the link is open, which isn’t always.
Echigo is the main station and there’s a little around it and heaps of shuttles to other areas and trains to the local stations too.
But for the specific day trip question- go to gala. Saves hassle and you get more ski area guaranteed.