REPORT

Iwatake is more than just a ski resort, and a good place to keep in mind on days when the weather is less than ideal. (It is almost empty!) The streak of 10 consecutive days of warm and sunny weather that stretched from 3/3 (Fri.) until yesterday was snapped, and cold rain was falling across the area this morning. A strong westerly wind began to pick up around 9:00 a.m causing the temperature to feel significantly colder, and there was almost no people on the Mountain Side of the resort.
[South Slope]

I spoke with a group of three people from Chiba Prefecture (pictured), who told me, “We left at 3:00 this morning to get here. It’s been a lot of fun already since the slopes are empty and we can ski without any concern for people around us!” The South Slope had a moderately soft, granular snow surface. My skis slid well, and I was able to execute turns as I wished.
[South Slope]

I also spoke with an instructor (pictured) with the Hakuba Iwatake Snowboard School, and was told, “As long as there is snow, we’ll be giving lessons. We look forward to welcoming new students!” There was a section where the snow cover was noticeably thin, located between the White Ribbon Course junction and the area just before where the Sunny Valley and Kometsuga courses merge, but I was able to ski down to the gondola base station without scratching my skis.
[Sunny Valley Course]

Come rain or high winds, the IWATAKE SNOW PARK is well maintained every day, and today too I was able to enter the park without any worries about the condition. Currently, there are 5 walls, 6 waves, a series of 8, 6, and 3-meter kickers, and 12 assorted jib elements. In other news, VIEW A, VIEW B, and KAMOSHIKA are still skiable, although there are progressively more and more areas where the ground is exposed.
[IWATAKE SNOW PARK]

　　
[Hakuba Iwatake Snow Field Availability Information on 3/13 (Mon.)]
*All courses are available. (*Except for North, White Ribbon)
*Available Lifts … Gondola (8:00-), totally 6 lifts
*Fees … Adult JPY4,800, Over 60 y/o JPY4,500, Over 70 y/o JPY4,200, 6-12 y/o JPY3,000 *A preschooler will be free per adult.
　
＊Printable Rental Discount Coupons!
Carving Ski・Snowboard 1-Day Rental Set JPY3,000 / Outerwear JPY2,500!
Carving Ski・Snowboard High Performance Model Rental JPY500 OFF!
Kid’s Ski・Snowboard 1-Day Rental Set JPY2,500 / Outerwear JPY1,500!

*Click here to purchase photos found in this report

reported by Snownavi