REPORT

Even though we’re in the midst of the strongest arctic blast of the season, it doesn’t mean that everywhere in Nagano is getting heavy snow. Sugadaira, located at a high altitude away from the Sea of Japan has received just about 8 cm of dry, fresh snow. This morning I spoke with Aramaki-san (pictured, foreground, third from the right), a representative of the JSBA-certified Smile Snowboard School which organizes the Smile Gate Club, who told me, “We’re going to set up slalom gates on the Ura Taro Kamoshika course for practice.”
[Ura Taro Family West]

While light snow continued to fall, blue skies were visible at times just before and after the opening of the resort. The hard, groomed wet snow surface of Ura Taro Family West (pictured) and East had 1 to 3 cm of dry fresh snow, and the slow visitor turnout typical of a weekday in January gave me the chance to carve fresh tracks on the untouched slopes.
[Ura Taro Family West]

The Taro area started to come alive with ski school students after 9:00 a.m. The hard, groomed wet snow surfaces of Tengu A, Ura Taro Usagi, Tengu Rinkan, Taro Long, Hinode Rinkan, and Hinode had about 3 cm of fresh snow. My skis slid well along the large groomed curve in the middle of Tengu A (pictured).
[Tengu A]

Also, at Tengu A (pictured), artificial snow machines were taking advantage of the -9°C temperatures and pumping out plumes of snow (pictured, left) that lofted through the air, even after the resort opened. Like Ura Taro Family, Shirogane Schneider had a hard, groomed wet snow base with 1 to 3 cm of fresh snow, and if I had had more time I would have loved to put in some more turns on the uncrowded slopes.
[Tengu A]

　
＊We would like to express our deepest sympathy to the victims of the Noto Peninsula Earthquake of 2024.

　　　　
[Operation Details on 1/24 (Tue.)]
*All Courses are OPEN (Except for Nekodake Downhill, Omote Davos East & West, Schneider Hannes A & B, Schneider Begginer East, Ura Davos Wave, Urataro Super Racer, Urataro Kamoshika, Urataro Schihail, Urataro Challange, Taro, Omatsuyama Dogleg Omatsuyama SAJ Gran Prix, Omatsuyama Fujimi, Omatsuyama Whitepeak, Omatsuyama Challenge, Omatsuyama Alpen, Omatsuyama Pole Slope, Omatsuyama Rabbit, Omatsuyama Smile Slope, Omatsuyama-Tsubakuro Link, Omatsuyama Smile Park, Tsubakuro Champion, Tsubakuro Celine, Tsubakuro Panorama, Tsubakuro White Valley, Tsubakuro 7
*Available Lifts … Oku Davos Triple (8:30-), and totally 16 lifts.
*Lift Fees … During the Ueda Sugadaira campaign Adult JPY4,400, 60-69 y/o JPY3,800, junior high school student & Over 70 y/o JPY2,800, 4-Unschooled JPY100, Under 3 y/o Free (Until 2/15, Ends as soon as the budget runs out)

*Great Value! Early Bird Lift Tickets
Davos & Taro Area (*On Sale Until 2024/3/17）
Paper Ticket → Adult 1 Day Ticket JPY5,400 → JPY4,300!
E-Ticket →Adult 1 Day Ticket JPY5,400 → JPY4,300!
(*Paper tickets are JPY4,800 for an adult one-day pass, including JPY500 deposit at the time of purchase. The deposit will be returned when the IC card is returned.)

Pine Beak Area
Paper Ticket → Adult 1 Day Ticket + Pole Practice Ticket JPY6,300 → JPY5,600! (*On Sale Until 2024/3/18)
E-Ticket → Adult 1 Day Ticket + Pole Practice Ticket JPY6,300 → JPY5,600! Other (*On Sale Until 2024/3/30)
　　
*Click here to purchase photos found in this report
　
　
reported by Snownavi