REPORT

After parking at the free Champion parking lot, I made the short five-minute walk to the gondola mid-station. “Good thing it didn’t turn into a blizzard,” remarked the owner of NIKU-MASA (pictured), as he walked by on his way to the gondola around 7:40 a.m. Incidentally, Tsugaike Mountain Resort is scheduled to become “fully open” beginning on 12/21 (Sat.)!
[Yuki-no-hiroba]

Since the gondola cabins start operating simultaneously at the base and mid-stations, boarding from the mid-station gets you to the summit five minutes faster. Naturally, as a powder enthusiast, I headed straight for the ungroomed steep slope in the mid-section of Han-no-ki (pictured). Dropping into the pristine slope, I experienced incredible float, thanks to around 20 cm of fresh, fluffy snow layered over the soft base—pure perfection!
[Han-no-ki]

Right from the start of the morning, I had my mind set on going back for seconds, and I did just that. I made my way straight to the Han-no-ki No. 3 High-Speed Quad via the Sawa Course (pictured), which branches off of Han-no-ki. Whether the surface was moderately packed or well-packed, it didn’t make much of a difference, as the groomed powder on Han-no-ki was consistently excellent throughout, offering smooth and effortless skiing.
[Han-no-ki]

I met a group of three visitors from Suzaka City and Hakuba Village (pictured), who told me, “We love your site. The snow is amaaaazzzzing!” The man on the far left in the photo added, “Today is my first day of the season. It’s been the perfect way to kick things off.” Even as I wrapped up my report, the snow continued to fall steadily across the resort.
[Han-no-ki]

[Tsugaike Kogen Details on 12/18 (Wed.)]
*Almost All Areas Available (= Umanose, Champion, Oya-no-hara, Maruyama, Kane-no-Naru-Oka are not open)
*Available Lifts … Gondola (8:00〜), Han-no-ki High Speed Pair, Han-no-ki No.3 Quad, Tsuga No. 2 Pair
*Fees … 1 Day Ticket Adult JPY7,500, Elementary School Students JPY4,400, Over 60 y/o JPY5,600

*Good Deal! Advance Ticket (Sales Period until 12/22)
Adult 1 Day Ticket JPY7,500 → JPY5,500!
6-12 y/o 1 Day Ticket JPY4,400 → JPY3,400!
Adult 1 Day Ticket + Lunch Ticket JPY1,000 = JPY8,500 → JPY6,300!
6-12 y/o 1 Day Ticket + Lunch Ticket JPY1,000 = JPY5,400 → JPY4,200!

*Request for the original data of our photographs

reported by Snownavi