REPORT

The season’s strongest cold wave, and the third one overall, arrived just before noon yesterday! Deciding where to enjoy my first powder runs of the morning was tough—and I found myself wavering between the Uma-no-se Course, the Tsuga-no-mori Slope, the midsection of Han-no-ki, and Champion. In the end, I went with the middle portion of Han-no-ki, followed by Champion. Dropping into the ungroomed area around the middle of Han-no-ki (pictured), I was greeted by a soft, fluffy layer of 50cm of fresh snow!
[Han-no-ki]

The soft base combined with the fluffy new snow on top provided an incredible sense of buoyancy. Ah, it’s moments like this that make you glad to be alive, and without a doubt, that was the most exhilarating experience of the season so far! While watching guests drop in one after another with joyous shouts, I found myself stuck waist-deep, holding my camera and unable to get out, and I eventually had to remove my skis to escape.
[Han-no-ki]

I spoke with a snowboarder from Osaka (pictured), who shared, “I’ve been staying in Hakuba and sleeping in my car since 12/27 (Fri.), but I recently strained my back. It still hurts a little, but today is my first day back on the slopes. After time on the slopes, I’ll be heading to my favorite spot, Iwatake no Yu, to soothe my back.” For the best, full powder experience, I recommend staying at a lodge in the valley for optimizing recovery and comfort!
[Champion]

On this quiet January weekday, the expansive Champion Slope still had plenty of untouched fresh snow, even after two runs, and the groomed slopes offered perfectly packed powder in excellent condition. As I was leaving, I met a woman in the Champion parking lot who shared, “I came for a quick run before work, and it was absolutely amazing!”
[Champion]

　　
[Tsugaike Kogen Details on 1/8 (Wed.)]
*All Courses are OPEN!
*Available Lifts … Gondola (8:00 a.m.-) and totally 12 lifts
*Fees … 1 Day Ticket Adult JPY7,500, Elementary School Students JPY4,400, Over 60 y/o JPY5,600

*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!

*Request for the original data of our photographs

reported by Snownavi