It had been 7 years since I was last in Japan for snow, time flies. This time around, it snowed every day, although more than half the days were too windy and only a few bottom lifts opened, especially on day 3 which was a bit frustrating due to the lack of open terrain. The snow was just really good all around, and even if it was not meters of it, the powder days felt very nice and no ice underneath.
For US people, Niseko gives you two days for free with Mountain Collective (you have to go to some office to get them) and then half off. At half off it was about $30 a day to ride all 4 mountains, i.e. super cheap.
Niseko Day 1: Annupuri and Niseko Village
The first 2 days, we stayed in Annupuri at Niseko Grand Hotel. There were few places left, so that's the closest we found. We took their morning shuttle to the slopes:
my partner in crime, Arturo
ticket prices were quite cheap by US standards (got 2 free days with mountain collective and half off for the last 3 days)
lots of side country gates
gate 11 by niseko village was also fun
riding pizza box chairs on the way back to Annupuri :)
doesn't feel super safe, but better than a tow rope
the Annupuri G1/G4 gates were nice, but you quickly get to a valley with tracked terrain
Niseko Day 2: Grand Hirafu and Hanazono
The next two days, we went to Rusutsu as the forecast showed good snow there, and the 4th day we came back to Niseko after moving to the fantastic pension island. The only downside of that location was that it was a bit far from the slopes, but the shuttle bus made it ok although it didn't quite get you there in time for first chair. Close enough though, the pension was Koko-san were so nice that we were super happy there:
morning gondola line
windy day with rotor cloud on top of Mt Yotei
beautiful day
gates were open, G5 took you to the Hanazono base
this was the posh base for people with too much money :)
2 or 3 chairs to go back up and cross back to Grand Hirafu
with 2 chairs only and a short hike, this side country took you back
this was the posh base for people with too much money :)
2 or 3 chairs to go back up and cross back to Grand Hirafu
with 2 chairs only and a short hike, this side country took you back
When it was sunny, it looked nice:
Side country run with good snow, still:
Niseko Day 3: Grand Hirafu Mostly Shut Down Blizzard Day
Day 3 was too windy, very few lifts were open. The gondola line was very long as a result:
not many pictures, visibility was not good due to wind, it was kind of a blizzard
Nice side country with powder faceshot:
Niseko Day 4: Windy Grand Hirafu and Hanazono
A bit more opened on Day 4, still very windy, but you could get a bit higher and cross over Hanazono:
morning gondola line, although it went faster due to less wind and higher gondola speed
the gates were weird, some closed ones were routinely ignored while others were really a good idea to respect
the work to get that powder was not really worth it, and it was not very steep in most places
beautiful views
but the weather turned quickly again
Two nice sidecountry runs, one with sun, one with show falling:
Niseko Day 5: Better weather, all mountain
For our last day, the top lifts were unfrozen and we were able to go to the top:
lnie for the top lift
The avalanche gate near the top had some really good warning cartoons. They were poetic sounding (maybe even haikus in japanese?), and they should actually be more advertised, The warnings on getting stuck in crevaces and riverbeds, were wery on point, especially at Kiroro where you can really get in trouble when you go side country:
you could hike all the way to the top, but it was a 45mn hike that didn't feel worth the time and effort
being able to take gate 4 for the first time, was nice
After that, I went back to Niseko Village and gate 11, which is alledgely a triple black diamond, but didn't feel that hard:
makes for a nice picture, though ;)
Nice clouds to end the day:
farewell niseko, we had a great time
One sidecountry run off gate 4 that finally opened:
And a loast one from gate 11, the supposed to be triple black diamond that was only single black:
