[Nozawa Onsen: Best Areas to Ski, Safety, Village]

Maybe not, but the ski industry is suffering here. Satisfying market demand might be motivation enough for changes to happen faster than normal.

[Nozawa Onsen: Best Areas to Ski, Safety, Village]

I can tell you all about that rope if you like. I know exactly what youre talking about, and I was very cautious in avoiding directly mentioning it. Glad you found it, its a great line. But its ****ing dangerous. I'm sure there's more dangerous lines than that one, but in particular the problem with it is that it is do easy to find, and it looks like any standard slack country ride. But its a bit steeper, its got all your standard avalanche hazards - you can easy cause a slide on it, and because its basically a massive slide path its pretty easy to end up in the shit through the fault of people riding the same line above you and dropping the shit on your head (its a pretty popular line as I'm sure you realised, and its popular with people who have no general conception of basic safety), or just simply a cornice dropping off one of the several cliffs just plopping into the path and pulling you down into the trees. Oh yeah, and any slide is pulling you into the trees which Means Youll probably be dead from trauma before you suffocate... and that's really me telling you this, and I know next to nothing. these are just the blindingly obvious issues with it. Honestly, the place is so scary that I rarely touch it. :>

 

Basically it looks like any gate run, which makes people let their guard down and treat it like they're riding a nice safe on piste line, but its proper back country. Treat it like back country and ride constantly aware of everyone else riding it and you'll be fine. Treat it like sideountry gates, or an on piste ungroomed run and youre rolling the dice.

 

That all being said, if you can hit that line and dont find it tough as a line, then you're clearly at the point where the back country is going to start looking more of a possibility in which case it might honestly be worth listening to pete and start looking at the gears and BC education. Its definitely a worthwhile investment.

 

Have an avi course booked in a month. The skiing has long since been the issue for me. I don't consider myself overly great or anything but I also have spent my life skiing with people who are really damn good and I get by. My biggest fears are of the uncontrollable and not of terrain I can't safely ski down due to skill. I'm going to take this one as a learning lesson. I get a knot in my stomach reading your post and thinking about it. I certainly had it on my mind while skiing there. We took turns and I was constantly paying attention to escape routes but that's not enough. I need to learn how to better judge snow conditions. I've skied with a beacon plenty, but frankly, that feels like a small thing compared to understanding how to assess risk better.

 

I am a bit shocked how many were riding alone at Nozawa and off the pistes in such deep snow. To me, that just seems crazy. I mean it is so easy to get stuck or hurt and have no one around to help you on top of all the obvious hazards. I hate that these things exist with skiing but they do and it's best to know what you are in for. Now that this kind of skiing is so popular, I think Nozawa really ought to consider helping people out in the lift-accessible back country. I think it istime for them to be responsible and just put up an avi scale each day. This whole sex education via teaching abstinence is dangerous. People are there and they know it. Their back country is a big part of their future as a resort and providing skiers with useful information would be quite reasonable. The board could be pretty simple: "Don't ski here unless you know what you are doing, have x, y, z and have looked at the daily report". Next to that is the scale of avi risk for that day. Not so difficult. Not many ignorant skiers will wander past a sign that has the same days date on it and says avalanche risk high. I know that I would never go skiing where the danger was 3,4, or 5. When dozens of people are going there and it says nothing it can too easily seem relatively safe. I also don't fully understand why they don't just control for avi's there. It isn't that vast of terrain they'd need to handle...

[Nozawa Onsen: Best Areas to Ski, Safety, Village]

Correct, I'm not sure. Are you implying skiing on the other side of ropes is always idiotic? I'm not sure where you are from, but where I come from ropes are all over the place and often designed to absolve the resort of responsibility beyond them, regardless of whether there is a serious danger on the other side. We went to a place many others were going. Does that mean it was safe? No, it doesn't. But the implication that doing so is always stupid is off base. We were prepared to hike back should we feel the conditions warranted it but with so many other skiers and riders and tracks around, it seemed pretty safe.

 

I'm sure many members of this forum who have skied at Nozawa have ducked the exact same rope. I'm open ears if I'm wrong...

[Nozawa Onsen: Best Areas to Ski, Safety, Village]

I just wanted to update that I had an amazing time. I really enjoyed the town and the skiing and snow was totally great. It was good snow and then great snow with some sunshine in between. As for my back country worries, I'm not entirely sure if we did anything dumb but we had a blast. The stuff under the Yamibiko chair was definitely fun and felt totally safe as well as some other trees that were right in between pistes or under lifts. I'm not really sure if it was totally stupid or not but our best runs were getting off the top Yamibiko lift and following a few people straight off the lift, under the rope, and into the back bowl over there. Yesterday with the big dump we didn't feel comfortable going there but the day before when it was sunny and the snow was relatively settled we had a great time skiing over there. I want to tell myself we didn't do anything idiotic but I'm not that sure.

 

All and all this mini trip inspired me to want to spend a hell of a lot more time checking out the skiing in this country and hopefully I can get some better back country education to ease some of my stresses. It's just so damn fun to be out there that being ignorant of judging risk feels so pathetic.

 

I also just want to thank everyone again for their input. It has been great.

[Nozawa Onsen: Best Areas to Ski, Safety, Village]

Ippy, thanks so much for looking into this. So if you want to avoid any real avalanche risk (and of course I get that there is always SOME risk), is there still a way to ski off piste? Is no area controlled for in any except groomed pistes? Do people ever go with a guide or a group to do it?

 

My skill level is okay. I have skied with some very good skiers in some tricky places. My personal comfort and knowledge with avalanche safety is not anywhere near as solid and since for once I will not be with my mountain guide type friends, I am a bit reserved here. I want to ski powder and fun terrain with too much stress so I guess I am wondering the best way to do that either by hiring a guide/group or getting some tips on areas to go that are very low risk. I had thought from the above poster that Yamabiko might be that place but you got my alarm bells going again. I'd love to hear some more thoughts on the issue.

 

Also, does anyone have a link to a company to book the snow money day trip? You think it is important to book ahead of time?

[Nozawa Onsen: Best Areas to Ski, Safety, Village]

Thanks guys. Is it easy/allowed to ski in the trees off the pistes in most places? Are they generally spaced out well enough for good skiing?

[Nozawa Onsen: Best Areas to Ski, Safety, Village]

Hey all.

 

I've settled on Nozawa Onsen for my first ski trip in Japan and I am incredibly excited. I have just a few questions that can hopefully help me make the best of the trip. I'm a decent skier, but I am not well trained in avalanche safety and when I have skied in places with real risk, I have been with people with a lot of knowledge. This trip I will not have that luxury. I want to be able to ski off piste and enjoy the powder, but I also want to avoid getting into trouble areas where there is legit risk (obviously there is risk even on a flat piste etc etc).

 

Any advice would be incredibly appreciated and can range from telling me to join a group or get a guide to specific areas on the mountain to stick to that are not high risk but can give a good taste of the good stuff.

 

I also want to hear general things about your favorite experiences there to help me make the most of the place. Great restaurants if where I stay doesn't come with dinner? Are all public onsens created equal or are there some that are really special and worth making a specific trip to? Are there any random things a first timer might not stumble upon either skiing or after skiing that you really like? Are most places to stay relatively convenient such that location isn't a huge deal or are there places to avoid?

 

I'm also going to head to see snow monkeys for a day. Easy trip? Recommended?

 

I can't wait to get out there.........

[Short Ski Trip in February and Need Advice!]

The monkeys are worth a look, wear what ever foot wear gives you the most grip on ice though, the path up can be really slippery.

... and the monkey area is covered in pooh so make sure you dont like your shoes too much...

 

 

Will keep that in mind Are they always there in February or do some people go and see nothing? Also, what do you guys think about me making Nozawa Onsen my top choice? Do you guys like the village and skiing there?

[Short Ski Trip in February and Need Advice!]

I know it's a little off topic, but have any of you guys seen the snow monkeys bathing? Obviously it'd be a bit touristy but it looks cool too if it isn't TOO huge of an inconvenience. Any sense of getting there from Nozawa Onsen? Are other great ski hills closer to this?

[Short Ski Trip in February and Need Advice!]

So rental shops just don't have boots that big? Googling around does give some hits but I have no idea how it actually is on the ground...websites seem to be saying they have at least to 30cm (i am 28) but i don't really know if that just means there is one pair and it can easily be out..

 

Also, totally unrelated, but a friend told me I will be in the region where the snow monkeys relax in their own private onsen and that would be pretty fun to see. I probably wouldn't travel half way around the world to see it, but if I am in the area, it definitely could be cool. What do you guys think? Is it a fun excursion for a day from wherever you are staying? Is Nozawa reasonably accessible to it?

[Short Ski Trip in February and Need Advice!]

Thanks a ton guys. I am leaning toward Nozawa Onsen right now. How does that sound??

 

So kind of urgent question since i am packing right now. Bringing my gear is going to be a problem. I am a long time skier. I am not an equipment snob by any means, but I don't want total garbage either. Will renting in the Nozawa/Nagano area be at all problematic to get decent stuff (and I really just mean decent, nothing special)? I would plan to go with a guided group in the back country for a couple of days and then ski the pistes for a day or two.

 

Finally, I am 184cm (6ft) and my foot size is US 11.5/12. That looks like a 29.5/30 in Japanese sizes and 28cm. Is this going to pose a huge problem or can I expect there will be a choice or two with that size? I am not bigfoot or anything, but I gather that it is large by Japanese standards.

 

Let me know what you think as soon as you can because I am leaving soon and thanks again for all of the great info!

[Short Ski Trip in February and Need Advice!]

Thanks again guys. These replies are incredibly helpful. I am 184cm (6ft) and have around a size 44eu (12 US) foot so it sounds like that could be an issue. Maybe I will have to lug my boots after all, but I'm definitely not bringing skis. If I didn't bring boots, do you think rental shops would have that size?

 

Also to consider for resort destination is that I want to be able to easily ski off piste powder without us having to be totally clueless and possibly at risk. I have absolutely no idea how Japanese areas control for avalanches or how big of a concern they are. In North America, everything is controlled for within the boundaries of big resort whereas in the Alps, anything off piste is uncontrolled. Ideally, there would be reasonably safe and good backcountry skiing to be had wherever we end up. Finally, I looked at Yuzawa just with a quick google and read it is only 250m vertical? Did I search the wrong thing or is it a really small hill? If you had to pick your favorite three places for great powder skiing, what would they be? Also, how is Hakuba?

[Short Ski Trip in February and Need Advice!]

Thanks a ton guys. Is the skiing that is closer to Tokyo good? Why does Niseko get so much more love (at least among the people I know)? Is it bigger/steeper or just more snow?

[Short Ski Trip in February and Need Advice!]

I am going to be living in Tokyo for the month of February and would love to try to make it up to some of this legendary powder I've heard so much about. The main issue is the logistics for my situation and suggestions would be greatly appreciated on how to go about this trip. I will likely only have four nights (maybe flexible but not sure) to go skiing.

 

 

 

First for the practical questions. I will likely have no gear with me and want to know how huge of an issue it will be to rent everything.

 

-Can you even rent ski clothing along with the equipment or only skis/boots?

 

-Are you better off renting at the mountain or in Tokyo? Are the prices insane or somewhat reasonable?

 

-Is flying to Sapporo the best option and is getting to the hill easy from there without a car?

 

 

 

Now to the personal question about where to ski. Whenever I hear friends talk about Japan, it's always Niseko, and that is likely where I will end up. I do, however, have one reservation about it, and that is that I have heard it is filled with Aussies (I like Aussies!) and I would rather go somewhere a little more authentic Japanese and local feeling. With that said, I do want great skiing and powder and so if Niseko is still far and away the best option for what I am hoping for, I will be happy to go there but if there is somewhere else with comparable skiing and a bit more culture, I'd be open ears.

 

-Is Niseko by far the best place for good skiing and snow or are there alternative options with just as good skiing and a little less foreign tourists?

 

 

 

What do you think? It's been a dream of mine to ski in Japan and I'm really hoping it becomes a reality soon!