TJ OZ

I try not to think about that panic under the snow bit. I prefer to think that I will create a calm moment and then quietly fall asleep from lack of oxygen. Hopefully I will never find out but just the thought of it makes me shudder.

Yeah I remember the Monday as being one of the best powder days ever. It started with a little in the morning and ended with massive amounts. We were at Happo and it snowed a foot in one hour as we were having lunch. Our tracks were filled after each run. We ran the trees along the northern ridge and it just kept getting better every run. Finished the day off boarding straight down to Momonoki onsen.

Board The World is a good reference book. It has a few Japenese resorts in it. Not sure if they have updated it lately so some of the info might not apply. For instance my copy says boarders are not allowed on the upper areas of Happone which no longer applies.

You can buy a book of 4 tickets from the shop under the stairs at the nagano train station where the buses are. I think the tickets cost 1200 yen. A small saving.

There is a good shuttle service that runs around Hakuba that will take you to the different mountains and the taxis are reasonably priced to get around to other places. Some of the bigger hotels have courtesy buses as well. As far as the runs go there is a lot of verticle and great off piste within the resorts boundary.I guarantee you will not be disappointed with the mountains there. We found it difficult to hire a car in Hakuba and finally decided against it when we saw the road map. If you hire then do it in Nagano. Don't forget your international licence. Cheers

G'day phool. I think that you could certainly spend all three weeks in the Nagano region and not be dissappointed. This will save you a day or two of travel time between the islands. Once you start discovering what Honshu has I don't think you will go back to Hokkaido. Cheers might see you there in Feb.

I remember a place that showed the english league. I think that it was in the streets up behind the starbucks - which you can't miss as you walk out of the train station. Didn't go in though. Big signage, so easy to find I reakon.

I would definatly head to Shibuya and take in the atmosphere there. Lots of bars and restaurants and shopping. We have spent hours wandering aroung checking out this area. A great place for a pub crawl. It wouldn't surprise me if you found a place with the arrimpics on. I have heard they have some cheap accomadation backpacker style or one of those capsule hotels. Easy to get to and from the airport as well. Cheers

We were in the same dilemma in Feb this year. We ended up staying out all night starting out in Shibuya and ending up in Rapongi and caught the train at Tokyo Station at about 5am to Narita. They have a place where you can have a shower (personal ensuite) at the airport for about $5 just inside customs.

http://www.skijapanguide.com/2002/daily-reports/webcam/nagano/goryu.html First tracks. Not much up there but reassuring to see somebody on it. (Can somebody save the image otherwise nobody will know what i'm talking about when it takes the next pic) Cheers

Looks like they are going to open 7th heaven tommorrow. Head over to Zhiggys meadow first thing, just under the rope ( be early). Ohh la la

Put some newspaper between the ski and wooden block so the block doesn't stick to the ski and sand off when dry. My board had an injury in Hakuba earlier this year. It was an interesting experience trying to get all the gear needed to operate at the local hardware. Sharades works well.

We used ours in Hakuba earlier this year for two weeks and did not hear anybody else on them for that time.

Thank - you Thats much better

Point your camera out the window http://www.skijapanguide.com/2002/daily-reports/webcam/nagano/happone.html

We also do the compulsory roll around in the snow between beers. - "As the snow flakes slowly make there way down to cool the lip of that perfectly brewed asahi can, I notice the formation of a pefect transition into a 1/4 pipe being naturally groomed to where my lips will taste that tantelising elixa and we all laugh jovially at our obsession". - Sorry ( memoirs of an evening in the Momonoki Hakuba onsen aka "I got drunk in an onsen")

Also been on that one at Blackcomb. It's a double black diamond of lifts. If anyone finds a testicle on that lift can they please send it back to me.

Falls, due to easy access to the backcountry.

In oz we ride back to our place unclick reach our hands into a snow esky and crack a coldie. Sit down on the snow chairs we'd carved and have a good laugh about the day.Once your bum is frozen (2-3 beers) it's off to the sauna, shower, dinner table and then the pub. Next day same as the first. Hakuba is similar except instead of snow chairs we have our beers in an onsen chair. Sorry to hear about your split Dyuki, but once you do a few hand drags down Zhiggys meadow in 2 foot of pow I dear say you won't be thinking about anyone else but yourself.

Train from Tokyo airport to Tokyo station then bullet train to Nagano station, then bus to Hakuba then taxi to hotel. We did it first time last year and found the hardest thing was finding our way around Tokyo station(its big). If your concerned about taking your luggage around with you there is a courier that will take it for you for a small cost and will have it to you within 24 hours. You can arrange this at the airport. Others here will be able to tell you more. We used it on our way back because we had a couple of nights in Tokyo so we sent our boards to the airport to pick them up when w

We were thinking of getting a guide at Hakuba last month until we saw one of them from one of the main backcountry companies having a pipe at 8.30 am just before he was due out. No way would I put my life in this guys hands.I trust my own abilities under the ropes and know that if I had to walk out for 3 hrs so be it. Had no hassles with patrol but didn't hang around for them to catch me.People should be prepared when they go under the ropes. I noticed there wasn't many riders with packs or two-ways in Japan.

Sorry I don't know about the storage. I was under the impression that you could catch a train direct to Hakuba from Shinjuku station. Just wondering why you are bussing it.

Arrive in Tokyo next month to spend a couple of weeks in Hakuba. Should I shop in Tokyo(are the shops easy to find) or wait till I'm in Hakuba (will they have discounted last season stock). Is size 9 1/2 easily available. Cheers

I'll be in Hakuba in Jan for the first time. Just wondering what the go is with the tree boarding. Do ski patrol take your pass straight off or give you a warning. Please send me a personal message with any tricks of the trade. What is the actual reason they give for banning the tree runs.