ShayDn

Actually they have one really steep mogul course from the top of the mountain. On a soft day - it's pretty good fun, and the lift is only used for that part of the mountain so you never get any queues. Although you get the occasional falling skier/snowboarder whizzing up to you from behind... and I once had to pull a kid back on to the slope with his pole after he'd slid through the netting at the side of the run :-o

Yup - 100% man made. On the rare occasions that it does actually snow, they get a bit confused and aren't quite sure what to do with it... The most troubling aspect of it all is how brown and dry the farms next to the slopes (and all around Beijing really). All the water they hoard for making snow could easily help the farms to grow more crops, but hey - people gotta ride right? There is also an indoor place near Beijing called QiaoBo - hate to think how much energy they consume in Summer when it's 38°C outside and -1°C inside...

Yup, hot wax all the way. I actually find it's as much effort putting the rub-on stuff on as just doing the full-on thing. Get an old iron or a new one that you're not gonna use for clothes - as cheap as possible. This is the process I follow. Get the right temperature wax - there's warm, cold, and very cold. In Japan mostly I find the cold ones are good - -5° to -15°, that kind of range. 1) Drip the wax off the iron onto the base all over, make long straight lines, wiggly lines, whatever - just keep it even. 2) Run the iron up and down the board to melt the wax and cover the bas

0!!!!

Wait for meeeeeeeeee!!!!!! Any nighta on Saturday? Or will I have to wait till Sunday...

Changchun is supposed to be one of the better places to ski in China too... if you get the chance to check it out would be great to find out more about. Wrap up warm though - it's frrrrrreeeeeeeeezin there!

Reminds me of that Alanis Morrisette song... It's like Snowowow, in a flat place It's a free lift pass, when the hill is closed It's a snow-oh-flake, an yer' stuck at work And isn't it annoying... don't you think? Or something like that... :-)

It's on... like Donkey Kong!

Check out the 7:45 image from Hakuba47's web camera this morning... looks promising no?

Gonna keep an eye on the forecast then... need to book flights from Beijing - so will make a go/no-go call tomorrow I think.

thinking about heading to Hakuba for 3-days Sunday - Tuesday if the dump that's forecast comes through... Is it going to be enough to open the whole resort?

Drop me an email / pm and I'd be glad to offer advice/assistance while you're here... been living in Beijing for over 4 years now. I wouldn't get excited about the snow here though!

And of course... "I'm so chuffed that it chuffed so much last night!"

chuff |tʃʌf| verb [ intrans. ] To deposit vast quantities of snow on an inclined surface for the purpose of enabling one to slide down said surface with a humungous grin. e.g. It chuffed big style last night, no friends on a power-day, see ya! I really hope it chuffs all season long. I can't see my hand it's chuffing so much. p.s. you heard it here first.