blu

Pippu, with one of those backless, pizza box chair lifts. There wasn't too much else to make it memorable other than what we thought was a gizzard soup lunch set. Very little ski shops in Asahikawa, mainly the big ski warehouse mentioned above. Better choices in Sapporo. Worthwhile checking out Tomamu also. They have a good offpiste policy.

Pete, I use ShipIto for US forwarding. You get your own unique "street address". Works well.

Did the reverse trip last year. Rusutsu>Saporro>Tomamu (for 3 day stopover). Then took the "daytrip ski bus" Tomamu>Furano. Resort Liner ran a bus for just two of us at 2,000 yen each dropping us at the Prince hotel. We stayed at Furano half day (it wasn't good) then took the afternoon bus to Asahikawa for Kamui.

Hood or no hood? Checkout Burton for up to 30,000mm waterproof rating. There's several price ranges, with plenty of choice. Buy taxfree online (or closeout sale even better).

Hokkaido: Rusutsu, Kamui, Tomamu, Furano, Niseko, Pippu, Kurodake. Nagano: Happo, 47, Noz, Suginohara, Akakan, Shiga Kogen.

(where's GN for this?) Hi Marjude & welcome. Another Niseko guide is Black Diamond. If you want offpiste head to Rusutsu, it's all easily accessable inbounds & good for two or three day visits. There's also a bus from Niseko daily as well. I've been including Rusutsu for the last five seasons. In Jindabyne there is Wilderness Sports (check their website for guiding).

We have tried to avoid the Big resorts with autobahn skiing, for our Feb trip. Checkout Hochfugen for offpiste freeriding in the Zillertal (some stuff on Youtube). Also going to Arosa in Switzerland and the Innsbruck resorts (we like Axamer Lizum because it got offpiste trees). But still going to miss the J-powder & trees - maybe an April trip.

It's worth doing a daytrip by bus from Niseko to nearby Rusutsu.

Got to all my favourites in 2011; Rusutsu, Tomamu, Kamui. Also Furano - there's a direct ski bus from Tomamu, which they ran with only two of us onboard. Was a good link to use to get to Asahikawa. Also a day trip to Kurodake. In 2012 it's EU - Switzerland & Austria. Sure going to miss the offpiste powder & trees (may have to do a very late March trip to Niseko). Off to AU resorts next weekend.

Wild day in Perisher/Thredbo - 140km winds giving a wind chill of up to minus 20C today. Lots of lifts on wind hold. Looks like NZ is getting it too.

"- and it is really not on the terrorists radar either" ... Unless going to Margaret River!

Into week 5 of the season with hurricane strength blizzards giving us over 1 metre this week. Hold onto the kids in that wind - it's local school holidays. Best start in 21 years at Perisher. Here's part of the Perisher report: "More advanced riders; the sheltered tree-lined off-piste runs will again be amazing today! In fact it will be truly fabulous everywhere so take your pick, there's powder galore. Beginners; the groomed runs will be soft and fluffy, great for a fun slide. Perisher: Burnum Burnum and Sun Bowl should be outstanding with deep powder seams to carve into for advanced r

Mama, you in Thredbo? 50+ cms predicted out of this current system by late Wednesday.

over 50cm in 24hrs at Perisher: "We've had a further 10cm of fresh snow overnight, making it a total of 50cm in the past 24 hours. The cover will consist of powder combined with lots of man-made snow. We had 167 snow guns out in force last night making the most of this storm front. It's boot deep just about everywhere!" A great start to our season, might have to schedule an earlier trip than planned, if they would just open a few more lifts.

There's one at Pippu too - no backrest, no bar. Got a photo somewhere.

Were back, Perisher to open Front Valley for this weekend 20-22 May at discounted ticket price. Otherwise, day Tickets for this year are AU$109 or around 9,100JPY.

budget accomodation, bars, restaurants - there would be more options in Echoland.

Kevkastle - as reported in media, here's one: "... rub shoulders with sex industry scouts and Nigerian touts who steer inebriated men into bars with promises of encounters with foreign women." http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/19/kabukicho-tokyo-cleanup Elsewhere there are also references to Gahnian as well. As to why, must be the preference of the "business owners", who are responsible for this problem.

I smell a rat. He will be grilled if found.

check the "Tucks Skier Triggers Avi" link off that screen as well.

Went to Kurodake on 24 Feb and the ropeway was the only thing operating. Weather wasn't the best, but saw a set of tracks down under the ropeway.

That US travel warning has been out for a couple of years. I was in Tokyo last week and noticed that the Nigerian touts seem to be spreading (in Ueno & Shibuya).

snowhuntress, will you get to Kamui ski links, there's a day trip from Furano & ski pass is transferrable. Just got through a week of 42 degrees celsius days. Back in HokkaiDo on Friday, so it's going to feel cold to me.

if you go offpiste you can leave the big groomers to the skiers.

"The ski/snowboard(sports store) area is located between Ogawamachi and Jimbocho subway stations in the Kanda district of Tokyo (about 10min walk west of Akihabara), along Yasakuni Dori(Yasakuni Street) and the small streets just off it. There are a few exits at Ogawamachi subway station, but the best exits are onto Yasakuni Dori exit B5 or B7."