HelperElfMissy
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Posts posted by HelperElfMissy
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Frootstick,
Just don't be careless.
I still didn't lock my board this trip. But I also didn't leave it anywhere for a long time.
Lunch on the mountain was as long as it was left.
PBs board always attracts a bit of interest, and he didn't lock that either.
But my tip to you is that if it will ruin your trip if it vanishes, then invest in a small lock and use it.
We are pragmatic folks, and possessions are possessions... We are at that stage of our lives no longer on a shoestring budget, so 'things' can be replaced. But I know some of the young season staff are locking their boards as they simply could not afford to replace them, and while unlikely to occur, the impact would be huge if it did.
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Drag lifts and heavy snow don't mix.
Can you imagine being dragged up through knee deep pukage?
They are super popular in other areas though...UFA, Russia was ALL drag lifts!
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yes it is.But if you start out with excellent instruction (not reinforcing bad habits) you will progress faster and be a happier camper.
Pluses and minuses with both group and private lessons.
Seconded! I learned skiing first from a Japanese girlfriend. She was good and got me started, but when I took a professional lesson, they first had to work to get some bad habits out of me. And while we taught skiing to our own kids, we certainy noticed the difference every time we sent them to a ski school. Skiing has so many different levels and there are so many little things to know, there is world of difference between an amateur and a pro instructor. I suppose it is the same in the snowboard world, about which I know nothing.
I know the old joke goes...'what's the difference between a beginner snowboarder and an instructor?' About 3 days
But it is amazing how many decent snowboarders you see flying down the slopes with quite obvious bad habits in their form. How much better they'd be if that was corrected!!!
I need to book some ski lessons.
I got super lazy. My son was teaching me, and I would find every excuse to go back and swap to my board and just hang out with him instead.
I need a mean instructor who is gonna bark orders at me for a few hours at a time.
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To give my comment more credentials, I was approach by two Jouno,s at different places and different days. The first Jouno was from SBS TV while I was at Escal Plaza and other from 4ch at a restrurant "Kickonkon" last season. Both ask my response about Australian behaviour in Hakuba not Brit not American but Australian. I told them my point of view "THAT WAS ONLY A FEW" that behave badly, then I ask why just Australian why no other foreigners to the 4ch reporter. The reply was "all the complaint were concerning Australian". Why did they appoarch me, I have no idea. The fact is they did and that they both ask about Australian behaviour .
Ok.
And myself, my husband and my kids were interviewed by J-TV about why we came to Niseko and why we love it so...
They were very positive.
What does it matter?
Interestingly when my son responded to the questions in Japanese, they very quickly moved onto his mate - a first time visitor.
They wanted to noob round eye 'Japan is great!' angle.
It still doesn't really matter.
What matters is we all see one another as individuals. Not branded by what a handful of people from our country get up to.
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not so much in Perth...although slowly improving. Therefore indulging occasionally during a holiday filled with local faire works for me.If you are looking for Japanese food then don't go to either Kamimura, Iki or Asperges. What you'll get at places like that is European (French) cuisine with a slight Japanese twist using some Hokkaido ingredients. That's not to say it isn't delicious food but it's the kind of food you can find anywhere in the world if you are willing to pay for it.I think my favourite new food this time around (bearing in mind I think this was my 7th Japanese trip in 8 years, and I am adventurous with new food....so many have already been discovered) was BURDOCK CHIPS from Mina Mina.
First time I had knowingly eaten burdock in any form, and I enjoyed it so much I ordered Burdock seeds (as hubby is veggie wholesaler and said he hasn't seen any in the local market).
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Your facts are simply anecdotal opinion which is heavily influenced by existing prejudice and expectation.This is one of the stupidest comments I've seen on these forums in a while. You have absolutely no evidence to back this up other than your own prejudice.
I laid out the facts, Dr. Watson. Try to read before opining next time :-)
Granted there are plenty of Aussies in Niseko.
Granted there is the odd occasional complete and utter tool Aussie.
My own son was sucker punched by one in a bar that he works in last week.
However, the idiots are not the largest number of Australian visitors. Most are polite happy people who make no trouble and just love to ski/board and enjoy Japan.
They are also NOT the largest group of international visitors, let alone close to 100% of all international visitors - that is just ludicrous.
I was staying in an Aussie owned and run accommodation that has even built the building with a few 'Aussie' power points in each unit for ease of their visitors and owners. You'd expect it to be full of Aussies. Well I chatted to 3 families from Jakarta, one from the UK, one from Hong Kong, one from Germany as well as 2 others (than us) from Australia.
Quote from nisade:
Hokkaido is Japan’s largest prefecture (83,000 square kilometres) and represents only 5% of Japan’s population. Niseko-Rusutsu is a popular region within Hokkaido with a population of 30,000. This can increase dramatically with reported tourist numbers reaching 1.5 million throughout the year.Domestic visitors still account for a large number of tourists to the region and with the international profile of Niseko increasing, the domestic markets of Tokyo and Osaka are also seeing strong growth. Each year international numbers increase; the last few ski seasons saw a large increase in visitor numbers from Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.
Direct flights to Sapporo from Hong Kong and China should see visitors from these regions continue to rise. International travellers visiting Niseko stay an average of 8-10 nights.
There has been documented cases of Japanese thieves in Niseko, however like others I would expect it would be more likely to be foreigners, simply due to the beautiful respectful nature that is more widespread in Japan than anywhere else. But there are exceptions.
The cases of theft are higher in Niseko because there are SO many new boards and skis being left in racks in easy access while people lunch and drink. Anywhere there is high pickings combined with brilliant opportunity you will get the subsequent following of the criminal opportunist element. The thieves are not likely to bother with a small local field where people either have their equipment on their feet or in/on their moving vehicle.
The same affluent environment, new gear sitting unlocked in ski racks, occurs in Australia - so you get the opportunists there.
Same happens world over!
I recently watch a movie 'The Sister' a Swiss film dealing with just this topic.
The below link is the best review I could find of the film, bizarrely on a Christian Science website!
If we all stopped spouting completely prejudiced bullshit, and actually dealt with PEOPLE on a one to one basis we might actually get somewhere as a global community. Don't you think?
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totally agree.Then there's the other end of the spectrum - degustation menu at Kamimura for example.
Yes, Kamimura is awesome but expensive. Or is that expensive but awesome?
We go pretty much every year - and spend as much in one night, as in a week otherwise. Still worth it in my book.
It was one night in a 3 week trip for us, next most expensive was Iki for dinner (also in Shiki) - rest was pretty inexpensive. Given food prices in Perth I don't think I spent near as much as I would've on food while away as I would've at home. Kamimura excluded.
The access to a Michelin chef is limited in Perth, and a helluva lot more expensive! Will probably try to book in once every trip to see what Kamimura-San has skilfully crafted to delight the palate this time around. The matched wines was great too...I am not a big drinker, especially of wines (champers is the poison of choice) - and the education we got about each type of wine was brilliant. Especially loved the local Hokkaido dessert wine, harvested and pressed while still frozen to deliver a very unique flavour.
Warning, you may have to book considerably in advance. Took me 3 weeks to get a booking...but it was the busy Christmas/New Year period.
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not necessarily... It is small plates of very fine dining food. No ordering/choices, the chef just prepares the menu and out it comes.wtf is a degustation menu ?? is it something i need to improve the quality of my life ?Hurro wiki
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SGboarder, click on that map you linked to. Have a look at the family lift.
'Ace Family Pair Lift'. Commonly referred to as Family lift.
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Shikaku is an easy walk to the family lift, although it is uphill.
You also have a shuttle bus stop outside your door for both the Hirafu village shuttle and the Hanazono shuttle.
You can control your spend to fit in most budgets.
When I'm not around the boys live on groceries from Kutchan, ramen and 600yen massive bacon and egg burgers from Wazzas.
Then there's the other end of the spectrum - degustation menu at Kamimura for example.
It's up to how much you are prepared to spend.
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so in that case, for biru options learn to use a chair liftHana, 800Yen for a poxy beer. And you have no choice. Honestly, chairs in Niseko are way easier than any I've ridden elsewhere.
Most of them anyway - that single pizza tray isn't hard, but it stirs all my irrational fear of heights anxiety.
Learn right the first time, and enjoy from then on.
I used the family lift for access every day for the last 3 weeks. Even when people stacked it the lifties were onto it, clearing and helping and stopping/slowing the lift. I saw one guy going up with his beginner wife - he gestured for them to slow the lift and pointed at his wife. They did so, he basically walked her off the lift. It can't be easier than that.
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at Hanazono. There was a teensy short carpet in the little kids ski school are around king lift IIRC from previous trips (didn't go anywhere near it this trip) but other than that the only carpet I recall is at. Hana.I would recommend you get private lessons. 14,000 for 2 ours in the morning. Get some basics and then practise in the afternoon before hitting the beers and onsen.I wouldn't recommend the gondola for you, but if you must, the top of the gondola is a pretty flat area you can muck about on, but getting down means a bit of a hike. You won't be able to ski King or Ace if you're a beginner, so walking down would be your safest bet.
The sparrows kneecap of a slope, the family run is lots of fun for beginners. Your instructor will have you at the top of the slope and getting your ski feet well before even trying to get you on a lift. Or you could use the magic carpet.
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Another tip.
Avoid chair lifts and only take gondolas up to the top, at least until you have gained the slightest bit of confidence and balance on your board.
First time to see snow? Wow! Wrap up warm!
In Niseko?
I don't think so.
Start on the Ace Family course - it is the perfect pitch to learn on and beginners are lapping it all day and night long.
It is serviced by the Ace family pair lift (which now has a safety bar! Upgrade!)
Or use the holiday lift on the gondola side of the hill - or bus around to Hanazono for lessons there on the green slopes.
All chairlifts.
Next progression would be up the Ace Quad - a seriously easy lift to get off!
I know some here are not big fans of paying for lessons.
But if you start out with excellent instruction (not reinforcing bad habits) you will progress faster and be a happier camper.
Pluses and minuses with both group and private lessons.
Group is cheaper, you get to meet people at your level who might be keen to keep sliding with you after the lesson - new friends
Private is focused on YOU, costs more, but no time sitting around on your arse waiting for the rest of the group. If you are not real fit waiting for others might be a bonus! But I found the value was way better in a private than a group for me in what I got out of it.
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10% 'service charge' added at Kamimura...so this is obviously something introduced by the Aussie tourists.
Surelt it was introduced not by the tourists, but by the businesses doing it.
Frankly, no way! A Japanese business would never think of that. If the shop is Aussie-owned, perhaps. Otherwise, no way. The way this developed must have surely been by tourists dropping tips on confused staff, the management asking what the h/&%&ck these foreigners are doing, and then dealing with the situation.
You can travel all over Japan, and you will NEVER see a thing like a "tip jar". (Except around US military bases, which is another story).
Although service and food was INCREDIBLE, so really wasn't fussed what they wanted to charge!
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not a problem. Hope it is helpful.Sorry to come late to this thread. Regarding glasses ...
Papa and the littlest bear cub both need glasses. It has been quite the obsession at times to find the right goggles.
OTG goggles are usually much much better with glasses than non OTG goggles - SURPRISE!
Occasionally you can jag a pair that are not designed for the purpose that work well though.
But they do not enjoy riding with glasses under goggles for a number of reasons - sometimes they feel visibility is compromised with the glasses frame and the goggle frame getting in the way. Sometimes the fogging is ballistic.
You can get clip in lenses that fit inside your goggles, made up by an optometrist. Mostly seen these in Europe though. Again, they do not cover the entire visual field but they do away with having the arms pressing on your ears/face as well as the gogg straps.
PB has decided to ride without glasses this time around, his vision is fine for boarding, not so much for reading a menu.
Little cub has made the transition to contact lenses for Water Polo (took some getting used to) but he has found contacts to be far superior to glasses under his goggles this trip. He does however have a mild astigmatism in one eye and so the corrective effect is not perfect, so as soon as he is off the hill or out of the pool the glasses go back on.
Hope our experiences with vision issues and snow goggles has given you an idea of the possible things to expect or look out for in the future.
Have a great trip.
Thank you Mama bear for your thoughts after reading your input my wife is going to look at contacts tomorrow., thanks
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Regardless of whether they are likely to have the sole rip out or not - those puppies need retiring to a museum. Upgrade time!
You are worth it.
While you're at it, get some shiny new skis
I'll be trading in my snowboard bindings very very soon (would've done it this trip but didn't find what I wanted) after 5 years of use. The lock down on the right foot (my back foot) is starting to fail to close in really cold conditions. I really put them through their paces and get lots of days on them, but the big question is DO you want them failing on the hill? Personally I reckon that would suck. Good enough reason to upgrade.
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Yeah still got mine on my helmet, although it is looking a bit ratty these days.
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The Shiki ATM is really easy to use.
I'm not sure why certain cards are not accepted, can't quite work out why they are being refused.
One son has a same bank card that I am using and his isn't working. Immediately spat it back out - one of my credit cards did the same. It might have been a temporary thing. I'd just suggest of you have more than one card, bring them all.
Bring cash also. It really is king.
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so true.The problem with common sense is that it's not actually that commonI'm not saying everyone needs professional lessons, although it really made a difference for me.
Bad habits did not develop.
Started with understanding why we dint hang out in front of lifts and just over rollers/drops where you can't be seen. Did not have to learn that the hard way.
MOST ski instructors will pass on this uncommon - should be common knowledge. But there are always a few that fit outside that box.
Heck, this season in Thredbo I was crossing a drag lift with some mates. This particular spot necessitates a bit of speed before the crossing or you are unclipping the back foot (or waddling/jumping like a duck/dick) if you are on a board. It's pretty much a cat track, not that wide, but downhill through the drag lift. A fair few people sail on through and don't even notice the people on the lift until they hit them. So...first we negotiate skiers weaving back and forth taking up the entire track (damn, can't pass, gotta slow down, know that means scooching!) or worse still stopped as a group blocking the entire damn thing. So we get through without stopping and see a young ski instructor with his brood of ski school kiddies - little ones. He has stopped about half a meter past the lift track. So where do all the ski school flock stop? Yep, you got it...ON the t bar track!!! As I went past I said to the guy, you'd best move the kids a bit mate! it's not the best place to stop. His response? **** off. Yep. My friend went though next and said...wow kids you better move there are people coming. He gave her a dirty look. Son came through next and said Mate!!! Seriously!!! MOVE these kids. Before he could argue a t bar user crashed into one of the kids. He moved them after that.
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Pissed myself laughing ipp.
Can SO relate!
LOL
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Oh no Koko, what is your suffrage?
I lost 4 days to a flu thing, still not 100% but been back out there this week.
Today was awesome! Needed to be - last day.
I have some photos (phone camera stills, nothing epic) but spent hours trying to get my iPad or Samsung phone to upload and had all sorts of insurmountable hurdles. Gave up, will try with full laptop when I get home Saturday (to an evil 44 degree day!)
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Sadly, I think you are right Muika.
If more did there would be no need for this post because a person blocking the lift ramp would be so rare.
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or once every 5-10 years holiday makers, usually travelling in large groups.I define a social boarder as those more interested in talking to their mates than actually boarding.They normally haven't had many (if any) professional lessons - as most decent instructors will ram the 'do not block the lift exit' message home.
Stolen ski/board gear in Japan
in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
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