Which is bigger - the Niseko mountain or Happo?

[2pints-mate 0]

What, that it was better than Honshu? I was under the impression that generally things were better up there in this strange season.

[BagOfCrisps 24]

Maybe, but I think the main point is that both areas usually have guaranteed tons of snow. Surely we will not see another season like the one just finished, anytime soon anyway.

[ausi ski bum 1]

A bad season in Japan is still way better than the best season in Australia.

 

When I was in Niseko in January the locals were telling me how little snow they had had, I had never seen so much snow.

[mrjamie 0]

I don't know how steep, but hiking yotei the runs certainly seemed at least steeper than hirafu @ niseko.

 

I was at Niseko for a month this winter, during Feb/March, and once I discovered (thanks to some Aussies) Annupuri, that is where I gravitated for most of my trip. Traversing Osawa there are some slight steeper runs, and the backside of what I believe is nito or chisenupuri lays covered in a white blanket, sitting, waiting.

 

One day I decided to hit the top of Annupuri and the weather was so fine that I had a perfect view of back bowl. Back bowl looks like the steepest BC terrain at Niseko, and I regret not having time on that blue-sky day to get back to Hirafu's back side. Definitely on the agenda for next year.

 

The weather at yotei kept our ascent in tomorrow until finally the clouds opened up; unfortunately this was towards the end of my trip and the weather was so warm that the 'powder,' even atop yotei (which I recall to be somwhere around 1800m) was gachi gachi. Rough. But there were some steeper looking valleys; next year I'd like to return, hopefully to work at Niseko Adventure Club for the winter. If anyone else is planning a winter in Hokkaido, I'd love to organize some trips up mount yoteizan.

 

Also, if anyone has recommendations about BC in hakuba/happo, particularly for guides/people who will take me out, I'd be obliged should they share these with me. I'd like to snowboard Alaska sometime in the next four or five years, and obviously going to mountains with more challenging terrain than the Niseko area is a first step.

 

Thinking steeper, from annupuri.

Oh, if I had only known before the hike up. Back Bowl as seen from the summit of Annupuri.

Hiking up Yoteizan -- anyone have a guess on the angle?

[Mantas 3]

What ever the angle. It's steep enough for me.

[skidaisuki 0]

Niseko vs Happo - in terms of skiing neither will disappoint most people when the snow's good. Need we say more?

 

I suppose if I have to take sides I prefer Hakuba because I'm closer to it and I love the mountains in summer as well (we'll do Shiroumadake and some of the traverse this year) - I wouldn't bother with Niseko outside the season. Another plus point for Hakuba is that there are plenty of alternatives if Happo/47/Goryu are packed and tracked out

[Fossil 0]

Ive skied Austria, Switzerland, France, Scotland and Serbia and the bad season that Honshu had this year is better than the best season Ive had anywhere else

[Fattwins 0]

hello fossil

[Fattwins 0]

The BC at niseko does not impress. The BC of happo or goryu blows anything else away in hokkaido

 

[mrjamie 0]

 Originally Posted By: Fattwins

The BC at niseko does not impress. The BC of happo or goryu blows anything else away in hokkaido

I don't know how much of Hokkaido you've snowboarded, but I was told that the icon 5 dvd [treat] is shot almost exclusively in niigata and hokkaido, except for the foreign footage. If what I was told is true, there is some pretty gnarly back country in Hokkaido as well.

[Fattwins 0]

watch any landmade movie and it puts the hokkaido terrain to shame.

[Yuki's Passion 1]

Ive got Icon5 and most of that gnarly BC is Nozawa...

The Hokkaido stuff is tame comparatively.

[Fattwins 0]

The boys at noz put together a good segment for the video. Im never really a fan of incon but that part was good.

[Yuki's Passion 1]

Thats cuz they have a sick crew of bros riding there. Did you pick up that movie FF or was that from when I brought it up at Xmas? You Dai chan, BP and I saw it yeah? Kuma and Dizzy too yeah?

[Fattwins 0]

i watched it with you then we watched landmade 4

[Kumapix 0]

i watched part of one. (don't know which one). I just remember I didn't like the mellow music

[Yuki's Passion 1]

I like Icon5 music, 4 is good too.

[thursday 1]

OK, which is bigger?

 

A 40 million Yen apartment in Niseko

or

A 40 million Yen apartment in Happo

 

The latter.

[Fattwins 0]

you wont find apartments yet but you can get a fully loaded house for less than 40mill new.

[thursday 1]

Property speculators, scum suckers. That's what people should really be careful about.

[Go Native 70]

Frankly Fattwins endless ranting on how flat it is in Niseko is just getting boring For most skiers out there it's just fine. Sure if double blacks and beyond are the only thing you like skiing then Niseko is not the place for you.

If you like consistent deep riding through beautiful birch forests then then you'll just love Niseko.

[daver 0]

they have that all over nagano too. frankly, the corporate go to one liner promo of niseko has long since gotten boring.

[Fattwins 0]

Niseko is flat. you are lucky to find anything over 40 in or out of bounds. If you can read a topo you can see that. Saying that something is flat isnt ranting its just the truth.

The marketing power Niseko has is huge. We are talking about millions of dollars being pumped into ads. What I say here wont effect the families going to niseko (the target market). IT could help and has helped the expert skier from wasting their money on being sold the best japanese ski experience.

 

[Fattwins 0]

[mrjamie 0]

That's some delicious looking terrain, thanks for the vid.