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Originally Posted By: Tex
Originally Posted By: MikePow
When you pick up the season pass you can pay the additional cost. It was 1,000 yen last time I did it.


Thanks Mike! So only available with a season pass? I wont have a season pass but want to get the Hirafu club Membership....


Yep only available with a season pass Tex.
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That pass price is a bit expensive when compared to other areas in Japan but!

 

If you check the North American ski pass prices it is on par or cheaper.

Search this site for info in North america.

skiresortguide

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For the amount of terrain it accesses it's wildly expensive in comparison with passes available in the US and Europe.

 

For the quality and quantity of snow it accesses over a very long period - typically powder on openng day end of November through to regular powder days up to the end of March, and spring skiing through to the beginning of May - it's a bargain.

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You would have to be doing loads and loads and loads of skiing/boarding on piste for it to be worthwhile... especially if you have a look at the 50 hour pass that is on offer there. If off piste is what you are into I think it would be very hard to justify buying the all-mountain season pass.

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If you're in Niseko for longer than 2 weeks, then the 50-hr pass isn't cost effective.

 

Using it for 4 hrs a day means it would last for 12 days.

 

On the other hand, if your only intention is to get uplift and then ski and tour off the back of the peak, then it could last you for 50 days.

 

For those living in the valley or nearby or for homeowners who visit twice or three times over the season, then it makes sense to get the all mountain season pass.

 

The season is 170 days long after all.

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If you are living there why go out every day? Even if there are 170 days in the season there are loads of days that you would never go up on the hill if you were living there for the whole season. Not to mention that most people living there are also working which would surely put a dent in the number of days on the hill.

 

4 hours a day on that 50 hour pass can easily translate into 6 hours of skiing (or more if you pay attention to the times you pass through the gates)

 

You can also buy two 50 hour passes for less than that season pass... and three 50 hour passes are cheaper than the season pass at full price. I know more than one person who lives up there but doesn't buy the season pass because it isn't cost effective.

 

For myself, I usually go for three weeks each season and always end up with hours left on the 50 hour pass (and I spend a lot of time on the mountain coz I'm only there for such a short time) If you mix the 50 hour all mountain pass with the 50 hour Grand Hirafu pass you can save even more...

 

If however you are one of the few madmen who go out in any conditions and spend all day on the hill than the season pass makes perfect sense. Bottom line is it all depends on how much boarding you are going to do... which in my opinion would have to be a lot to make the all mountain season pass worth while.

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Originally Posted By: SKI
If people are prepared to pay it....


It's annoying though! It's always been around that expensive, well at least since I've been coming here. Most of the people buying a season pass are going to be locals, what's the point of gouging them? I do always get a pass as part of my salary package though so it's never overly concerned me slap
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Well considering you'd need to spend 30 or so seasons skiing in Aus to get as many powder days as we get here just in January (and powder days here make Aus powder look like slushy crap) it really isn't that bad value at all! lol razz

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Wasn't advocating skiing every day Black Mountain.

 

But getting 100 goes on the snow in a 170 day season is easily achievable if you live in the area. That's bell to bell days, just nightas, or a couple of lunch hour runs.

 

That works out at just over 1,000 yen to use the lifts each time.

 

Not a bad deal in my eyes.

 

As for the use 4 hrs and get 6 hrs skiing if you know what you're doing angle, I think you'll be surprised how much skiing you actually do in that time frame once you take out queuing and riding the antiquated lift system.

 

If I return to Hokkaido, then I don't think I'll be purchasing the All Mountain Season Pass. Not because I think it's not worth it or not because I'll be skiing less.

 

But because I'll be spending significant days away from Niseko skiing Kiroro and Rusutsu to name but two.

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100000 yen has the spending power of 1000 bucks in Japan.

Maybe I shouldve made that point. A ski resort can not change

their prices based upon the exchange rate.

 

The best passes in Japan are the lottery passes they give you

so much. The Jtb pass is quite good it gives you 4 resorts for 50000 yen.

 

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I totally understand where you are coming from Mike. Another point that I was going to mention is exactly what you said about going to other ski-jos. If you buy the season pass you are quite unlikely to spend time at other places... which would be a big mistake if you are there for the whole season.

 

About the hours thing... what I meant was that if you punch your card for four hours you could easily be on the hill for six.

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But it doesn't matter how creative the use of hours is, ultimately 4hrs usage each time you go out will always mean that you can ski for 12 full days and 1 half day.

 

Perhaps they should call it the Baker's Dozen Pass.

 

The Kiroro Season Pass is 39,000 yen and the K-Pass covering Rusutsu, Sahoro, Mt Racey, Teine and Nakayama Toge is 70,000.

 

Now that's a far better way to spend approx. 100,000 smile

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  • 3 months later...

im just reading this and had a thought. Ill be in hokkaido for 4 weeks and just saw the grand hirafu 4 week pass for a mere 42000. But sometimes i might want to take a trek down and out of one of the other gates requiring a lift pass back up.

do the point tickets have to be all used in one day? Theoretically if they dont, you could just get a few books of twelve and that gives you semi access to almost all the mountain for about 60,000ish... well, for 4 weeks at least.

 

Is this feasible you reckons?

 

A second alternative was to buy the 50 hours plus the 4 week hirafu. It comes to around 90,000 (which is still cheaper than the discount season pass, and also has a great likelihood of reimbursing my losses by er, passing on my unused hours at the end of the trip). Its not a photo id is it?

 

I doubt i have enough skill to make the 50 hour on its own work for me. But i reckon theres a chance i can ride it for about 60-70,000 for 4 weeks smile

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We got season grand hirafu for the kids last season, and then bought them a points ticket for All Mountain (was still an electronic ticket). They stored the All Mountain tixs in thier lower leg pocket so it didn't get read unless they required it over at Annupuri or Higashiyama. Worked well.

 

Price wise was worth it for them, but for us the 4 week All Mountain Pass was the right financial choice.

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and it rolls over onto different days? so say you buy twelve, you can use 4 on saturday, 4 on sunday, and 4 on monday fine? If so, game on!

 

And thanks for being devious enough to try it out biggrin

 

Truth is, i spent the majority of my last time there just enjoying the nighta. I liked annapuri, but wasnt a big fan of higashiyama, so theres not too much of a pull for me outside of those two sections at hirafu...

 

actually just had a look, annupuri has a 30 hour ticket for 15,000? or a 50 hour for 25000? Anyone know if the 30 hour ticket is available this season? The site says "last season" and im not sure if thats just some kind of engrish error. If it is available, that means ive got 4 weeks in niseko for under 70,000 which is fine.

 

This is looking seriously cheap in comparison to that 105,000 i was thinking it would cost! smile

 

So the plan is:

 

Buy grand hirafu pass: 42000

Buy 30 hour annupruri: 15000

Buy 12 point ticket*2: 6600 (6 runs back up the gondola at higashiyama)

 

There you go: 4 week all mountain pass for 63,000yen smile

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