Niseko All-Mountain Season Pass

[HelperElfMissy 42]

Would you seriously use the 30hrs at Annupuri?

I suppose if you hit the bowls you might spend more time there this year...

 

Yes the points are points that stick around until used - they are read electronically. We always made the boys carry some extra cash in that leg pocket as well, so if they got to the point where they were having fun elsewhere than Grand Hirafu and wanted to rip it up some more and the ticket ran out they could just go to the bottom and grab another points tickets - and back up they go.

[ippy 66]

I likely wont for sure, but it means technically that gives me something like 30 runs back up on the gondola over the course of a month, and 15,000 is pretty sweet all things considered (comparatively it would be 4 points for gondola and to get back across to hirafu either a bit of a shank, or either 1 or 2 more points for a lift).

 

So to get the same 30 potential trips id need 180 tickets (which si about 50,000yen.

Might as well cover myself at annupuri for that tiny fee and go there as much as i like (i really did enjoy running it though i never went out of the BIG gate - i stuck with gate 1 or the fun bit down the trees on skiers left). Ill definitely be playing there when im not on the nighta, so its kinda worth it. I reckon ill maybe even just buy one book of tickets though and use it for the bus ride instead of the gondola back up 12 bus rides beats 2 gondolas on higashiyama any day

 

Oh and tubby, the lack of park, coupled to mamabear's scheming plus my total love of the niseko nighta (plus dried ika, chu hai and a kitkat), makes niseko really damn attractive again

 

ETA: ah dang, it was engrish. Last season means late season (march to april). Only option is the 50 hour ticket. Guess i have to buy that instead. Still, musnt grumble, i like the place!

[Slippery Jim 65]

Hmmmm, think I'd have to say there's a value-for-money gap...

Niseko 130,000 yen;

Snowbird $1,099,

Jackson Hole $1,570;

Whistler C$1,700

St Anton e710

[Mike Pow 52]

Originally Posted By: Slippery Jim

Hmmmm, think I'd have to say there's a value-for-money gap...
Niseko 130,000 yen;
Snowbird $1,099,
Jackson Hole $1,570;
Whistler C$1,700
St Anton e710

I've skied Snowbird and St Anton and the snow is better in Niseko and stays around much longer.

[Slippery Jim 65]

I suppose it depends on perspective, but I've skied Snowbird/Alta & Jackson Hole, and the snow is definitely NOT better in Niseko. It doesn't stay around longer (let alone much longer) than in Snowbird, and is gone far earlier than in Whistler. And terrain comparisons would be just silly.

Look, Niseko is a great place. It's a decent mountain and it gets terrific snow. And until/unless Gulmarg gets a long more secure and far more infrastructure, I think it's the most reliable powder skiing in Asia. But this overwrought boosterism is nonsense, and very misleading. And Niseko doesn't need it.

[Mike Pow 52]

It's called an opinion, not a 'boosterism'.

 

I did one season in Utah based out of Park City and skied all the resorts with the exception of Brian Head. An excellent season with loads of powder days. And also hours of waiting to get up Little Cottonwood Canyon and to get on the tram at Snowbird.

 

I've done three seasons in Niseko.

 

And in my experience and IMHO the snow in Niseko is better than the snow in Snowbird and the snow on Hokkaido is better than the snow in Utah.

[mitchpee 10]

Originally Posted By: MikePow

It's called an opinion, not a 'boosterism'.

I did one season in Utah based out of Park City and skied all the resorts with the exception of Brian Head. An excellent season with loads of powder days. And also hours of waiting to get up Little Cottonwood Canyon and to get on the tram at Snowbird.

I've done three seasons in Niseko.

And in my experience and IMHO the snow in Niseko is better than the snow in Snowbird and the snow on Hokkaido is better than the snow in Utah.

Exactly why I want to try out Niseko so badly. Soooooo many people here in Utah.

This place is awesome. I have been here...4...? years now. There are great people here and some amazing terrain. I think we average the same or a little more snow than Niseko and probably very similar in lightness. The cultural aspect and intrigue of another place where people love the snow is very appealing to me.

SO excited to be in Japan this winter.

[big-will 7]

Originally Posted By: MitchPee

Exactly why I want to try out Niseko so badly. The cultural aspect .......... is very appealing to me.

Not been to Australia or experienced that culture yet then?

[mitchpee 10]

Touche, I more or less meant Japan in actuality as I will be traveling to the more cultural parts of it. Going to try and get through the country hitchhiking or something of the sort to see the small towns and practice my Japanese.

[HelperElfMissy 42]

Oh come on! Yes there are a lot of Aussies in Niseko - wouldn't you?

 

The Brits can duck over to any of the European resorts with ease.

The Canadians and Americans have it right there on their doorstep.

 

The Aussies have scorching sun in December/January/February and an overnight flight in a same or similar time zone finds them in more delicious powder in one night than they get in an entire Aussie season (ok...well that might be an exaggeration, but you get my drift...)

 

Of course there is going to be a lot of Aussies.

 

But Niseko IS in Hokkaido. Hokkaido IS in Japan. You still get "Japan", albeit Japan that caters for tourists that speak English.

[Slippery Jim 65]

Quote:

Soooooo many people here in Utah.

[Slippery Jim 65]

Well, Mike, I've vacationed in both for 20 years and my opinion differs. Note I didn't say the powder is better at Alta or Snowbird, I said it isn't better at Niseko -- big difference. On any given day the snow could be great or horrible pretty much anywhere.

But to get back to the question of bang for buck, which is what I wrote about in the first place, given the cash and a Star Trek transporter would you buy a season pass at Niseko or Snowbird?

(I'd probably opt for Revelstoke myself)

[Mike Pow 52]

Neither.

 

Kiroro at 35,000 yen is the deal of the season.

 

And I have mine

[ippy 66]

ooooh, sell me on kiroro then. Im still at 6s and 7s

[Slippery Jim 65]

Mike, I surrender!

That is a terrific deal. (I hate you damn locals!)

[Mike Pow 52]

ha ha

 

Kiroro

Great snow, interesting terrain, fantastic slackcountry, low key vibe, cheap, lack of people, views of the ocean.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

What I think is mental about the snow in Japan and Hokkaido in particular is that the quality of snow is as high as anywhere in the world without the altitide that the rest of the world requires to produce that same powder.

[Go Native 70]

It is a truly amazing part of the world. No other place on the planet gets such quantity and quality of snow to such low levels.

[Slippery Jim 65]

That I will certainly agree with. The powder is remarkable for such a low-altitude maritime mountain. We who get to enjoy it are fortunate.

[acpowman 0]

Originally Posted By: MitchPee

Originally Posted By: MikePow

It's called an opinion, not a 'boosterism'.

I did one season in Utah based out of Park City and skied all the resorts with the exception of Brian Head. An excellent season with loads of powder days. And also hours of waiting to get up Little Cottonwood Canyon and to get on the tram at Snowbird.

I've done three seasons in Niseko.

And in my experience and IMHO the snow in Niseko is better than the snow in Snowbird and the snow on Hokkaido is better than the snow in Utah.

Exactly why I want to try out Niseko so badly. Soooooo many people here in Utah.

This place is awesome. I have been here...4...? years now. There are great people here and some amazing terrain. I think we average the same or a little more snow than Niseko and probably very similar in lightness. The cultural aspect and intrigue of another place where people love the snow is very appealing to me.

SO excited to be in Japan this winter.

True, but the bulk of Niseko's seasonal snowfall comes down in a shorter period of time than Utah, so more consistent.

[ippy 66]

Thought it would be rather rude to start another niseko thread for this one:

 

Accommodation options in the place. Yeah i know! ive looked at the snowjapan list. Its frankly hideoulsy expensive!!!!

 

What? the korean won is worth nothing in japan (and its probably worth much less after today!) My extraordinary wages are turned to monopoly money the second i land at new chitose! DONT JUDGE ME!!!

 

So er...

 

 

I remember last year the two places rumoured to have the cheapest accommodation was mellow and ramble. Ive sent mellow an email, but cant find ramble's email address. Anyone got it?

 

Also, this came from one poor girl at some place like downtown lodge in hirafu with a broken ankle. She might not have known for sure. So remember the code you bums and drifters out there and help another bum out Any other likely places for the proud underclass of niseko?

[Go Native 70]

Ippy we don't use the forums to promote specific businesses. There's a lot of information out there easily found. Stick to lodges, pensions and backpackers and I'm sure you'll find something cheap enough. There are places in Niseko that cost as little as Y4,000 per night with breakfast included. If that's too expensive you really need to find a higher paying job

[Nisoko 6]

if you really looked the list you will see a youth hostel as well as a number of fairly cheap pensions etc.

 

There's a lot of expensive options in niseko, but there's something for peasants too!

 

[Tubby Beaver 209]

I stayed with the 2nd level of the Proletariat in Feb, was about 7k a night including brekkie and dinner and was 3 mins from the lifts. It was a Japanese style place and we were the only Gaij contingent that I saw

[ippy 66]

i did i did, but its annupuri. I wanna base at hirafu. And cheap needs to be 2-3000 per night. Hells yeah baby! im serious!

 

And yes i maybe do need a higher paying job, or maybe less cheap, but either way, that place what i mentioned before but not promoting it has accommodation around 2,600 p/n for 20-30 days, so hoping it has space But if not, im gonna need to get in contact with the other one. I guess i got their phone number, but natch its a pain in the rump from kankoku. Needs must though