Jump to content

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 212
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Questions:

 

1) Looking at past reviews, it seems there have in the past been issues with getting reservations on the ropeway going to the top (snow-monsters area). Is this still true? Does one need reservations, and is there any way to make them before going there? I have searched through the web sites for the ski area and the ropeway, and haven't noticed any mention of reservations.

 

2) Any recommendations on where to park, rent equipment, and sign up for lessons?

 

For efficiency (only have a weekend), it looks like parking near the Zao Ropeway Sanroku-sen base area offers the easiest access to areas I want to access (snow monsters and Yokokura no Kabe). Is it easy to get parking there, if arriving mid-late morning on a Saturday in peak season? Rentals and snowboard school near there?

 

Thanks in advance.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Wow indeed. Sugoi.

 

Metabo, I'm no expert on Zao but I'll lave a go re: my experiences.

 

The Ropeway thing --- it all seemed a bit haphazard one time I was there. But the way to get round it was to get to the mid-station of the Ropeway using the lifts at the resort rather than the Ropeway. The Ropeway going up isn't too big and so when the place is busy the queues seems really really long. So get the lift by the Ropeway, then another 2 lifts and you get get up to the mid-station. That's where the Gondola goes up to the top. That was really really busy too but in the end I think we waited about 20 minutes or so. But it's definitely the way to do it I thought. Bit of a bottleneck going up to the top there. There's only the Gondola, no other lifts go up there so you don't have much choice.

 

Of course if you are tres-gnarly, you might want to walk it. Or jog. party

Link to post
Share on other sites

We parked at our hotel and so that was sorted. Parking in Zao looks limited. esp. if you arrive mid morning Saturday, I don't know. There seemed to be the obligatory dudes with flashing red sticks though so surely they would tell you where to go. Sorry I can't help on that. At the base of the Ropeway I'm pretty sure I saw rental and a ski school, but not 100% on that.

 

The base of the Ropeway that goes up to the summit gondola seems a good place for you to be, in terms of location, for going up and also Yokokura.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I would definitely advise people to try and be in Zao on a weekday if at all possible, which obviously often isn't possible. That bottleneck Ropeway seems to be a real issue on weekends but not on weekdays. And other lifts weren't mad busy waits either it's just that top thing.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Just want to add to the Ropeway thing --- even when there was a 1.5+ hour waiting time for the ropeway, we got on the lifts up to that mid station no problems at all - there were no queues there at all in fact the lift was pretty empty.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks for the info, muika. Did you have to get reservations for the upper leg, or was it just a queue-up?

 

Gnarly I'm not. ashamed

 

Weekdays are out of the question for me, so have to do it the hard way. Also too late to get any reasonable accomodations in town if I want to be there in time for the snow-monsters, so will be staying down in Yamagata city, and parking wherever the red-stick dudes send me. Thanks for the confirmation of what area to aim for, and for the suggestion of taking the chair lifts to the mid-station.

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

No reservations for the upper leg as far as I could tell. The 2 queues (the one from people getting off the Ropeway and the one from people skiing in from the slope) both enter the Gondola building together. Not exactly sure how they organise that but it looked like they were squeezing them both in at the same time. Tons of tourists going up as well of course without any skis or boards.

 

I'd definitely get the lifts up to the mid station if I were you. Much much more enjoyable!

Link to post
Share on other sites
Originally Posted By: muikabochi
Metabo, I'd approach the village on Route 14. Once you hit the main road, just turn right and the Ropeway is there. Again, really not sure about parking as that car park at the base there is fairly small.

http://www.snowjapan.com/e/resorts/resort_map.php?resortNo=82

Have fun, and show me the pics!! wink


Thanks again, muika, and I will! Will be heading up there two weeks from today -- thanks to last week's Giveaway, I might add. biggrin
Thanks guys! wave
Link to post
Share on other sites

Parking is a bit of an issue in Zao as you have no doubt found out. You will even find it difficult to find details on their webiste - it's not one of the things they can "boast about"!

 

There's no huge great big car parks for thousands of cars, more small ones scattered about.

 

I'm pretty certain that the base of the ropeway mid-morning Saturday will have any spaces.

 

You might want to try the Kurohima parking, not usually "as busy" and at the base of a run.

Turn right when you get to the village and follow the road up once you get to the mai

 

Good luck and have fun!

Link to post
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...