jaseskiwi 0 Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 I want to go to Seki ONsen for fresh powder in the trees. Is it worth going to any of the more major resorts in Myoko for offpiste? I am looking for accommodation in Seki Onsen itself so I can walk to the lifts. Does anyone no the cheapest accommodation there? My other option is to rent a car however I cant find anything under 6000/day. Any ideas? Any ideas of other places to go for powder skiing in the trees would be great. cheers Jase Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 you'd be better getting this moved over to the main Snow Forum. As for Seki Onsen, I haven't been there but they do seem to get crazy amounts of snow, although I've been told that the place is actually quite small. For sure the other Myoko places are well worth a few days to explore, all Myoko can get awesome amounts and quality of snow. A few years back I went to Suginohara and had a near Divine Experience!! The snow was awesome!! Saying that though i didn't really go that far from the pistes, but Ippy and a few others have spent a season up that way, perhaps they could tell you more Link to post Share on other sites
jaseskiwi 0 Posted October 31, 2011 Author Share Posted October 31, 2011 thanks for the heads up how do I move the tread. sorry for putting in wrong place. cheers Jase Link to post Share on other sites
SnowJapan Moderator SnowJapan.Com#4 5 Posted October 31, 2011 SnowJapan Moderator Share Posted October 31, 2011 I will move it for you jaseskiwi Link to post Share on other sites
Thundercat 60 Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 How long are you going for? Seki Onsen is actually a very very small resort with only three lifts and a few hundred meters of vertical. Unless you are planning on trekking up the mountain you can cover the whole resort in a few runs. Also, the area around Seki is super tiny and there are only a handful of traditional Japanese Inns. It's quite far from the other resorts (far from everything really) so if you are spending any amount of time there you might feel pretty trapped and isolated. I've also said before that I have a feeling the snow depth is being misrepresented by the resort. The figures they posted and what I saw on the ground were quite different. The other resorts are much bigger and offer lift accessible off/side piste. I much prefer Akakura Kanko and Suginohara. These places also offer a little bit of variety for restaurants and bars (although there aren't that many). In my opinion, you would probably be better off staying at one of the main places. Link to post Share on other sites
jaseskiwi 0 Posted October 31, 2011 Author Share Posted October 31, 2011 thanks for info basically I want to ski crowdless untracked snow in trees as many days as possible between 16th Jan and 4th Feb. I dont mind where on Honshu. I have skied 47, Hakodda and Hachimantai and Niseko. The reason for Seki Onsen and Charmant Hiuchi where they were recommended for the powder and lack of people. Someone also suggested Cortina. Link to post Share on other sites
tokabochi 9 Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Totally agree Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Got to admit it's not totally my bag, but I agree. Surely you will want to be based in Myoko and choose from there. It's not as if Myoko is over-busy with too many people. Link to post Share on other sites
Thundercat 60 Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Most places are pretty quiet during the week. 10 days in Myoko and 10 days in Hakuba are the best bet for loads of powder and trees. If you stayed 20 days in Seki you would go absolutely crazy. I mean, you would literally go insane... eating three meals a day in your hotel, skiing the same three lifts over and over and over and over. Maybe one day there or two would be enough. Link to post Share on other sites
TheOriginalMyoko 0 Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Can't really add much to what BM said, as it is the case! Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 where is Charmant Hiuchi? Anyone been over there? Link to post Share on other sites
snowdude 44 Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Like the others said stick to the bigger areas of Myoko, if you want more variation and dont want to get bored to quickly. I went to Suginohara, which offered a good variation with a 5k course too. The snow wasn't good at all when I went in mid Feb two winters ago, only a little powder, was mostly hard packed, but I was unlucky that weekend, usually there would be a lot more powder. Link to post Share on other sites
jaseskiwi 0 Posted October 31, 2011 Author Share Posted October 31, 2011 Sorry to be clear. I don not want to ski ON PISTE only off piste trees and powder. size is not a problem for me. I ski in NZ on some of the smallest mountains ( 1 main lift ) and enjoy that more than the biggest mountains in Europe. Im after quality not quantity. Thanks Link to post Share on other sites
griller 9 Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 We understand that. But why limit yourself to a tiny Land of the Dead when closeby you have Land of the Giants on tap? Link to post Share on other sites
gerard 6 Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 "Untracked trees." The bigger places in Myoko would deliver. Cortina is a great little secret that everyone knows. There are some less obvious places in the backwoods of Gifu. Try Hide Nagarahara for a real old-school flavour. Link to post Share on other sites
hellyer 216 Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 Hi Jase, Darfield hey - a good base for lots of kiwi pow. As others have said Myoko Akakura onsen has good accommodation & eats options, walk to lifts & central to off -piste and trees in Kanko, suginahara & seki And just 40 minutes away is this Link to post Share on other sites
iiyamadude 6 Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 You mention Charmant. I have never been even though it's not that far off. But it's on the other side of the hill from Myoko, no? http://www.snowjapan.com/e/resorts/resort_map.php?resortNo=288 Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 I've not been for years but Charmant is a great little minimalist resort with lots of snow and few people. No stupid duplicated lifts, just a covered quad up the guts from bottom to top. Steepness is definitely "intermediate". Its fun, but I don't think its steep enough (or quite treed enough) for kind of tree skiing that makes it onto the ski videos shot in Japan. Maybe a bit steeper than that youtube video above though. Link to post Share on other sites
Thundercat 60 Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 Well, if it's quality you are after than you are making a big mistake staying in Seki. I've been there several times now and would rate Akakura Kanko (and Suginohara) head and shoulders above Seki for a number of reasons and snow quality is one of them. Both of the other resorts (in fact all of the main ones in the area) have a much higher elevation than Seki. I know I'm sounding like a bit of a broken record on this topic... and maybe a bit of a downer, but what I'm trying to say is that basing yourself out of Seki is a mistake (unless you are only doing it for one night). At Seki, if there hasn't been snow the night before it is a total waste because the lift accessible 'off piste' will definitely be completely tracked out. Are you bringing backcountry gear with you? Even if you are I think the stuff you can access from the top lifts of Akakan and Suginohara are a lot more interesting. If you aren't bringing your gear than you better rearrange your plans. Link to post Share on other sites
jaseskiwi 0 Posted November 1, 2011 Author Share Posted November 1, 2011 cool. Getting a better picture now. Yes im bringing BC gear but coming alone so need to find a buddy out there and was hoping to get a lot of lift accessed freshies. I dont even have to go to myoko. it just seemed from what ive read and chatting to people that it has the most snow on the mainland and is not crowded like Niseko ( I had fresh tracks there every day in Jan 2006 ). Charmant is on the other side of the range so i guess you have to go to the coast then back up the valley on the other side. I loved Hachimantai ( not the main one the little one with a single chair and 2 x 3 seaters? which I heard is closed now ). Is there any budget accom. in Akakura for around the 3000 yen/night for room only. thanks for all the feedback so far Link to post Share on other sites
jaseskiwi 0 Posted November 1, 2011 Author Share Posted November 1, 2011 Where is the video? a lot of tracks and pretty flat but still looks fun Link to post Share on other sites
iiyamadude 6 Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 Madarao Kogen, about 20 mins from Myoko Link to post Share on other sites
iiyamadude 6 Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 more here http://www.snowjapan.com/e/spotlight/madarao-kogen.html Link to post Share on other sites
hellyer 216 Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 And it's even flatter than it looks. Better steeps elsewhere Link to post Share on other sites
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