gooooooooal 0 Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 Take Niseko out of the equation, we already know about that. So what's best out of the others up there? Cheers! Link to post Share on other sites
Markie 0 Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 That would be Rusutsu. Link to post Share on other sites
frannyo 2 Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 Rusutsu, Furano, Sahoro is good for all the extras there are there. Link to post Share on other sites
slow 0 Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 Tomamu, Teine Highland, Sapporo Kokusai, Asarigawa Onsen, everywhere in Hokkaido is good. Only one, Mount Racey wasn't so good. Link to post Share on other sites
OUfreeski2 0 Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 Rusutsu looks BIG. How do the runs rate, saw they had a couple of double black diamonds there Link to post Share on other sites
js 0 Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 Rusutsu is pretty much like a US resort - even has an eatery named 'Steamboat'!! Big long and wide runs, big moguls, lots of tree runs, and quite a few gullys. The beginners area is HUGE - which is good because it keeps 'moving violations' off the good stuff. The lifts are okay, though access to the gondolas is a pain - too many stairs to climb (I'd rather expend energy on skiing than climbing slippery steel staircases). Verticals are good too - can go like the clappers down most runs. Didn't get a chance to do the DB's - are Japanese DB's like US or Canadian ones? Most Canadian DB's tend to verge on suicidal! SZ Link to post Share on other sites
Plucky 0 Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 Easily Hachimantai in my kneck of the woods. This Rutsu place sounds intriguing thouhg... Link to post Share on other sites
sunrise 0 Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 I met several different groups of foreigners who liked it better than Niseko because they said it didn't get skied out as quickly. One group was even staying at Niseko but were doing day trips to Rusutsu and skiing trees all day during a Niseko dry spell. I found out later that you're not supposed to ski in the trees (except on a couple of runs).... I don't know how strict the patrol are, there were certainly lots of tracks.... Trees aside there are other good runs to be had there that don't get groomed, including a couple of 25 - 30 degree ones. Niseko definitely gets deeper (ie more) snow, even though it's not very far away. Link to post Share on other sites
r46 0 Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 Furano! Link to post Share on other sites
Simon 0 Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 Taking out Niseko, I would say Rusutsu and Tomamu. The second one IMO is good if you're staying in Sapporo, wanna do a day trip somewhere and don't have a car. You exit from the train (90 mintes from Sapporo), cross a bridge and find yourself on the slopes, ready to go. JR has pretty good deals on train+skipass combo. Furano... argh. I think the reviews on this website sum it up pretty well. I agree completely with Big Dave's review: "On-piste skiing is very flat and completely lacks any interesting bits. Very difficult to find any good powder off-piste, and when you do the local ski patrol are relentless in their pursuit of 'offenders'". Link to post Share on other sites
Will Lee 0 Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 Sapporo Kokusai pops up quickly in my mind. Don`t let the number of lifts listed fool you. It`s not "that" big(but big enough)but they`ve got enough wide trails for you to plow through. The snow is consistantly very good(my Hokkaido standard)and the food is good too. I`ve never had to wait in line for the lifts/gondola for more than half a minute, even on busy days. Kiroro also gets my vote for the quality of snow. Their trails may not be the most challenging for you extreme skier freaks but it`s bigger than Sapporo Kokusai. Just my 2 cents Link to post Share on other sites
egglesby 1 Posted February 18, 2003 Share Posted February 18, 2003 Any thoughts on Kiroro Snow World. Link to post Share on other sites
Markie 0 Posted February 18, 2003 Share Posted February 18, 2003 I, too, would like to hear more about Kiroro. It is well position to get lots of snow and is probably one of the earliest places to pile up in snow. I am planning on making Kiroro my next ski destination. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted February 18, 2003 Share Posted February 18, 2003 Never been to Kiroro, it doesn't get much attention does it? Markie - how often do you get over the Japan then? Link to post Share on other sites
Markie 0 Posted February 18, 2003 Share Posted February 18, 2003 Usually just during the Christmas and Chinese New Year Holidays for the snow. Sometimes during Easter if the snow holds out that long. More recently, maybe for an occasional romantic weekend, especial during St Valentine's. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted February 18, 2003 Share Posted February 18, 2003 Really? Don't suppose you've met up with the echi neko have you? Hope you'll stick around here all year dude Link to post Share on other sites
Markie 0 Posted February 18, 2003 Share Posted February 18, 2003 If the cat's here, I'm sticking! Link to post Share on other sites
Wizz 11 Posted February 18, 2003 Share Posted February 18, 2003 You seem to have missed the first question there Markie! Link to post Share on other sites
Markie 0 Posted February 18, 2003 Share Posted February 18, 2003 How can I put this subtly? Don't you all realize somebody reads these boards too? What can I say? Link to post Share on other sites
viv&kev 0 Posted February 25, 2003 Share Posted February 25, 2003 The first Forum romance? Or is it? Link to post Share on other sites
Higuma 0 Posted February 26, 2003 Share Posted February 26, 2003 Kiroro is a very windy place and so subsequently some runs are hard as cement - which I happen to like.. I have been there only once this year (Jan 12) and found that the snow wasn't too deep... forget skiing the trees as there was still lots of brush showing through..... Just came back from 3 days at Furano which, contary to popular opinion is one of my favorites... That said, the new 100 person gondola ABSOLUTELY SUCKS... it's akin to taking the Ginza Line to Akihabara on a school holiday... I rode it about 8 times over three days and every time I needed to score some Blood pressure medicine by the time I got to the top.... wait in a line for 15 minutes indoors, then jamb your ass into a gondala with 80 other people going wooooooooooaaaaahhhhh every time the swinging subway car goes over a tower... that's not even mentioning the hot, steamy, sweat your arse off conditions from the time you line up till you click in again.... After all that ranting though.. I still love the place but HATE the new gondola.... If you go, do yourself a favor and ride the quad to mid mountain from the New Prince side and then take the slow double to the top where the gondola drops it's load... it takes an extra 15 - 20 minutes but WAY less frustration....... Sapporo Kokusai is usually the deepest and the first to open..... Link to post Share on other sites
Markie 0 Posted February 26, 2003 Share Posted February 26, 2003 O.K., Higuma, you have just been nominated the official SJ Forum authority on Hokkaido (by me at least). So the question is: Is Kiroro skiable (your best guess) in Easter this year? Cos this is my next holiday. If not, is anywhere in Hokkaido skiable this Easter? I, too, don't mind icy conditions and will even settle for slush, as long as it means I can put my skis to use once more this season. Link to post Share on other sites
Higuma 0 Posted February 26, 2003 Share Posted February 26, 2003 Markie, With Easter being April 20th I think the snow conditions will be a crap shoot most areas... but my best bet would be to pick a mountain that is high, has had a deep snow pack and as far away from the coast as possible.... I would say Kiroro is definitely out.... Niseko, Rusutsu, Sapporo Kokusai, Furano might be all marginal... the best thing is to do is keep a line of communication open with people who have been recently and then decide just before you go.... hotels should be no problem that time of year... I would be warry of relying on "Official" Snow reports to plan a holiday for that time of year... they are only as accurate as the people submitting the information... maybe just plan to get to Sapporo and then decide... if the weather and snow is crap in the mountains then relax and enjoy Sapporo (romantic weekend??) and the spring time conditions in the city... we don't have as much culture as the bigger places but we make up for it with our charm.... (blatent tourism plug) I am going on what will be probably my last two-dayer of the season on March 20 & 21st to Niseko and will let you know how it is there.... In the meantime, I woke up to 10 cm of fluffy fresh this morning in Sapporo and is still coming down... My wife - who loves to ski btw - just stood there moaning about how she wants to see cherry blossoms soon... Catch 22 I guess.... I told her to "Be careful what you wish for - you just might get it"..... Link to post Share on other sites
Markie 0 Posted February 26, 2003 Share Posted February 26, 2003 Thanks a heap, Higuma. You answer is disappointing but very helpful. Now I have to set my hopes down a few notches and keep my fingers crossed. Hope those cherry blossoms hold off for some time. Do you think Honshu would be any better in Easter? Link to post Share on other sites
JaySee 0 Posted February 28, 2003 Share Posted February 28, 2003 hahaha....guess you guys just don't know that the dryest pow on the island is located around the asahikawa area- try Kamui Ski links or Asahidake. You gotta be in the know tho! Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts