Losing Lifts

[Thundercat 60]

I don't think this has been covered in another thread for this year but has anyone else noticed any lifts going missing from resorts or ones that don't run at certain times?

 

I noticed Muika indicated that Kandatsu Kogen doesn't run some lifts during the week.

 

A sad loss this year is the Champion #7 lift at Akakan (especially since they stopped running the Champion #5 lift last year and the Hotel #6 lift a few years before that). It's certainly making it a lot less enjoyable to be there as a snowboarder since you are now forced to make long runs over totally flat areas. It's also feeling much smaller and more segregated, like two distinct resorts. I used to really really enjoy going to that resort but I think I'll be going a lot less now.

[muikabochi 208]

Kandatsu have not run the far left quad for quite a few years now. They probably couldn't run it now if they wanted to, but it's still there.

 

For the last few seasons they also don't run the second left quad either on weekdays, and so cutting off the Milky Way course which is I think the most fun course there. There's a few blocked up restaurants on the hill too (don't know if that is another weekday thing or not, but it didn't look it).

 

I don't like the vibe there at all. I wholeheartedly unrecommend it.

[sanjo 2]

Iwappara gondola not open for probably 5 years now.

 

They also don't operate the top pair lift off to the right side either unfortunately. I used to like that run and this is a more recent closure, from last season?

[ippy 66]

Hotel 6 is no loss. Champion 5 has been shut for as long as ive been riding. Sad to see the champion 7 gone though. That traverse from champion 3 is miserable if you want to get back to the main resort and arent just lapping the best run on piste run in akakan (as far as im concerned)* champion A.

 

What makes it even more annoying is that not only will you be traversing and fighting an unclip, if you want to hit the top lift again, you realistically have to come all the ay back down to the bottom since im pretty sure theresa decent shank uphill involved if you make a beeline for the top lift. Sounds crappy in truth. It effectively restricts you to lapping the gondola/hotel 5. Which i mean is allllllright... sorta, but that little lift run and the powder run associated with it, was kinda fun.

 

Worst though, also prince hotels, is the bottom lift at mitahara on suginohara. I am so pissed off with that decision. Its pretty similar in truth to akakan. Lapping three lifts. Gondola, top lift, then tiny mega slow pair back above the gondola. It kills the flow of the whole side of the mountain.

[Thundercat 60]

Champion 5 was a big loss for a lot more than not being able to access the top of the resort. It also made getting up Maeyama a lot easier.

 

With Champion 7 gone things are a lot more restricted than you remember... not only is the skate at the bottom not makeable without a couple of pushes from someone helpful, you also have to walk across the top as well. Seriously, it's total BS if you are a snowboarder. Spending more than 20 minutes and having to unclip twice for a 3 minute run is lame!

[ippy 66]

I know this sounds counterintuitive. But last year i was told by the dude running the hotel i was staying at that prince hotels wanted to pull out of myoko, and were, and this is where it gets odd, actively restricting operations in order to drive DOWN the price and sell it. I have no idea how the hell that works. I think i probably misunderstood, but that was the explanation of why the lifts were being continually scaled back...

[tokabochi 9]

The left side pair lift in the bottom half of Hakkai-san is only open on weekends, which is annoying.

 

I really think resorts should charge less weekdays if less of the resort is open.

[nagoid 4]

I'm interested in what makes some places keep lifts there rotting and others take them down.

And where do they go?

[Thundercat 60]

It's weird, isn't it? The Champion 5 stopped running two years ago and everything is still there, buildings, pylons, cables (but no chairs)... but the Champion 7 stopped this season and everything is already gone.

[JA2340 16]

I just dug out my piste maps for the weeks just past (2012/13 season) and for my previous visit to Akakura (2010/11 season).

 

I distinctly recall numerous lifts up Champion 7 - after leaving Alp Hotel, we would run down to the Chuo Triple, slip over to Champion 3, then slight push to a slide down to the bottom of Champion 7, and then run down to the bottom of the gondola. Not sure about Hotel 5, but the two maps are identical.

We didn't see Yodel triple running all the time we were there, but it MIGHT have been running during the New Year holidays (we arrived Jan6 and left Jan13). Didn't seem a great loss, plenty of ways to access that run from other lifts.

The bottom bull-wheel of Hotel5 is still there, and we noted the lack of other infrastructure there as we dismounted Champ7.

As for Sugi, both piste maps (apart from the fact that this year's one is much smaller) are identical.

 

With more time, I can scan the lot and see if anyone can tell me the problem. (possibly tomorrow)

[Metabo Oyaji 71]

Looking at Marunuma Kogen, it looks like their Oohiro course and associated lift (off the back from the top) are gone again. For good this time?

[Metabo Oyaji 71]

Inawashiro has a bunch of idled/abandoned lifts, though all of their courses are accessible. (Which says something about how many redundant lifts there were before.)

 

Nekoma idles some semi-redundant lifts as well.

 

Inawashiro Resort is not running their topmost pair lift again this year, and Minowa is not running their J-bar at top ("節電").

 

And of course Alts has closed down the left-most third of their lifts, plus one in the bowls.

[fukdane 2]

Alts Bandai sales catchphrase ---- "A few lifts still operating!"

 

[NECK 14]

I know this sounds counterintuitive. But last year i was told by the dude running the hotel i was staying at that prince hotels wanted to pull out of myoko, and were, and this is where it gets odd, actively restricting operations in order to drive DOWN the price and sell it. I have no idea how the hell that works. I think i probably misunderstood, but that was the explanation of why the lifts were being continually scaled back...

 

I heard something very similar to this. Prince Hotels has been looking to 'drop' Myoko for some years now.

[Mick Rich 78]

Surprised no-one has mentioned Mt Granview yet!

[fukdane 2]

But this thread is about losing lifts.

 

Mt Granview would surely be in the new facilities and infrastructure thread.

[Alexander L 80]

Alts Bandai and Tomamu, trying to make a difference.

 

I was looking for something I saw on TV that Yoshiharu Hoshino said about tourism in Japan and how it could prosper with more focus on foreigners. Interestingly, I found this article right under my nose in the SJ Features section.

 

http://www.snowjapan.com/e/features/interviews-hoshino-resort-alts-bandai-tomamu.html

 

Well done the interviewer. And the interviewee may well be Hoshino san himself. Certainly sounds like him.

[Alexander L 80]

I know this sounds counterintuitive. But last year i was told by the dude running the hotel i was staying at that prince hotels wanted to pull out of myoko, and were, and this is where it gets odd, actively restricting operations in order to drive DOWN the price and sell it. I have no idea how the hell that works. I think i probably misunderstood, but that was the explanation of why the lifts were being continually scaled back...

 

I heard something very similar to this. Prince Hotels has been looking to 'drop' Myoko for some years now.

 

Prince Hotels are an enigma aren't they. Their hotels in Furano: Furano Prince, New Furano Prince, are booked out Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter. AND they are the most expensive places in Furano. Or could this be that they are just not selling the rooms to anybody.

[Metabo Oyaji 71]

Alts Bandai and Tomamu, trying to make a difference.

 

I was looking for something I saw on TV that Yoshiharu Hoshino said about tourism in Japan and how it could prosper with more focus on foreigners. Interestingly, I found this article right under my nose in the SJ Features section.

 

http://www.snowjapan...dai-tomamu.html

 

Well done the interviewer. And the interviewee may well be Hoshino san himself. Certainly sounds like him.

 

I seem to recall you once posted a Tomamu trip report that looked pretty nice.

 

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to have been a lot of follow-through at Alts since that interview. He talked about their park facilities and superpipe, which is the part of the mountain they have closed down. The lift link-up with Nekoma still hasn't happened. The non-Japanese web pages have all disappeared, and they really don't offer any activities outside of their (remarkably short) ski season that I'm aware of. Some other ski areas in the region offer gondola rides, hiking, water jumps or bag jumps outside of winter, for example. Not Alts.

 

I'd like to see them succeed, but don't get the impression that any of the grand plans announced in that article are working out. Well, the family activity angle does seem to be well-covered there in-season, I will grant that, though not to anything like the extent it seems to be at Tomamu. And, not really remarkably better than surrounding resorts, to be honest -- they're all catering to families and kids these days, as they probably should.

 

I would be interested to hear what their plan is from here. Do you have access to Mr. Hoshino to ask?

[dyna8800 3]

Looking at Marunuma Kogen, it looks like their Oohiro course and associated lift (off the back from the top) are gone again. For good this time?

 

Lift is still there, but no access, it is roped off, and there is a patrol office there. I am tempted to ski down and hike or skin back up. Remind me to buy some AT gear.

 

What a shame about Alts. It used to be THE place for snowboarders. And that left side was the best part of the resort.

[onsen tamago 0]

Buy some AT gear, dynam880.

[Alexander L 80]

Alts Bandai and Tomamu, trying to make a difference.

 

I was looking for something I saw on TV that Yoshiharu Hoshino said about tourism in Japan and how it could prosper with more focus on foreigners. Interestingly, I found this article right under my nose in the SJ Features section.

 

http://www.snowjapan...dai-tomamu.html

 

Well done the interviewer. And the interviewee may well be Hoshino san himself. Certainly sounds like him.

 

I seem to recall you once posted a Tomamu trip report that looked pretty nice.

 

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to have been a lot of follow-through at Alts since that interview. He talked about their park facilities and superpipe, which is the part of the mountain they have closed down. The lift link-up with Nekoma still hasn't happened. The non-Japanese web pages have all disappeared, and they really don't offer any activities outside of their (remarkably short) ski season that I'm aware of. Some other ski areas in the region offer gondola rides, hiking, water jumps or bag jumps outside of winter, for example. Not Alts.

 

I'd like to see them succeed, but don't get the impression that any of the grand plans announced in that article are working out. Well, the family activity angle does seem to be well-covered there in-season, I will grant that, though not to anything like the extent it seems to be at Tomamu. And, not really remarkably better than surrounding resorts, to be honest -- they're all catering to families and kids these days, as they probably should.

 

I would be interested to hear what their plan is from here. Do you have access to Mr. Hoshino to ask?

 

Aceess? No. The one time I met him it was at a travel exhibition. Very approachable or should I say he approaches you. He has a facebook page if you're into that.

 

I was even planning a trip to Ats. Looks like from Narita -> Tokyo Stattion -> JR Korriyama -> shuttle bus. Much more fuss that a Hokkaido resort.

[oo 1]

I'm pretty shocked that he didn't mope abuut and open up about his companies problems to a complete stranger at a travel show that he was at!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Alexander L 80]

why?

[oo 1]

Because, usually businessmen open up to complete strangers at exhibitions and tell those strangers all about he problems that the business is facing. To think that they would try to hide such things us utter nonsense!