sheena 1 Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 I was one of the lucky winners of a Hakuba Alpen Resort lift ticket. In January I spent two weeks in Hakuba and got a chance to use my free lift pass at Happo One (along with other self purchased lift tickets for the duration of the trip). When I first arrived in Hakuba around mid January it appeared to not have snowed for a while (how long, I don't know exactly). The village looked a lot less white than I'd remembered from my previous visit in 2011. This was very much evident on the mountain. There was snow, but it wasn't the fluffy powder I'd been dreaming (and salivating) over while in the Chuo Taxi. Much of the mountain was covered in moguls but my snowboard and I rode anyway. Lift lines were non existant and there were some beautiful clear blue skies with amazing views. I remember not seeing mountain peaks at all on my previous trip as it was often overcast and snowing. While I enjoyed the lack of lines, the shining sun and the delicious mountain fare I kept my fingers crossed for a storm to come soon. Hakuba delivered. 1.5 metres over the course of 3 days. The demand for the gondola and chairs grew, but never really exceeded a few minutes. The longest line I stood in was on a Saturday for the skyline chair, but it moved and everyone was friendly and happy (unlike lift lines in other countries). The powder was amazing. I had a ridiculous grin on my face the entire day (underneath a mask so nobody realised how stupidly happy I was). There was so much snow and people were stuck everywhere in the soft stuff. The snow couldn't have been better. The lift lines wouldn't have pissed off even the most impatient people. Mountain food great. Chair lifts could've used some safety bars. Hoods would be an added bouns. Happo is a big mountain and there's lots to please everyone. Unfortunately I only took my cell phone with me and was spending too much time snowboarding to think to take some photos, but you should really just go and see for yourself. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
seemore 66 Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 Cheers Sheena Short and sweet Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts