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Where is absolutely cheapest place to stay and ski Hokkaido?


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I know this is SnowJapan.com and you're suppose to promote Japan. Yes, Japan is great especially if you're within Australia Asia region,

But if you can't ski or board during January-April, would the French and Austrian Alps gives you nice long terrain, long piste runs, and lovely accomodations?

I need you guys to be absolutely honest here.

Places like Chamonix, Livigno, Mayrohen, solden...etc... :D

By the way, SnowJapan should start a HooK-Up department for season skiers like Tubby, Gozaimas, MagStevens...etc should show people around. I was absolutely so lonely when I was up at Teine and Tomamu last year. And hell Furano was a absolute Ghost Town December 14th 2012!! :shifty:

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Some of the Euro resorts have glacier skiing so can go all year round greatplaces, but they are on the same season as Japan, so their best times are January to April also. Also remember that when you are down to Glacier skiing that the run length is much shorter.

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Mamabear is right, season in Europe is same as in Japan, and most of the resorts close after easter weekend usually, cause running the lifts in late season is not profitable.

Sure there is some resort that keeps lifts open till the last snow melts, wich is usually first days of may, but they're just a few. Last season has been one of the best in decades, and a few resorts opened one or two lifts in mid june, but it's an exception from the rule.

Then there are the glaciers, Mayrhofen, Solden, Zermatt, Les Deux Alpes... (Livigno has no glacier and closes the firs of may, same with Chamonix), but runs are short and not so steep, and snow is mostly icy at first run in the morning, and totally slushy after a couple of hours. If it's not enough, the operation time in most of them is from 8:30 till 1:30, they're expensive, and they're subject to early closure in summer if there's not enough snow left.

To be honest, summer skiing isn't that good, unless you are a snowpark addict or a beginner. And forget about powder, powder do occur every now and then but riding off-piste in glaciers during summer is uber dangerous because of crevasses (and i'm talking first hand).

If you want to shred in northern emisphere summer the real option is Chile or Argentina

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OK, not useful this season, but I'm going to Austria & Switzerland in early February (yes, I know, but that's when I can go) and will try to give one skier's unbiased view when I get back.

Right now my feeling is that I'm giving up some of the prime Niseko/Rusutsu season to hit the Alps. But I'm also skipping the Chinese New Year rush,so maybe it evens out.

If it's great I'll say so, and if it sucks I'll say so. Watch this space, as always YMMV.

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Early february is good, january is usually drier than february in Alps. Early March is often good too, but the trade off is the quality of snow, it can be good or a bit heavy.

The only problem with Alps is it's a complete hit or miss, you can have huge snowfalls or long dry spells. Austria & Switzerland side of Alps is usually better then southern side tho.

Don't expect the Japanes snowfall, the last season was one of the best in decades and the resto with highest snowfall reached 11.5meters (somewhere in France, don't remember the name), while Niseko got 16 meters and it was just one of the many good season...

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