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Hi all,

 

After reading the good reviews of hakkouda, I'm thinking about heading up there from Tokyo for 2 days. However I have a few concerns from looking at the web site and talking to travel agents, I was hoping someone might be able to provide some insight...

 

The gondola seems the only lift worthwhile, but it costs about 1000 yen per trip (small discount with 5 trip pass). How many trips can I do if I'm exploring the mountain and doing as much as possible?

 

The agent (and some Japanese web site reviews) seems to think that I need to catch a shuttle bus from the bottom of most runs back to the gondola, and that if you miss a shuttle it takes quite a while for the next one. Is this true?

 

There is only 5 (official) runs, but from what I can tell it is mostly off-run back-country snowboarding (why I'm interested). I assume that there is more than enough to keep us interested for a couple of days at least?

 

Thanks in advance for any help,

Brodie.

 

[This message has been edited by brodie (edited 02 March 2002).]

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Brodie,

 

hey.... the later you go in the season the less powder you will find. As I wrote in the article the best powder can be found in February.

 

Hakkoda isn't a resort....it's a ropeway giving access to a national park area. Very few buildings with a lot of personality. I'd highly recommend to stay at the Hakkoda Mt Lodge (sansoo)...the number is in the article.

 

I assume you are wanting to go into the backcountry. Offically the backcountry bus doesn't start until April 1st. And I HIGHLY advise against setting out into the backcountry there without a member of the guide club. (see the article for their number).

 

If you are just planning on riding in the ropeway area you can get in as many as 10 runs in a day if you ride hard, don't get lost (ie stay on the marked trails/off-piste trails) and it is not a weekend. The March pass is 16,000 yen and I could pay that off in two days if I rode hard......otherwise just budget for 1000 yen a ride up.

 

Hakkoda is like no other mt you've been to in Japan.

On a clear day it's amazing....and on a poor day it can be hostile yet dumping powder. There are usually always a wind of 10m/s.

 

any other ques feel free to contact me.

 

Regards

Hutch

hutchinjapan@yahoo.ca

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Hi James,

 

Thanks for your reply.

 

Can you post me a link to your article? I've read your reviews, are they what you are talking about? (no search results for "james", "hutchinson", "hakkoda", "hakouda" and only the main page for "hakkouda" and your reviews in the reviews section, but no phone numbers)

 

So you think that the snow would still be good at the moment? I was in Yuzawa on the weekend and it was just slush, it made me wonder if I was too late.

 

My main question was about the shuttle buses. From the brochure that a friend and I was looking at there were 2 runs coming back to the main gondola, but there was another 6 runs or so which came back to a nearby road and were marked with a shuttle bus. Do you know what's going on there and how convenient the bus is?

 

I'm guessing that you would say it's definitely worth a couple of days from Tokyo? (Costs a bit to get there, plus at least 10,000 in lift passes...)

 

Brodie.

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