Ocean11 0 Posted February 2, 2002 Share Posted February 2, 2002 Went to Wada Toge Kokuritsu Skijo today on the Venus Line above Shimosuwa, Nagano. I was told they have an ungroomed run, but it turned out to be groomed. However, there was another whole gelende, roped off and a short walk over a ridge (2 min max.) that was ungroomed. Mental. Getting stuck in Sleepy Hollow at the bottom was a pain, but with some walking out and tobogganing, we made a trail and could then ride out like human beings. There are a few other good tree and lift runs up there, but the place is very small scale. There's just one single-seat lift that is not very fast. A day pass costs 2,500 yen and 11 rides cost 1,500 yen - not a bad deal really. I heard that Wada will close next year. Hardly surprising as nobody knows about the place - a miserable failure of imaginative marketing, as it could be good, especially if they didn't bother to groom the steepest run. I saw some skiers gingerly making their way down it with many a ghastly scraping noise, and heard a few 'wooars' - the noise Japanese make when they've just got out of their depth. Far be it from me to say what is fun for other people (heheheh), but it didn't look fun. If they would market themselves as a 'natural' resort, in the middle of 'natural' Venus Line territory, and saved themselves the money involved in running a groomer, Wada Toge would be a great little place. If you're in the Suwa area, go and enjoy it before it disappears. SJG peoples, a question for you. If we want to post reviews on the reader review section for odd places, how do we do that? As I understand it, if the place isn't already registered, it's not possible - is that right? Link to post Share on other sites
Ski Japan Guide 0 Posted February 2, 2002 Share Posted February 2, 2002 Hi Ocean11 Glad you had a "fun" day at Wada Toge - the first foreigner to go there maybe If you want to send a review for places not on the site, then please do send a mail to editor@skijapanguide.com - you can't use the normal form right now as it is all linked up to resort listings. If you send us a mail on other resorts we will get that resort quickly into the SJG database. However, in this case Ocean11, isn't this the resort you are talking about: http://www.skijapanguide.com/2002/resorts/demo.php?resid=570 ?? Let us know.... Link to post Share on other sites
cal 6 Posted February 2, 2002 Share Posted February 2, 2002 Ocean, if you don't mind me asking - why did you choose to go to that place? Any particular reason or just a change from the old Nozzer? Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted February 2, 2002 Share Posted February 2, 2002 Wow, Ocean 300 posts ! And you ask me I've got any work to do.... Check out the course map here http://www.nagano-tabi.net/snowlove/fr/data.asp?no=108 130m of vert ! Max 27 degrees. No corners to cut by the looks, so that's going to be your lot. Possibly time to show my ignorance of gelende mechanics here, but doesn't a lack of grooming on a run that gets limited snow result in the creation of lots of moguls ? That's assuming some skiers are actually going down that run, of course. The ungroomed courses at the resorts I've been to have always been the mogulled ones, unless there's been a big dump in the preceding 36 hours. Deep pow on moguls rocks ! Any groomer guys care to comment ? Link to post Share on other sites
oo 1 Posted February 2, 2002 Share Posted February 2, 2002 Ocean, when you say small scale, how long are the lifts and runs up there? Link to post Share on other sites
el diablo 0 Posted February 2, 2002 Share Posted February 2, 2002 I'll tell you, I don't think the reason that Wada is closing has anything to do with marketing. I think it's those damn Grizzly bears that they have let loose all over the damn mountain. If they marketed themselves as a natural resort, fine, whatever, I'm still not buying any tickets. If they marketed themselves as a natural resort where you don't get eaten alive by Grizzly bears, we'll then maybe I'd start riding here. 130m of sheer Grizzly-induced terror is not where I want to spend my vacation. Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted February 3, 2002 Author Share Posted February 3, 2002 cal, coupla reasons. Now that I'm unemployed for the time being, I have weekdays off. Wada Toge is really near to where I live, and we've been having more snow on the hills around here than Nozzle has been getting. Plus, it's a very cheap day out on a field where hardly anyone goes. SJG, actually a lot of the foreigners living in Suwa and Okaya go up there, and have been going for years. On Friday there were four gaijinskis out of maybe a total of twenty people there. NoFakie, 300 posts is a lot, but I was posting with the same handle last year. The point of going to Wada is to choose days when there's been lots of snow locally. Actually, I noticed at Miyoko Suginohara today that snowboarders also create small moguls on heavily tracked powder - but they're much cuter than the ones skiers make. Link to post Share on other sites
Ski Japan Guide 0 Posted February 3, 2002 Share Posted February 3, 2002 Interesting, Ocean11. Thanks for the info. Maybe could post a Wada Toge Reader Review?? Go on, you know you want to! Link to post Share on other sites
oo 1 Posted April 30, 2002 Share Posted April 30, 2002 Wada Toge....I am gonna take a look at some more out-of-the-way places next season, already decided. I think this one fits into that. How long will it take to get to this place from Matsumoto, Ocean11? Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted April 30, 2002 Author Share Posted April 30, 2002 Depends how fast you drive... Take the highway from Matsumoto to Okaya (15 - 20 min) then from there to Wada maybe 30 min if there's not too much traffic and you don't get lost. If you're in Matsumoto, Norikura Onsen Skijo(not Hakuba Norikura) would prolly be worth a look too. It's due east of Matsumoto, and not far at all. Link to post Share on other sites
tomas 0 Posted May 1, 2002 Share Posted May 1, 2002 Are you people serious? Why ON EARTH would you want to go to a place like this? You must be mad! Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted May 1, 2002 Author Share Posted May 1, 2002 On days when I fancy boarding but don't want to get up at 5 am, drive for 2.5 hours, pay 6,000 yen for a ticket and food, and 2,000 yen for highway tolls, Wada fits the bill nicely. Some days Wada gets far more snow than Hakuba or Nozawa. It's a different rhythm and scale, but it's all snowboarding. But hey tomas, you stick to the big places now, and leave the short but intense riding for me. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted May 21, 2002 Share Posted May 21, 2002 This place is a pile of poo. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted May 25, 2002 Share Posted May 25, 2002 Perhaps we could have a meet at Wada Toge next season. Shock and scare the staff! Link to post Share on other sites
frannyo 2 Posted May 28, 2002 Share Posted May 28, 2002 They should pay you Ocean11 for publicising this place Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted May 28, 2002 Author Share Posted May 28, 2002 It's not really good or anything! It's just OK. Damn, if I lived next door to Miyoko or Nozawa I wouldn't bother going to Wada, that's for sure. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted May 30, 2002 Share Posted May 30, 2002 glad we got that in perspective! Link to post Share on other sites
oo 1 Posted June 6, 2002 Share Posted June 6, 2002 Ocean, what's the snow actually like down there in the "Sewer" region? Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted June 6, 2002 Author Share Posted June 6, 2002 There's usually a couple of good dumps per year, and sometimes you actually get fine powder snow right in the middle of Suwa. Trying to clear it off your path is a real bugger. In the hills around Suwa and Chino, it can be pretty good (including Wada Toge). The times I went to Wada last season, there was knee-deep powder on the ungroomed bits. Can't grumble about that. The snow falls on the higher ground much more than on Suwa, so there's tolerably good snow around here for most of the season. Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted June 9, 2002 Author Share Posted June 9, 2002 Ok, here are pics of the place. We took the now toll-free Venus line past there, and for the benefit of all you good people, I braved the curses of Missus 11 to take these snaps from the bottom. It looks better with snow on. The main run. The lift goes up the left side and there are three courses to the right of the lift. The trees to the left of the lift are great to go through. This is the back slope that you're not supposed to go down. When it's covered in powder and has a kicker built on it, it's good for a morning's fun. From Utsukushigahara, you can see Royal Hill, 2in1, and Kurumayama all in a row. The latter looks the best. I'll be up there a lot of weekdays next season. Link to post Share on other sites
oblivion 5 Posted June 10, 2002 Share Posted June 10, 2002 Killer slopes! Is that the resort?! Thanks for the piccys, Ocean. Link to post Share on other sites
Wayne H 0 Posted June 11, 2002 Share Posted June 11, 2002 Enjoying your new camera Ocean11?!! Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted June 11, 2002 Author Share Posted June 11, 2002 Hi Wayne! I've had my Ixy Digital Camera for a few years now - snapped one up almost as soon as they came out, and there still aren't much better cameras around even two years later. What I am enjoying is my new domain name and website. Link to post Share on other sites
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