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Kurumayama last weekend, Sat, Sun, was excellent. There's a loop road off the Chuo Expressway which isn't well marked w/ signs leading you there, if you're coming from Suwa IC, counterclockwise. We actually missed the turn and started going downhill back towards the expressway, but noticed the line of cars going the opposite drxn, asked drxns, and eventually made our way there. Once there, parking sucks. There are at least 5 different parking areas, all w/ varying degrees of closeness to the base area. The later you arrive, the farther you park. We parked at the pension we stayed at, which kindly ferries its guests to the base area, but on departure day, to get a head start(close to the slopes when heading back), even before 8am, lots 1 and 2 were already full and had to park in lot 3. They do have shuttle buses from the base area parking lot, to all of the satellite lots though, a concession.

 

Kurumayama itself is a very nice mid-sized mtn, w/ some good steeps off the main ridge up top, served by 3 chairs, w/ lift-accessible off piste (untracked). Saturday the snow was excellent...by Sunday, it had condensed but conditions were still great. (It's been another nice week this week, don't know what conditions must be like now though.) They do groom one huge swath up top, but everything else was left as is, and there's one lift I could have ridden all day, but had 'family service' duties to attend to etc...The lower part of the mtn has wonderful, fairly long, gentle terrain, perfect for our 5 yr old, just beginning to snowplow!

 

Liked the layout of the mountain, it doesn't take 5 or 6 different lifts to get to where you want to ski, if you're w/ others and want to break away for a run or 2.

 

A lot of boarders were there, though the mix was probably 2/3~3/4 skiers.

 

One other 'plus alpha' thing about Kurumayama is there's a weather stn at the very top. You take your boards off to hike up, but it's well worth the stunning 360 view you get from going up there, particularly if it's a clear day!...took some great pictures and video when we were there. Fuji-san is off in the background, as are the Alps, etc, simply a gorgeous view!

 

Overall liked the actual mtn. A great place for families, w/ good terrain for all levels and is close enough to Tokyo to make for a fairly convenient day trip. Hope to return sometime.

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I just had another teacher in my school recommend Kurumayama to me today. Sounds like it is worth a shot. thanks for the report, without it I would have had no real clue. Off what lines were you able to find the good off-piste action? I may be going up for one day this weekend.

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thanks, rach, just did.

Wade, just choose your line. what's good about Kurumayama is it's 'open bowl' skiiing (not trails, cut into the mtn), w/ good steeps, where basically everywhere along the face of the ridge is ski/ridable. There were still nice pockets of untracked, to the right of the 2 lifts going uptop furthest in (to the rigth). had fun going between the big swath and the 2 lifts furthest in...you can definitely see nice lines everywhere...you'll see, if you go.

 

cheers

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