Kawaba in Gunma

[echineko 1]

Over Christmas time my friends we went to Gunma and spend day at Kawaba. It's really good place I recommend it - quite high and very good snow condition. We had really great day there.

[mina2 6]

I really like Kawaba - it's a good place one of my favorites of the area. And yes they do get really good snow there probably some of the best in the whole region.

[scouser 4]

I'm going there in Feb, good to hear good things about it.

[mina2 6]

Give us a shout scouser, I'm not far from there.

[torihada 2]

Kawaba or white world Iwakura?

 

I'll be in Gunma prefacture for a couple of days second week of January and looking at one of these resorts for a day out. I fancy Kawaba as its closer than White World.

 

Did you get to Kawaba scouser?

[Thunderbird2 0]

Wouldn't mind trying around there out myself as well. I heard the snow is really good.

[torihada 2]

fattwins worked at kawaba in the 90's and seemed to rate it (see his interview; fattwins interview ) It seems to be worth the drive.

[69 5]

Not a huge place but the snow is often good there. I heard this season they are not going to be running one of the lifts.

[Fattwins 0]

Small place no real hotel though or life.

 

if you know where to look the trees rock but are short. The BC is great with a large bowl close by.

[torihada 2]

I'll be in the area (about 70km away) for a couple of days, so it's just a day trip for me. It'll be my last days boarding in Japan

[Fattwins 0]

tenjindaira

[slow 0]

I have been to Kawaba twice before, but never thought that the snow there was good. Maybe I wasn't lucky. Fattwins, is Tenjindaira better? Tenjindaira is the deepest snow resort in that area, right? I've heard Tanigawadake is very difficult mountain.

[Fattwins 0]

first you got unluck at kawaba usally good dry snow. and yes tenjin is difficult

[minus 1]

Tenjin is on the top of the mountain basically. Lots of snow. Very small "official" resort.

[montoya 0]

one of my mates used to ride there alot. Tenjindaira is the small resort nearby, Tanigawadake is the overall mtn range. +780 deaths (mostly rock-climbing) there since they opened the nearby railroad-line in the 1930's. To me it has a pretty heavy omnious vibe to it.

 

Lots of gnarly lines at Tanigawadake. You can google for pics, here are some guys riding machigasawa:

[torihada 2]

I hiked over Tanigawadake one day in summer. It rained non stop for 8 hours. I never saw more than 40 feet in front of me. I was wet, soaked, drenched and then got freaked out descending into dense forest for about 3 hours, I couldn't stop thinking about bears.

 

Looking at the images above I think I'll stick to the relatively passive Kawaba. Tenjindaira looks extreme and the only thing I'd have to offer would be upping the numbers to 781

[Fattwins 0]

thats not the resort though

[torihada 2]

yep I can't imagine the groomers getting up there, though I would pay to see them try. I'm not an bc person (though would love to try some) I tend to board solo on the corduroy, hence small resorts with good bc is wasted on me. Though I am going to visit hachimantai and see how far I can safely venture off the beaten track (probably about 10 meters)

[Error404 0]

The resort itself (Tenjindaira) is really small.

Fantastic views on a clear day though.

[Matt 0]

Those pics are from a good 3hr hike from the top lift at Tenjindaira. The resort itself is a complete waste of time but the backside of the ridge bounding the north end of the resort has some nice runs down into a long valley that takes you to the bottom of the gondola. Medium steep mostly with some nice wee cliffs to huck off but quite short unless you count the long valley out. Its worth going to if it hasn't snowed recently in Hakuba but has at Tenjindaira (They get a lot of snow!) but otherwise I would say Hakuba has better, longer more varied backcountry runs.

[minus 1]

A LOT of snow!