Ontake Resort is a small resort in southern Nagano. It is a relitivly high at nearly 2500 meters. Lets get to the good and bad point straight away. If you like easy terrian than this is the place for you. A gondola will give you fast access to the few runs off the top. Sking from the top of the mountain you can access every trail. There is one hard run off the top of the mountain and also two easier ones. One of them being a summertime access road. Hint Stay off the summer access road it is more of a xcountry trail. The hardest run off the top is steep then flat steep then flat. it usually has ok mogals. The rest of the course offer some good cuising all be it on the easy side.
Last most of the hard trails are below the gondola so the snow is not as good. There is a mini bowl that has a few good turns and moguls but it is lower and the coverage just wasn't there.
The best part of the resort is the terrain park. The guys and gals that work there are pretty cool. They have a Q pipe, 2 Big 1 makes and 2 nice table tops. They also regularly change there rail slides, about 2 to 3 of them depending. The half pipe was not open but to be honest it looked a little on the small side. However the if the terrain park workers put as much effort into the half pipe as they do to everything else it could be good. Again this is yet to be determined.
Food and lodging. Lodging is a bit on the expensive side. About 6000 yen a night with additional money for food needed. The food we had at the hotel though was execellent nabe one day and sukiyaki the next. Food at the resort is also ok. There are a good many choices so look around but I suggest the 100 yen Cafeteria. The food is cheap and eatable.
In closing if you want to learn to ski or want some nice jumps then come here. If you want powder go somewhere else.
