Akakura Akakan - powder in the trees

Well the day was relatively clear, so we headed into the trees again off the top of the top lift here. On the close up view of the mountain, we were skiing the treed area to the right of the lift line, traversing quite a way out around the flank of that hill. Lots of deep untracked snow still out there amongst some really beautiful forest. I think these were amongst the best runs we've had so far, and after yesterday (cold, miserable and no steeps) we needed this one to lift our spirits. Actually seeing the sun had a lot to do with it too no doubt.

our accommodation in Akakura (Myoko)

Just a couple of pics of the lodge - Canadian House

saturday rest day - Obuse

We took a rest day yesterday and traveled by train over to a town called Obuse (ob-oo-say). They have a art gallery there dedicated to the famous edo period painter Hokusai. He's the guy who did the Classic Japanese wave paintings etc. Nice collection and all very interesting. Hokusai spent a number of years living and painting in Obuse in his later life.

Excellent meal at a dedicated tofu restaurant over near a temple. The food was superb and we were treated very kindly by the owners, they even gave us little gifts.

Powder day at Suginohara

Yesterday was our first ski at the Suginohara resort. It was dumping snow all night and still coming down thick and fast in the morning when we set out for Suginohara. There was so much snow that we were skiing boot - knee deep runs on piste and up to mid thigh deep off piste. Unfortunately, the top lift was closed and therefore anything in the mid thigh deep range in the less steep terrain below that lift, actually stopped us in our tracks. There has been some talk online that the top lift has been a bit dicky and the resort has been closing it regularly but reporting that its due to weather/snow/etc in order to avoid any bad press. We asked our lodge owner to phone the resort before we left this morning to see if it would be open. They assured him that as soon as they finished avalanche control it would open, probably around 11am. It didn't open all day, which was pretty disappointing given the awesome snow conditions and the fact that all the good steep terrain is accessed from this lift - strike one Suginohara! If I'd known it wouldn't open, I would have opted for Akakura Akakan where I know I could have gotten some steep and deep stuff.

A day in Nagano

Time for another rest day on Wednesday, we we're both feeling a bit trashed, so rather than push ourselves, we decided to take a day off from skiing. Headed into Nagano on the train, it's about an hour away. Misch and I had a coffee and chai latte respectively at Starbucks, such a relief to hear some nice music on the playlist instead of the incessant and saccarine Jpop! We then had a look at a ski shop, new ski socks for both of us, I couldn't find any decent googles so I passed on the darth vader influence looking stuff. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv5iEK-IEzw

We visited the info centre at the station to enquire about getting to Obuse. It's an old town not far away that has a Hakusai museum, about 40 works in all along with some other interesting collections. Also found out that there was a vego restaurant nearby so we headed off there for a nice lunch. The decor was earthy and imaginative - check out the photo of the light bulb and shade made from fine natural fiber, it reminded me of a birds nest.

We then split up, Misch hit the 100 yen shop and I went off looking for a camera store I'd browsed in a few years ago, found it but it was closed that day. I wandered around taking some photos instead, found some interesting back streets and shrines.

Akakura Onsen and Akakura Akakan

The two resorts closest to us are Akukura Onsen and Akakura Akakan, they are linked but one must buy a two resort ticket to ski both.

We skied Akakura Akakan on our first day out. Visibility was poor, but the terrain is interesting and some good steep stuff amongst it. We found one little tree area between a black run and a green run out the yielded some sweet deep turns through the powder.

At the moment, the only serious terrain on Akakura onsen is all closed due to some impressive looking slab slippages all down the main slope. What's left is basically all beginner type terrain of varying degrees. It's one of those places that has divided it's beginner - intermediate and expert terrain in relation to itself and not any general standard. Hence the red runs here (intermediate) are really just high beginner grade - low intermediate at a stretch. Never the less, Misch and I had a really fun ski here on Monday, hardly anyone around and we found a few off piste banks and powder stashes that kept us happy.

Lunch in town in a funky little restaurant / bar and by the time we got back to the slopes it was snowing heavily. By the end of the day we were skiing 6cm of light and fresh on the piste, very smooth and cruisy!

Saturday - on to Myoko

We're leaving Hakuba Goryu today and heading on over to Myoko for the next and final leg of our holiday in Japan.

In order to get to Myoko, we have to catch a bus back to Nagano to the south (about an hour away) and then take a local train north to Myoko, again about an hour's journey. Masao san, our lodge owner, met us at the station and drove up to his lodge, Canadian House, ten minutes up the road at Akakura. Lots more snow on the road sides here, mostly 2-3 meters high ally ways of snow everywhere. It reminds me more on Niseko on Hakaido with snow canyon streets winding around the place.

The lodge is nice an comfy and clean. Our little apartment (emphasis on little) is pretty good, although we've been spoiled by that great apartment we had in Tokyo! Cooking is interesting on one hotplate and no real bench space to prepare etc. We usually pull the little dining table over to the kitchen (one meter away) and use that for prep.

Japanese bathrooms are an exercise in miniturisation. They all seem to be pre manufactured, essentially a small plastic / fiberglass room with everything built in that is then placed whole into the space allocated and walled in. The loo within also, sitting on ours, my knees are nearly sticking out of the tiny door into the kitchen, very funny!

There's also a male and female onsens downstairs that are quite nice, we've had a couple since we've been here, both times they allowed us to have the onsen together as a private session because there's no other guests here during the week. Seems like it just gets busy on the weekends when the Japanese guests get out for a ski.

Happo One 2

The Davis's, Peter, Karen, Kathryn and Matthew arrived in Hakuba yesterday. Peter and Mathew drove over to where we're staying and kindly picked us up and took us for another ski at Happo One (pronounced oh-nay not 1). This is our second time here, we skied Happo on our second day out. It was a blizzard when we were there so we mostly skied down low for visibility.

Met up with Karen and Kathryn, who were sporting a pair each of very cool hire skis and we all headed up for a great days skiing. It was good and clear with fantastic vis. so the skiing was easy and the panoramic views ...awesome!

Tsugaike

We had a lift out to the bust stop today and caught a shuttle up to Tsugaike resort. Nice little place with lovely views. Unfortunately there were high winds at altitude (fine and sunny with only light winds up to the mid mountain) so they had the top lifts closed. Fairly tame terrain overall, fantastic as a beginner and intermediate resort though as many of the ruuns are really wide and spacious. In all though, we had a good ski there. Highlight for me must have been the honey toast in a local restaurant - take one 25mm slab of white bread, toast it, scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, drizzle honey and chocolate topping all over and top with hundreds and thousands.....mmmmmm! Yes, much to Mischi's amusement/disgust, I had one of these..delicious as only something like this can be with a skiers appetite!

Hakuba Goryu

This is the resort where were staying. We arrived around 1.30pm on Saturday and it was snowing heavily. It didn't let up until Monday, by which time, one meter of snow had fallen... awesome!

Our first day out on Sunday was in blizzard / near white out conditions. Add to that a never skied before resort, out of shape legs and quite heavy deep powder, shake, then stir ..... I think you get where I'm going! It was pretty funny overall.

On to Hukaba

Located within the Nagano region of central Honshu, the Hakuba area hosted much of the 1998? winter olympics. We know this because Kanasawa san, an employee of the condo where we're staying, keeps pointing out the grand structure of the ski jump, again and again as he ferries us around to other resorts - ski jumpo! This impressive hunk of concrete and curves is at Happo One resort, just up the road from Hakuba Goryu resort where we're staying. The Shinkansen (bullet train) trip from Tokyo was as quick, quite and comfortable as usual. It terminates in Nagano city, where we had a leisurely lunch before catching a bus for a pleasant enough journey of one hour or so. Winding through small rural towns, farmland and a tunnel, our bus climbs its way into the mountains and on to the Hakuba valley. We chose Hakuba as a destination party on the recommendation of Peter, Karen, Cathryn and Matt. They have skied here before and spoke highly of the beautiful mountain vistas, good choice of resorts and good snow conditions. They are, as I type, speeding their way here and arrive tomorrow afternoon to start their own holiday at another resort Tsugaike Kogen, about 50 mins drive to the north. We skied there today actually, nice area, a bit tame but good fun none the less.

Tokyo 2011

It is a curious and strange thing, that which we do in the name of 'holiday'. We knowingly, indeed gladly, lock ourselves inside a large aluminium fart recycling container with several hundred of our kind. To be then hurled through the air, at a dizzying altitude and at breakneck speed, all powered by tons and tons of kerosine propulsion! Yep I'm so over long flights!

Misch and I survived the northern hemisphere winter ski trek pilgrimage, and with cricked necks and funky clothes, arrived in a lovely sunny albeit crisp Tokyo morning. Blue sky and sky scrapers! Our apartment in Akasaka was the bees knees. Modern, clean and well designed and appointed. Here's a link to: More Pics