Powderhounds in Japan - Part 2
A day at Kandatsu Ski Resort Yuzawa
“We managed to sneak a few off-piste runs in the trees. This is a great little ski area with some steep pitches and some nice tree skiing! ”
The ski area is contained within a snow-catching half bowl. The valley features a long green run, which would be considered rather steep for novices. Intermediates have a handful of runs, and some of the black runs could be categorised as “red” depending on the size of the bumps.
Echigo-Yuzawa dusk
Takahan Ryokan - owned and managed by 37 generations over 930 years!
The large structure in the middle is the Shinkansen (bullet train) line.
Maiko Snow Resort
A Maiko is an apprentice geisha or geiko in Kyoto Japan, and in a similar vein the Maiko Ski Resort is ideal for apprentice powder hounds learning the art of skiing or snowboarding, considering there are lots of mellow beginner and intermediate slopes. Maiko Snow Resort doesn’t have any particularly steep pitches (the maximum piste gradient is 32 degrees), but it can also be a bit of fun for off-piste riders.
Joetsu Kokusai Ski Resort.
Joetsu Kokusai is ideal for families, beginners and intermediates, and considering it has its own train station which is only 12 minutes from Echigo-Yuzawa Shinkansen station, it’s very quick and easy to get there from Tokyo. . It doesn't seem to offer much off-piste action however would be great for a day or two for those who like the groomed slopes.... plus they serve ice-cream beer!
There will be part 3 of the blog post coming very soon! So make sure you come back to keep up to date! Big thanks to Lyndell and Greg for supplying all photography. Like what Greg and Lyndell are wearing??? Check out the options for your next trip here:
