REPORT

The Uenotaira Slope opened yesterday at Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort, which has kicked off the season with an excellent start. The resort welcomed its first weekend with the gondola and three quad lifts in operation, and a total of six courses open. Thanks to the ample amount of natural snow already this season, a long, winding line had formed in front of the gondola base station even before opening time (pictured). Among those waiting were skiers and riders aiming for the Uenotaira Cross-Country Course, which also opened today.
[Gondola Base Station]

The Uenotaira Slope is a super-long gentle run with a maximum gradient of 12 degrees, an average of 6 degrees, and a length of 2,000 meters. This morning there were a few small uneven areas near the top, but the powder was nicely compacted, creating a fast, easy-to-ride groomed surface. Riding the gondola up through the clouds and finding calm, clear skies overhead made for a wonderfully relaxed start to the day.
[Uenodaira Slope]

A pair of visitors from Gifu Prefecture (pictured) told me, “We’ve come to Nozawa Onsen a few times. We’ve skied in Gifu as well, but those runs were covered in machine-made snow. This is our first time on natural snow! It really feels like winter here today.” The groomed Uenotaira Family Lane, which branches off to the right midway down Uenotaira, was quiet and comfortable. There was still untouched snow from the past few days on both sides of the course (pictured), which was soft and fluffy.
[Uenodaira Slope]

The resort’s “Opening Festival” will be held on 12/20 (Sat.), and will feature events such as a rock–paper–scissors tournament with the mascot Nasuki, where you can win great prizes. By the way, the stunning sea of clouds visible from the gondola in the early morning lingered unusually long, and I was able to see it even on the ride back down after finishing my report. Between opening day and this first weekend, it feels like Nozawa is off to a very lucky start this season!
[Nagasaka Gondola]

　
*The currently open slopes are accessed via the Nagasaka Gondola.

[Nozawa Onsen Details on 12/26 (Sat.)]
*Avaiiable Courses … Yamabiko Area A, C, D, E, Uenotaira, Uenotaira Family
*Available Lifts … Nagasaka Gondola (8:30～), Yamabiko No.2 Four(8:40～), Yamabiko Four(8:45～), Uenotaira Four
*Fees … Adult JPY5,400, Under 15 y/o JPY3,300, Senior JPY4,300 (Until 12/19)
　
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reported by Snownavi