REPORT

With the Skyliner lift starting on 12/13 (Sat.), winter officially got underway at Kurumayama Kogen Ski Resort. The currently open Family Course (pictured) is a 900m-long mix of man-made and natural snow, with a maximum pitch of 25 degrees and an average gradient of 11 degrees. The full 40 to 50m width was groomed evenly from edge to edge, completely free of brush, and provided a firm, well-packed surface that was smooth and easy to ski.
[Family Course]

I spoke with a student visiting from Tokyo (pictured), who told me, “I came for a winter break ski trip. Kurumayama is great because you can get here in about two hours and forty minutes using the Chuo Expressway.” Visitor numbers picked up noticeably from around 9:30 a.m., but thanks to the course’s generous width, it remained easy to ski without having to worry about crowding.
[Family Course]

The main restaurant on the second floor of Sky Plaza offers eight different dishes featuring Shinshu’s local specialty, Sanzoku-yaki fried chicken. The Sanzoku Fried Rice (pictured, JPY1,650, soup included) is topped with a portion of Sanzoku-yaki so large it practically covers the entire fried rice, making it a very satisfying meal. The chicken thigh is marinated for a full day in the restaurant’s original garlic and ginger-infused sauce, and at a hefty 300g, it delivers impressive volume as well as flavor.
[Sky Plaza]

From 12/27 (Sat.), the No. 5 Romance lift is also scheduled to start operating, opening up the Slalom Course (pictured, far left background) for skiing and boarding. Snowmaking machines were running until around 9:00 a.m. this morning, sending up such heavy spray that rainbows were visible. Once open, the lift-side section will be set up as a pole (slalom) training lane.
[Family Course]

　
[Kurumayama kogen SKYPARK Details on 12/23 (Tue.)]
*Avaiiable Courses … Famiry
*Available Lifts … Skyliner (8:30～)
*Fees … 1-Day Pass Adult JPY5,500, 6-12 y/o JPY2,500, over 60 y/o JPY4,500, Free for preschoolers

*Advance Discount Lift Tickets (*Available 8/1 to 12/31)
Adult 1-Day Pass JPY5,500 → JPY4,500!
over 60 y/o 1-Day Pass JPY4,500 → JPY3,820!
6-12 y/o 1-Day Pass JPY2,500 → JPY2,120!

*Request for the original data of our photographs

reported by Snownavi