REPORT

This morning I spoke with a group of four guests from Gifu Prefecture and Matsumoto City (pictured), who told me, “We always follow your reports! Since the No. 3 High-Speed Pair is finally opening today, we lined up at 7 a.m.” They looked like close friends, but in fact, the ones on the far right and in green outerwear are a married couple, with the other two visiting on their own. The No. 3 High-Speed Pair began running right on schedule, at 8:30 a.m.
[Wakaguri Central Slope]

After the No. 8 Pair and No. 9 Pair began operating yesterday, opening the Satomi Central, Satomi Ridge, and Satomi–Wakaguri Access Line, today saw the Highway Course and Kamoshika Course added to the lineup. With this expansion, Hakuba Norikura Onsen Ski Resort has reached “mostly open” status (50% or more runs available). Just looking at the smooth, freshly groomed surface on the lower section of the Highway Course (pictured) was enough to get me excited before even pushing off.
[Highway Course]

The upper half of the Highway Course featured well-set groomed powder, and dropping into the ungroomed lower half (pictured), I found a deep, 40 to 60cm layer of soft new snow, including around 15cm that fell overnight. The buoyant, floating sensation of powder had everyone letting out cheers as they went. The groomed Kamoshika Course and the wide, groomed Wakaguri Central Slope also had nicely settled powder surfaces that made for smooth, easy skiing.
[Highway Course]

With the Cortina 6th Pair starting operations yesterday, Hakunori and Cortina are now connected, allowing skiers to move back and forth on skis or boards. The groomed sections of the Satomi Central Slope, which had no noticeable bushes, offered pleasantly soft powder that was easy to ski. A family visiting from France (pictured) told me, “We’re staying in Hakuba Valley for a week. The kids have been taking ski lessons, and they’ve really improved.”
[Satomi Central Slope]

　　
[Hakuba Norikura Onsen Details on 12/26 (Fri.)]
*Most Courses are OPEN (Except for Snake, Expert, Rabbit, Satomi Ridge, Sky View)
*Available Lift … No.1 Pair (8:30～) and totally 6 lifts
*Fees … 1-Day Pass Adult JPY6,200, 6 to 12 y/o JPY3,500, Pre-schooler FREE
　
*Request for the original data of our photographs
　
reported by Snownavi