REPORT

The gondola began operating right on time at 8:00 a.m., and as I stepped off, I found strong winds blowing from the north, while dry snow was falling. A skier I often run into told me, “I always read your reports. The wind feels really cold today—maybe it must be a sign that the strongest cold wave of the season is moving in.” With temperatures dropping sharply, the trees at the summit (pictured) were beautifully coated in rime ice.
[Iwatake Summit]

My hands quickly went numb as soon as I started taking photos. On the South Slope (pictured) and East Slope, the snow surface that had softened during the warmer weather up through yesterday had set up hard after last night’s grooming, creating flat runs with a noticeably firm feel. The snow made a sharp, scraping sound as I skied, but patches of up to 2 cm of new snow provided just enough cushion for my edges to bite, allowing me to link turns exactly as I wanted.
[South Slope]

The Iwatake Snow Park, located on the lower section of the South Slope, is scheduled to undergo a rebuild from 1/19 (Mon.) to 1/23 (Fri.), with re-opening planned for 1/24 (Sat.). VIEW C and VIEW D featured firm groomed, moist snow surfaces, and because the runs are surrounded by trees and less affected by wind, around 2 cm of light new snow had settled almost evenly across the surface.
[South Slope]

On Kamoshika (pictured), which is currently closed due to Nagano Prefecture Ski Competition Week (1/15–20), a junior high school slalom race was being held. Sunny Valley was topped with 1 to 2 cm of light new snow, and featured a firm groomed moist snow base up top, transitioning to firm groomed granular snow from the mid to lower sections. Kamoshika was also groomed with a firm, granular snow base.
[Kamoshika]

　
＊The annual Iwatake Thanks Fair, a popular event featuring generous giveaways, will be held in the base area on 1/24 (Sat.)!
　
[Hakuba Iwatake Details on 1/20 (Tue.)]
*Fully OPEN (Except North, Sonezawa)
*Operating Lifts … Gondola (8:00～) and totally 6 lifts.
*Fees … 1-Day Pass Adult JPY6,300, 6-12 y/o JPY3,900, A preschooler will be free per adult

*Printable Rental Discount Coupons!
Carving Ski・Snowboard 1-Day Rental Set JPY3,500 / Outerwear JPY2,500!
Carving Ski・Snowboard High Performance Model Rental JPY500 OFF!
Kid’s Ski・Snowboard 1-Day Rental Set JPY2,500 / Outerwear JPY1,500!

*Request for the original data of our photographs

reported by Snownavi