REPORT

Light sunshine broke through as dry snow began falling early in the morning, driven by a cold northerly wind. Along the Han-no-ki High-Speed Pair (pictured), the firm groomed surface was composed of well-set moist snow. After getting off the gondola, which started on time at 8:00 a.m., I eased into my first turns, taking note of how the 1 to 2 cm of light new snow scattered across the surface of the slope felt.
[Han-no-ki Slope]

By the time I reached the midsection of the Han-no-ki Slope, the groomed surface had firmed up, and combined with the pitch, I found myself picking up speed easily. The One Courses, which branches off of Han-no-ki, will be closed from 1/23 (Fri.) to 1/25 (Sun.) for the All-Japan Junior Championships. In addition, both the One Course and the Sawa Course will be closed on 1/22 (Thu.) for a park rebuild.
[Han-no-ki Slope]

The wind and snowfall suddenly intensified beyond the midsection of the Han-no-ki Slope, with near-whiteout conditions at times. Two visitors who had traveled all the way from Fukuoka Prefecture (pictured) told me, “We’ve seen Snownavi before! The weather today is wild. We came to Hakuba by a combination of plane and bus. We’re skiing Tsugaike today, and we’re planning to come back to ski Cortina next month.”
[Han-no-ki Slope]

The lower section of the Han-no-ki Slope (pictured) had a hard, groomed moist snow surface with up to 2 cm of light new snow scattered unevenly across it. Maruyama and Karamatsu had similar conditions. On the Karamatsu Slope, where many beginner skiers—including international visitors—were out, the gentle pitch still allowed my skis to run well, making it feel easier and more confidence-inspiring than expected.
[Han-no-ki Slope]

　　
[Tsugaike Kogen Details on 1/20 (Tue.)]
*Fully OPEN!
*Operating lifts … Gondola (from 8:00) and totally 11 lifts.
*Fees … 1-Day Ticket Adult JPY8,200, 6 to 12 y/o JPY4,900, Over 60 y/o JPY6,700
　
*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