REPORT

In the slope report from 1/15 (Thu.), I introduced Joetsu Kokusai as “the largest single ski resort in Japan,” and for this particular report, I headed for the Forest Zone at the far back of the resort. To access this area, I needed to take the Nagamine Quad, the Panorama Quad, the Panorama No. 3 Romance Lift, the Panorama No. 4 Romance Lift, and finally the Atema No. 6 Romance Lift from the Hotel Green Plaza Joetsu, which serves as the gateway to the resort.
[Panorama No. 4 Romance Lift]

About 30 minutes later I arrived at the Atema No. 5 Slope (pictured, foreground), and the difference in snow quality compared to the area around the hotel immediately caught my attention. A patrol member I met there told me, “We picked up about 2 to 3 cm of new snow yesterday. The snow quality on the Toma slopes is good, right?” Feeling encouraged, I hopped on the Atema No. 4 Quad (visible in the background).
[Atema No. 5 Slope]

The Atema No. 5 Slope offered well-groomed snow that was nicely packed into a firm wet-snow base. The Atema No. 4 Slope Main Course (pictured) was even better—featuring a moderately firm, groomed wet snow surface and a pleasant packed-powder feel. Two visitors from Ibaraki I spoke with (one pictured in the foreground) told me, “The snow near the hotel felt like full-on spring conditions, but up here it’s completely different. We were really surprised—it’s very easy to ski.”
[Atema No. 4 Slope Main Course]

Light snowflakes drifted down early in the morning, but the snowfall stopped around 9:30 a.m., and blue skies began to spread from the west. The Panorama No. 3 Slope featured a well-groomed mix of wet snow and granular corn snow, creating a firm and stable surface. The Mina Slope and Nagamine Slope, which both started the morning with hard, groomed granular snow, had softened noticeably by 10:40 a.m., turning loose and slushy on the surface.
[Atema No. 4 Slope Main Course]

　　　　
[Joestu Kokusai Details on 3/11 (Wed.)]
*Most Courses are OPEN (Daibetto Cmapion. Daibetto Cat Track, Osawa Giant, Atema No.1 & No.2 are Closed)
*Operating Lifts … Nagamine No.2 Romance (8:00～) and totally 14 lifts
*Fee … 1-Day Pass Adult5,500, 3 y/o to 12 y/o JPY3,500, Over 60 y/o JPY4,300
　
*Request for the original data of our photographs
　
reported by Snownavi