Looking for a new resort this winter, preferably with some tree skiing in the Nagano/Niigata area. I have 6 days, so either a bigger resort or two smaller ones not so far apart.
I’m considering Myoko and Naeba? Im assuming Yuzawa is quite busy?
I’ve skied a lot at the Hakuba resorts, Madarao, Nozawa and Shiga Kogen.
I’ve been to Niseko and Zao as well, but looking to do a drivable distance this winter.
Any other ideas?
5 comments
To not get bored of 6 days, if you’re looking at one big resort your best bet is probably shiga kogen or appi kogen. Shiga Kogen typically has less people because it’s a bit harder to reach, and you get what you drive for.
Yuzawa area is definitely busy but you can easily jump to nearby resorts. Around the area would be Yuzawa Kogen, Gala Yuzawa, Ishiuchi Maruyama, Maiko Kogen, Kandatsu, etc. but these areas would be relatively busy due to accessibility via shinkansen.
Nozawa Onsen is also a short drive to Togari Onsen.
Hakuba is also a good choice as you can take a shuttle to the different parts of hakuba
Id recommend Yuzawa and splitting your time between Kandatsu and Maiko. Both are pretty small but Kandatsu is one of the steepest in Japan and has a really open attitude towards off piste. Maiko has a great bowl around the back which is a ton of fun. You could easily spend two days at each and then head to another resort in the area for the last two. They’re only about a 20 minute drive from each other.
If you’re already looking at Naeba, then do Naeba/Kandatsu/Maiko. Naeba is pretty big so a day or two at the others would fit your bill perfectly!
I work at Yuzawa (not kogen), Kagura, Ishiuchi and Kandatsu but mostly in Gala. Stay away from Gala on the weekends! It’s full of people bombing it down, screaming, and crashing into eachother. Oh and off-piste is strictly prohibited. Ishiuchi has designated spots for treeruns. Some sort of on-piste “backcountry” but all resorts have people hitting the backcountry with 0 safety measures. Avalanches go pretty often here and 2 riders perished in Nozawa 2 years ago in the pow. Nozawa has insane backcountry but it’s well charted. The good news is that there is avalanche safety training there and you get to learn how to use the equipment too. So while it’s expensive and busy, I recommend Nozawaonsen
Back country would be cortina and Norikura at Hakuba. Most don’t make it to these but they actually have the best powder. Also you could go to Nigata and go to Kagura or Muica but nothing here is going to keep you happy for 6 days.
Backcountry.