The Hakuba Valley is a well-known Japanese ski area located in Nagano prefecture. Hakuba boasts the steepest runs of Japan’s 600 ski resorts, and staged the Super-G, down hill, and ski jumping during the 1998 Winter Olympics. Situated in the northern Japan Alps, Hakuba has a few ski resorts with 3,000m high mountain peaks. The Valley consists of 10 resorts accessing over 200 runs, and all resorts are well equipped for skiers and snowboarders. If you are a skier, the world class ski courses can’t be missed. The ski Hakuba season is from December to April.
Shuttles to nearby ski resorts depart from the front of the Rhythm which is conveniently located across the road from The Ridge.
Happo One – Hakuba’s largest ski field
Consistent powder snow on the many challenging runs at Happo One make this ski field a high priority destination for serious ski Hakuba travellers in Japan.
Happo One is Hakuba’s oldest, largest and most central ski hill. Happo has plenty of terrain for everyone – For Beginners, Sakka area has gentle slopes and a Sakka Kids Park area. For Intermediates, Panorama slope just below the top of the gondola is wide and well groomed with three lifts to keep you moving. For Advanced, you can challenge the 1998 Winter Olympic men’s and ladies downhill courses. While the upper part of Happo is mostly ungroomed, best advise is to get on the gondola as soon as it opens.
There are several dining options on the mountain. The largest restaurant is at the top of the Gondola, which has a 500 seat capacity. The Cafe & Restaurant Pilar at the top of the Alpen Quad offers great views and is a nice place to enjoy a coffee.
Hakuba 47 – Goryu – Iwatake – Tsugaike Kogen – Cortina
Hakuba 47 ski resort is connected to Hakuba Goryu. Some very long cruising intermediate runs coupled with interesting powder courses. Hakuba 47 has probably the best snowpark in Hakuba. Goryu has the best night skiing options with groomed slopes opening at 6pm.
Iwatake is a fun resort where you can ski all the four points of the compass. Lift access is very good and long cruising runs back to the base area. Great views from the top of the gondola with peaks rising on three sides.
Tsugaike is a large ski area with 23 lifts. Good areas for beginners at the lower part of the mountain and some very good intermediate skiing further up the mountain. Mid station of the Cortina is one of the favourite resorts to head for especially after a snow storm. Cortina receives the most snow in the Hakuba Valley. That 10cm of snow in the town can means up to 40cm at Cortina. Cortina is connected to Hakuba Norikura. These ski fields are approximately 15 – 30 min from Happo One. For more details on Hakuba’s many fabulous ski fields and area information, visit Hakuba Connect.
View snow reports and webcams here.
