Niseko : What,where,how and stuff ?

So, in short.

Once upon time me and Mrs.Meathelmet pondered where to go on the upcoming honeymoon, and avot!
Japan! And not only japan, but hokkaido, and for skiing...
Talk about a gem for a girl.

Well, that settlet, i read an old article in Skiingmag about the The Woodpecker Inn (?), where a local keeps a small in with some kind of B&B with his family.
Anybody been at that lodge, or happen to have any info about that?
The Mrs. got intrested if we could stay in that place for 2 weeks or so.
I found practically no info on that subject in the net, only couple obscure websites in japan.Wich i dont happen to speak...
Any info about this, or any other small,comfy,down-to-earth,reasonable price hostell/inn/what ever would greatly be appriciated.

Also, anyone have any good links to some stories or pictures about skiing in niseko?


I know the offpist culture is quite different in japan, but niseko being a exeption to that, out-of-bounds being tolerated quite well there.
Any first hand experience would be nice and stuff..

What about Gai-Jins? Is there lot of gringos or local bum like people?
Since i´m with missus there, i might have some temptations to go to do some skinning/hiking around the Niseko and/or Hokkaido, any possibilities that the could be some likminded people around?
Or only japanese honeymooners and CEOs?

We´ll hit osaka or tokyo in the 15 of february,and head up north asap.
Any recommendations about the transportation?
Heard that the bullet train goes quite smoothly up till Sapporo, but the price is supposedly almost the same as if you would fly..

On the return leg we´ll prolly stay in tokyo for couple of days, checking out the town and prolly kioto.

Awww.

Suushi...

I think ill go and grab some now.



Ps. Wasnt Toque in japan for the last season? Some other maggots, please chime in if you have some info..


EDIT : Dammit, forgot the most important stuff...

What about the The Woodpecker Inn (?) in niseko? Read the article in a old Skiingmag about this comfy family kept inn wich´s owner was the unofficial niseko area avy forecaster.
Anybody have any info about that place?
Is there possibility to stay for,lets say, 2 weeks? I got the impression that it is a B & B style place..

Mrs.Meathelmet got really intrested in that place...that freak.

Or, if you have any recomendations about some low-key,comfy and affordable lodging, i would appreciate it..

Umm... have you seen this month's Powder?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Big E

Umm... have you seen this month's Powder?

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Umm.No. It comes out 23rd and i´m on the other side of the pond.

What´s innit?

I have that skiing mag lying around here...why? I'm not really sure but heres the info thats in it.

Ele. 4,295 ft.
Drop 3,200 ft.
Snow 550 in.
Getting There> Fly to Supporo, from there take bus to Niseko
Number Listed: 0136-44-2001
Web site: niseko.ne.jp
Guide Mentioned: Akio Shinya
Guide's Lodge: The Woodpeckers

Thats about all I can find in the article. Hope it helps

http://www.snowjapan.com/e/index.php
http://forum.ski.com.au/ultimate/ult...?ubb=forum;f=4

Heaps of Aussies go to Niseko, so there is plenty of info on that second link if you do a search. Snow Japan has heaps of info in English. Niseko gets heaps of dry snow, but it is not known for its terrain. If Toque is the same guy I met in Japan this year he is based in Honshu (the main island) not Hokkaido, mostly riding around Hakuba. Hakuba has some good terrain and gets over 400” of snow but it is a bit heavier than the stuff in Niseko from all reports.

Hakuba (Happo One):

http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic40725.jpg

I spent 6 weeks in Hakuba this year, we got ~300" of snow in that time. Add that to the list of things that do not suck.

where are you based right now?

If you are based in the US then Niseko might be a shocker for you.
It has become a mini auzzie playground. That doesnt make it all bad though.
Lots of snow.

Now if you want to hit up Tokyo and Osaka then maybe styaing on the main island is best. Hakuba, Nozawa onsen, Myoko, kagura, Neaba, Yuzawa, tenjindaira.

I can give you info but you need to give me info.
what type of budget are you looking at?
what type of accom do you want?
do you want a guide around the areas?
what do you want to see here?
etc.

Toque is my touring mate, he has hit many routes in and around his area. He is still a hakuba rookie as far as touring in that area. We will be touring more there this winter I think.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fattwins

1.where are you based right now?
2.what type of budget are you looking at?
3.what type of accom do you want?
4.do you want a guide around the areas?
5.what do you want to see here?

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Ok.

1.So,living in scandinavia,and going via osaka or tokyo because we can get reasonble priced direct flights from here.And it would be nice to see shinjuku(mf) and kioto and other stuff.And eat a lot of good japanese food.I´m a total sucker for that.And we have to take a train/plane from
either place beacause from europe(?) we dont have direct flights to sapporo.

What do you mean by "niseko could be a shocker if you from states? positeve or negative?Been traveling in quite intresting places, so if there is drinkable water,i think well be just fine.. :)

2+3.On the budget side, i think we are on the thinner side. I didnt happen to own a internet firm in the end of the nineties.
And I think we would not be intrested to sleep in the 5star luxury hotels for two,three weeks.Not that we can afford that either.. But lets say, medium budget, and the preferance in accomodation would go to freaky (in a good way), personal, intresting and memorable places. Temples,Inns,B & B being the preferable style.

4.Since Mrs.Meat is a relatively good snowboarder i would be doing some ob stuff with her (well,it´s a honeymoon,isnt´t it?) bould yes, i would be very intrested to do some touring/intresting stuff. Preferably with local bums, since hiring a guide is the last resort. I have never found it comfortable to ski in bigger groups and hiring a guide just for you, well unless i have a particular project, it is too expensive for my budget.
Skiing with good locals=preferably.
Skiing with a guide =if no other choice present.

5.And what we want to see? Well, everything and nothing... We are not that much sight see-ers, just checking out the everyday life and just enjoying the life, you know? Of course seeing temples,gardens,hotsprings with monkeys,old houses,gizmo culture,schoolgirl prostitutes,flower arangements,tearooms,giant wooden dildos,nature and stuff would be nice.
But we won´t stress about it.If the weather sucks or we have a day off,then some strolling,but we´ll concentrate on the skiing mainly.


What about Hakuba?
I tought Niseko had the most steeps?At least it has 1000m of vert, or?
I am mostly intrested in the profile (steeps), and the accessibility to steeper terrain than the amount of snow, or the vertical in the resort.
Should we start to concider Hakuba?


And thanks guys for the links.
This is a good way to spend a morning,"working" efficiently.

number one niseko is not steep.
it gets lots of snow but nothing about it is steep.
Hakuba is much steeper than niseko

For niseko book now or you wont get in. They are expecting 20000 auzzies this year who are booking the place out.

Hakuba you still have a bit of time to do your bookings. hakuba has 7 mtns to choose from also.

what type of gear do you have to go ob? niseko is not that hard and you really only need a bit of the basic stuff.
Hakuba will kill you if you do it the wrong way. A guide here is alot less than a guide in europe. I can help you hook up with a guided group.

travel
http://www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en02.html

for rail passes there is another good rail pass that is flexible but it is only for JR east so it is limited to tokyo areas, nagano nigata etc and does not cover down to kyoto and or hokkaido sapporo.

I live in kyoto if you have questions about kyoto please ask.

SOrry im very busy and Im doing my best to bang this out as fast as I can.

Niseko isnt all bad but it is a hill and not like the hakuba mtn range, does anyone have a picture of niseko?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Meathelmet

Umm.No. It comes out 23rd and i´m on the other side of the pond.

What´s innit?

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Featured article on it. 23rd? That's ... today!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fattwins

1. number one niseko is not steep.

2.They are expecting 20000 auzzies this year who are booking the place out.

3.what type of gear do you have to go ob? niseko is not that hard and you really only need a bit of the basic stuff.
Hakuba will kill you if you do it the wrong way.

4.Niseko isnt all bad but it is a hill and not like the hakuba mtn range.

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That´s it!

Hakuba it will be then.

Thanks everyone about the info. From the reading from internet i got a quite different imperssion about Niseko, so i am very happy that it got corrected before reserving anything..

1. That sucks. The pictures about Hakuba looks promising. There seems to be lot of touring potential in the "high" alpine? True?

2.I love kiwis and aussies, no problem with that, but preferably one at a time... :) And i have antipathy towards "north america standard" resorts.
I love the low key, no-bulshit,kick-in-the-teeth style places.Wich i know none of the japanese places are...But.

3.The usuall bc stuff (trans,spades,sond etc), obviously. If allowed i´ll take my AT setup and some bigger planks with me.If the weight restrictions kick in, then ill lug my bigger alpines with trekkers. Heavy as shit, but manageable..

Btw, does the hakuba have more continental climate than,say, Hokkaido?
Is the snowpack notoriously scetcy, if it is, why?Winds, profile, what?
I cant say i am a professional or anything, but i have spent some time in the bc.
And for the guide stuff, i´ll think i´ll pass on that. As i mentioned before, i am
not particulary intrested in skiing with larger groups, be it guided or just a bunch of friends. Decision making and everything gets too complicated.

But i would be more than intrested in hooking up with you guys, Fattwins or Ubuge if you are around at that time.
We´ll prolly arrive around 14-15 of february, and well stay for 2-3 weeks.

And one more question, in what area to stay in Hakuba?
The map´s that i have found,well, they are at least to say confusing..
Down in the valley(s) or where?
Any good recommendations?

Some nice pictures i found...Looks promising.
How is the acces to the high alpine? Is it accessible from the resort, or do you have to leave it (legal wise) ?

Goruy

http://www.vill.hakuba.nagano.jp/e/ski/img/goryu.jpg

47

http://www.vill.hakuba.nagano.jp/e/ski/img/hakuba47.jpg

Happo One

http://www.vill.hakuba.nagano.jp/e/ski/img/happo.jpg



Edit : And oh...What about this in hakuba?

Hakuba 47 website.
CAUTION
Skiing/snowboarding outside of the boundary is strongly prohibited at Hakuba47. Thank you very much for your corporation.

hooking up as fine...but im really busy in the winter teaching and onpiste guiding. Will also take some more avie levels this year.

Hint if you dont have a car then I would not do ob at happo. you need a car or a taxi to get you out from the right spot.

snowpack is coastalish, problems are usally big windloading. last year we had a massive 3+ slide (japanese rating) that ran for 1500 meters or more. It buried 3 uni students from jan 2ndish to may20ish.

Before you really give up on the guided idea understand that it is not like europe and that the costs arent that bad. maybe 100 euro a day, maybe less. sking is 40euro a day here, tickets are cheap here. Also if you get into trouble most likely no one will come to help you. last year a man survived an avlanche here but died 6 or more hours later waiting to be taken out. his wife called for help but the rescue group got there the next day. NO HELI sometimes.

enough of a rant. youll have fun here and there are other places as well that you can hit up. Nozawa onsen or myoko kogen.


i might start a backpackers this year if you would like to stay with us we will have space. but we are still in the process of buying a place.

ps where are you located in japan?

fattwins, (kidporsche here) what is this about you starting a backpackers? Send me an email if you prefer. The shit gap is still on my to-do list, so I could be heading back in your direction next season.


Meathelmet, there is lots of goodness to be found round Hakuba, I spent 6 weeks there this year and just scratched the surface. The best tree skiing I have experienced anywhere. At most places it is against the rules to ski in the trees/off-piste, and depending on where you go patrol can be more or less aggressive about enforcing this. At Goryu/47 (esp 47) this year they were quite bad, but they can't be everywhere and I only had 2 close calls. If you are careful about when and where you go and don't yell your tits off you should be fine. Worst case they pull your pass, but the 2 times I got busted there were some Japanese speakers with me to talk our way out of it.

ubuge yes where are you?

kp ill keep yu up to date for sure. trying our asses off to get a loan. the first year or 2 we are thinking backpackers then re-modeling to a b and b type of place.

if all else fails we will have a giant house.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Big E

Umm... have you seen this month's Powder?

---

I am on a plane. Going to Niseko. The pilot is flying. My mouth is very dry. It must be the air conditioning. I look over at Jim. Jim is asleep right now.

FUCK OFF, PORTER FOX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hiroshima is not on my hit list for ski resorts at all. where did you live in osaka I live on the kyoto osaka line near muko shi.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fattwins

hooking up as fine...but im really busy in the winter teaching and onpiste guiding. Will also take some more avie levels this year.

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Game on then. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fattwins

Hint if you dont have a car then I would not do ob at happo. you need a car or a taxi to get you out from the right spot.

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Damn. I was thinking about Happo because the 47 and Goroy seem to be the most tight on the OB policy? And doesnt the happo have the easiest acces to the high alpine from the top lifts?
What is the policy there if you go up from the top of the resort? Do you have to leave the resort area if you go for some longer excursions?

And does anyone by chance happen to have any pictures of Hakuba area? Have tried to search some overview picutres but haven´t found any decent ones.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fattwins

snowpack is coastalish, problems are usally big windloading. last year we had a massive 3+ slide (japanese rating) that ran for 1500 meters or more. It buried 3 uni students from jan 2ndish to may20ish.

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So, the weather patter and climate is close to, for say, British columbia or inner Norway? As i said, im definetly not a professional, but usually ski some 40-50 days a year bc in different climate types, so some kind of respect has developed over the years. But still, thanks for the heads up.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fattwins

Before you really give up on the guided idea understand that it is not like europe and that the costs arent that bad. maybe 100 euro a day, maybe less. sking is 40euro a day here, tickets are cheap here.

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Yeah, it is not completely given up idea, might invest for one or two days if no other partners can be found. But it really is the last resort then.
Participated in few guided trips and the experiences,well, have had decent skiing but the mentality/dynamics is just not my piece of cake. Especially with a group bigger than couple of people it is the issue with moving fast enough.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fattwins

Also if you get into trouble most likely no one will come to help you. last year a man survived an avlanche here but died 6 or more hours later waiting to be taken out. his wife called for help but the rescue group got there the next day. NO HELI sometimes.

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Well, i´ll say none of us are that stupid to count on the rescue services, regardless where ever in the world you ski.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fattwins

I might start a backpackers this year if you would like to stay with us we will have space. but we are still in the process of buying a place.

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Sound´s good man! We definetly intrested in that.
I´ll PM my email addy to you.

You Icompetent Boob!

Nice pics there...
Do you happen to have any more?
Please, feel free to post them... :)
I´ll throw you a PM too, so be warned.


Few quick questions more for you guys.

1.The pulling of ticket : Since thet ticket culture seem to be that anal, is there any area in the Hakuba region where you could ski relatively freely?
It just does not sound so tempting to travel half the world to ski some bloody pistes..
Do they pull the tickets for one day (as some people say) or remove the ticket entirely?
Is it more wise to buy one day tickets then?

2.If the Happo area would be the choice, any recomendations on the lodgin scene? Ruykan´s (?),Inns or B & Bs ?

3.The train passes? Any info on them, wich one to buy if we stay on Honshu
for 2-3weeks?

Taak.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bad_roo

I am on a plane. Going to Niseko. The pilot is flying. My mouth is very dry. It must be the air conditioning. I look over at Jim. Jim is asleep right now.

FUCK OFF, PORTER FOX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

---

His body is green and white. I wonder if I'm dreaming. I lean over to kiss him. But his lips are chapped. I hesitate. Then there it is---whoomp---he lets out a fart. It is a healing fart. The Japanese call it 'Moondrop'.

Jim wakes up. I asked him if he slept hard. 'Yes' he says. 'Very hard.' I offer him chapstick. Soon the green mist engulfs me, and I feel sleepy. I want to call a stewardess for a pillow, but it is a sign of weakness in this culture. I doze off to the sounds of Jim settling.

Whoomp.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by slippy

His body is green and white. I wonder if I'm dreaming. I lean over to kiss him. But his lips are chapped. I hesitate. Then there it is---whoomp---he lets out a fart. It is a healing fart. The Japanese call it 'Moondrop'.

Jim wakes up. I asked him if he slept hard. 'Yes' he says. 'Very hard.' I offer him chapstick. Soon the green mist engulfs me, and I feel sleepy. I want to call a stewardess for a pillow, but it is a sign of weakness in this culture. I doze off to the sounds of Jim settling.

Whoomp.

---

The stewardess readies a swab. Her name is Miyako. She wipes the swab across his bottom. Efficiently. I watch as it turns from red to green. Jim is suffering isothermic metamorphosis. The rice crackers make my lips tingle. The tingling comes in waves, blanketing my lips.

Jim's frowned upon in this culture. In Tokyo there is no time for anal seepage. It is viewed as something of a disgrace. Jim farts in paragraphs, making clenching fists as he goes. He is engulfed in a greenish miasma. In the 13 hours we've travelled he has farted 763 times.

Quick reply.
How anal patrol are depends on who you get. Happo were not too bad last season. Access it BC from Happo is good, but it is at the bottom of the run where you need to be careful. Iwatake is pretty good, but is a much smaller mountain. Goryu and 47 are linked and can be considered 1 resort. If you are careful you won't get caught. If you do, they may take your daypass, or give you a warning on season passes.
If you are staying in Hakuba for most of your trip you prob won't need a rail pass (unless they are really cheap).
I had a map of Hakuba, if I can find it I will scan it and post it to give you an idea of the layout. The town is pretty spread out.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bad_roo

The stewardess readies a swab. Her name is Miyako. She wipes the swab across his bottom. Efficiently. I watch as it turns from red to green. Jim is suffering isothermic metamorphosis. The rice crackers make my lips tingle. The tingling comes in waves, blanketing my lips.

Jim's frowned upon in this culture. In Tokyo there is no time for anal seepage. It is viewed as something of a disgrace. Jim farts in paragraphs, making clenching fists as he goes. He is engulfed in a greenish miasma. In the 13 hours we've travelled he has farted 763 times.

---

The plane lands. The pilot is still piloting the plane. It is a Japanese tradition, we don’t ask why. Our guide, Suke, is waiting for us. He whisks us away to the snow-filled ski area. It is in the mountains. A perfect location, I thought. So traditional.

In the 9 days we ski there, Jim farts 27,567 times. The locals have a name for a tool like Jim. It’s ‘Poofter Spew’. As we ski, the snow monkeys fall down from the gnarled branches from his undying stench. Frosted monkey-men falling from the sky. A man dragged out one and hung it in his bar.

But we couldn’t stop skiing. And tingling.

train passes for a ski trip can be quite tricky. JR east has a flexible 4 day pass. you can use the 4 days at any time that you like. but it is only for the east. So you cant come to kyoto on it. I will try to get more info about a different pass.