The hype is real.
I hope you’ll indulge me. I’m starting a thread on our 2019 Japan trips as a sort of living trip report. I’ve followed along with some of the other posts and loved hearing your adventures so thought I’d have a crack at doing my own.
Some background. My family (Wife and 2 boys aged 13 and 10) and I are relatively latecomers to skiing. We started our adventure in January 2016 with a week in Madarao. From that beginning, the bug bit hard so since then we’ve skied Appi, Naeba, Joetsu Kokusai, Gala/Ishiuchi, Furano, and Tomamu. We’ve all progressed from that first morning of asking “Is there a left and right ski?” to being solid intermediates who can tackle most inbounds posted up to Grey (‘light’ blacks ). My wife and I love perfectly groomed red/blues in picturesque settings with trees or views to the horizon. Our boys terrify us with their love of finding the hidden trails between the trees off the edges.
Due to some very favourable flights on points (Thank you Aegean Miles+Bonus), generous public holidays (Thank you SG government) and a bonus Chinese New Year shutdown (Thank you employer) we are managing 3 trips to Japan this season.
Current planned trips:
Tokyo, Shiga Kogen and Madarao - Jan 1 - 18
3 days Tokyo - Staying in Roppongi - General hanging out, visit the ski shops, eat some food.
1 day Nagano - Shinkansen up to Nagano. Stock up on instant noodles etc due to lack of options in Shiga. Visit Nishi-no-Mon sake brewery. For reasons.
9 days Shiga Kogen - Staying at Shiga Prince West. 2 mornings of lessons for adults, 5 mornings of lessons for boys. Rest of the time exploring the 85km of pistes. Any recommendations?
4 days Madarao - Staying at Madarao Kogen Hotel for 3 and Active Life for 1 cause Madarao Kogen couldn't fit us in on the last night.
Myoko - Feb 1 - 5
4 days Myoko - Staying with @skichanger at Chalet Myoko, where we ski will be up to the recommendation of Nora’s chalet managers each morning.
Yuzawa - Feb 22-25
3 days Yuzawa - Sneaky extra trip for just the wife and I. Staying at a Ryoken near the Echigo Yuzawa station. No resort plans other than at least one day at Joetsu because of that Atema 4th slope over the back (Kisses fingers like an Italian chef).
Plan is to post a daily report each evening.
If you've got any suggestions for the places we are heading, feel free to contribute.
The hype is real!
I hope you’ll indulge me. I’m starting a thread on our 2019 Japan trips as a sort of living trip report. I’ve followed along with some of the other posts and loved hearing your adventures so thought I’d have a crack at doing my own.
Some background. My family (Wife and 2 boys aged 13 and 10) and I are relatively latecomers to skiing. We started our adventure in January 2016 with a week in Madarao. From that beginning, the bug bit hard so since then we’ve skied Appi, Naeba, Joetsu Kokusai, Gala/Ishiuchi, Furano, and Tomamu. We’ve all progressed from that first morning of asking “Is there a left and right ski?” to being solid intermediates who can tackle most inbounds posted up to Grey (‘light’ blacks ). My wife and I love perfectly groomed red/blues in picturesque settings with trees or views to the horizon. Our boys terrify us with their love of finding the hidden trails between the trees off the edges.
Due to some very favourable flights on points (Thank you Aegean Miles+Bonus), generous public holidays (Thank you SG government) and a bonus Chinese New Year shutdown (Thank you employer) we are managing 3 trips to Japan this season.
Current planned trips:
Tokyo, Shiga Kogen and Madarao - Jan 1 - 18
3 days Tokyo - Staying in Roppongi - General hanging out, visit the ski shops, eat some food.
1 day Nagano - Shinkansen up to Nagano. Stock up on instant noodles etc due to lack of options in Shiga. Visit Nishi-no-Mon sake brewery. For reasons.
9 days Shiga Kogen - Staying at Shiga Prince West. 2 mornings of lessons for adults, 5 mornings of lessons for boys. Rest of the time exploring the 85km of pistes. Any recommendations?
4 days Madarao - Staying at Madarao Kogen Hotel for 3 and Active Life for 1 cause Madarao Kogen couldn't fit us in on the last night.
Myoko - Feb 1 - 5
4 days Myoko - Staying with @skichanger at Chalet Myoko, where we ski will be up to the recommendation of Nora’s chalet managers each morning.
Yuzawa - Feb 22-25
3 days Yuzawa - Sneaky extra trip for just the wife and I. Staying at a Ryoken near the Echigo Yuzawa station. No resort plans other than at least one day at Joetsu because of that Atema 4th slope over the back (Kisses fingers like an Italian chef).
Plan is to post a daily report each evening.
If you've got any suggestions for the places we are heading, feel free to contribute.
The hype is real!