Tomoe and Leanne will get you your daily caffaine hit from 8 till late.
Bamboo cafe, Hakuba
Posted in Food, Hakuba
Tagged coffee in japan, hakuba cafe, snow, snowjapan, What to do in Hakuba, who sells the best coffee in Hakuba
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Japan ski season.
It's a good start to the base. 22 November 2011 - Happo One ski resort.
The ski season in Japan can start in mid November and will run through to the Golden Week holiday period which is in the first week of May. Commonly it only takes one big storm to come over from Siberia to get things started here in Hakuba. The resorts will open as soon as there is enough snow on the runs. Usually the top of the larger resorts are first to open. With the next storm predicted to lay down another foot of snow on Thursday, we’re all hoping around here that maybe by the end of the week we might be making some turns. For those that like to hike, it’s out there for you now.
First snow to the valley floor
Hopefully this will be the last time we see grass here until April.
It’s here. We have snow in the valley. Lots of hootin and a hollorin around the place this morning with everybody celebrating our sweet obsession. For the next 5 months we will be shoveling, blowing and pushing the stuff around. I’ll constantly be checking how much has fallen and assessing which would be the best resort for the day. I wait in anticipation for every storm as I have for this one that has breached another benchmark. The next exciting day will be the opening of one of the resorts. Put your vote in here to pick the day and win some prizes. Welcome back winter. We’ve missed you.
And here is a picture of whats 1/2 way up the mountain.
1071 verticle meters can mean a big difference between the top of the mountain and what's happening in the valley.
Win Win Win – First day of the season competition
Afternoon sunset on Goryu/ hakuba47 on the first day of lifts opening in December 2010
Each year we run a competition to pick the first day of the season. The rules are
- The first day the lifts open for skiers and boarders at any one of the resorts in Hakuba.
- One date per person. If 2 or more people choose the same date then we will have a draw out of a hat to choose the winner.
- The date must be chosen at least one week in advance
- If a date isn’t chosen then it’s the closest date before.
The prizes are
- A Hakuba White Horse long sleeve tee or hoodie.
- 2000 yen voucher at the White Horse Bar in Echoland.
- Dinner at the Double Black Restaurant in Wadano. (2 courses)
So go to the bottom of this blog and put your date in the comments section or email me HERE and I will add it. Good luck.
The list so far.
25th November Jenn G.
30th November Gary G.
1st December Peter Schellenberger
2nd December Hakuba.
3rd December Jono
4th December Amanda Simmons
5th December Matt.
6th December Rick & Meg Olson
7th December Rob Leen.
8th December Josh Jackson
9th December Ryan.
9th December Jordan Duncan
9th December Shane GN
9th December Rohin
10th December Adam Harrington
10th December Steven Shanahan
10th December Dan
10th December Alexander K
11th December ManoGriffiths
11th December Aaron
12th December Lisa Fletcher.
13th December Joe Gosney.
14th December Dave.
15th December James McCollum
15th December Sam Pointon
16th December Ben Flowerday.
17th December Daniel Pittock.
17th December Barry Donovan.
17th December Taran Marston
18th December Chiharu Anderson.
18th December Cherie Walker
19th December Dave Mulholland
22nd December Michael inDubai
Google map of Hakuba
Where to next. Google earth will make resort guiding much easier.
Google Earth have recently upgraded their map of Hakuba. It’s still not the highest of quality that you get in some places however it is a large improvement to what it was like. You are able to see much more terrain detail which is especially good if you are considering heading into the back country. It’s a good idea to print off some maps and plot your course before you head out. You can get a good idea of the ski resorts also. I am sure this will be used a lot at the computer at the White Horse Bar.
Here is the link to the Google Map use the controls at the top of the map to move around and zoom in and out. Just to state the obvious this is a satellite photo taken during the warmer months which is why there is no snow. If you move north a little up the valley you will see the photo there was taken in the winter a couple of years ago.
First snow on the resorts
Looking over towards the ski runs of Goryu from the Olympic road
There is an air of excitement in Hakuba with the snow level dropping down to 850 meters and the dreams of another epic season about to start. People are frantically preparing for the inevitable dumpage of huge amounts of snow. Some are changing their cars over to snow tyres and adding anti freeze to the radiator and wipers. Others are marking out the roads and paths with large bamboo sticks and putting up barriers to stop the snow damage to their buildings. It’s a busy time but with most people here being skiers or boarders there is a smile on everyone’s face when they look up and see the snow line.
Posted in Hakuba, snow
Tagged First snow in hakuba, Hakuba Hotels, News, ski japan, snow Japan, When does it start snowing in Japan
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Ski tuning and waxing
There is something on these shelves that will make you go faster.
It’s always good to have your skis or snowboard waxed and tuned to give you the best performance on the slopes. There are a couple of places in town who can do it for you but I much prefer to give it a go myself. Hakuba Yamatoya, on the main street near the Station, has the best selection of waxes and tools of any shop I have seen. This is where all the competition skiers come to kit themselves out before a race. They have a good selection of skis, boots and bindings along with some backcountry products too. Their stock is mostly high end performance gear so if someone in your group complains about the cold then tell them to get down there and buy some good quality product.
Yamatoya is 50 meters to the left when you look at the Hakuba Station.
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Nagano to Hakuba Bus timetable 2018/19 snow season
Here is the bus timetable for the highland express that runs between Hakuba and Nagano during the winter. The starting date is the 1st of December to March the 31st. My preferred choice of travel to Hakuba is to catch the bullet train from Tokyo to Nagano and then the bus to Hakuba, When you arrive in Nagano you turn left after the ticket check stalls and walk about 50 meters and then turn left again at the bottom of the stairs. (there is an elevator also) From here you will see the bus terminal on the ground level. The Hakuba bus stop is number 26. You can also pre-purchase at the gift shop under the stairs when you walk down to ground level. If the store is closed then you can purchase on the bus. Just have correct change. There is a discount for a book of 4 tickets which can also be used on the return journey.
The bus actually runs on a similar timetable for the rest of the year however there are less services so if you are coming during other times just check with your accommodation if there are any changes.
Ticket prices are:
Adults (12 years old and above) 1800 yen
Child ( 6 -11 year old) 900 yen.
Locals tip. If you are travelling on a clear day check the view out of the front window as you come out of the long tunnel after the toll bridge. You will catch the first glimpses of the impressive Hakuba range.
Further – Jeremy Jones in Japan
Jeremy Jones, one of the best snowboarders to ever strap in, was here in Hakuba last season to ride for his latest movie, “FURTHER”. Here is a clip with local back country guru Dave Enright showing them how to get to those big lines. Lots of anticipation around town for the movie release.
Hakuba Blog 