This is the winning pic of the season
We have had some great photos entered into the White Horse archives over the years. This photo of Ryley Bryce the chef was taken on a canon EOS 7D by Aaron Adcock on a bluebird powder day in the trees off the south face of Goryu. Another awesome day in Hakuba and a moment in time captured. Both of the guys were over the moon with this shot as anybody would be..
Locking into the White Room.
The White Room is where you will end up when you make a turn in the light dry powder snow that Hakuba serves up many times during a season. It is the ultimate situation that skiers and boarders alike travel the world to put themselves into. The White Horse Hotels premium room is in fact named after this. The, “White Room” is the ultimate hotel room in Hakuba. It offers 2 bedrooms and a large lounge area that looks out to the snow covered mountains. Big flat screen tv, DVD, Wii, ipod dock/stereo and a PC with high speed internet are all part of the package. The room was modeled on what we would want in a room when we were travelling to ski resorts. It is the perfect room for a group of friends or a family. Contact the White Horse directly for rates and availability. It is always best to book this one early.
Morning tea, lunch or apres, the Corona Bar will be open for you whatever the occasion.
Asahi super dry is my all time favourite beer here in Japan however the corona bar seems to pull me in every time I reach the base area of Hakuba 47. It is such a great place to sit back with your friends and watch the crew come down the steep section at the end of the main run down. The bar opens in the morning and will stay open for the last bus to Echoland that leaves at 5. It just so happens to be the pick up spot for the guests of the White Horse so if they choose to finish up a little early they can sit back and relax until their ride home arrives.
Combine a trip to see the magnificent Cherry Blossoms in Japan with some skiing
Spring time in Japan is a transformation from the white stuff that brings so many of us here to Hakuba to the beautiful colours of the cherry blossom season. It is a great time to visit Japan as you get to see the most famous side of it for many tourists and also experience the great snow conditions we get here. The ski lifts are open until the end of Golden Week which begins on the 29th of April each year. This coincides with the northern progression of the cherry blossoms as the temperatures warm up through the different regions of Japan.
A new dawn in Hakuba
Hakuba has not been affected with any damage from the earthquake, tsunami or increased radiation. We are 300 km away from the power plant as the crow flys and the weather patterns travel predominantly the opposite direction. We are 30 km from the Japan sea with 3000 meter high mountains between us. I just wanted to clear that up as we are getting lots of messages asking us if everything is ok here. The worst that will happen in Hakuba is the economic downturn as it is a town that is very reliant on it’s tourism. Summer time actually brings in more tourists, the majority of them being Japanese who come here to hike and enjoy the mountain environment. Temperatures are pleasant with some humidity and certainly much milder than the city areas. The problem is that the Japanese do not like to show they are having a good time when there fellow country folk are suffering. I can understand this however I am hoping the National Golden Week holidays which start at the end of April this year will be the start of the psychological recovery that all of Japan needs.
The current advice is not to travel to Ibaraki, Tochigi, Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures, including the 80 kilometre exclusion zone, unless your presence there is essential, due to limitations on essential services, infrastructure damage, and ongoing concern about the status of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. The other 42 prefectures of Japan are fine to visit and explore.
A short stroll to the top can access some awesome backcountry lines.
The spring conditions are fantastic here at the moment with total cover still at Goryu and Hakuba47. The backcountry is stable and offering lots of verticle in perfect corn snow. April weather in Hakuba is mostly calm with blue sky. A great time to come and enjoy the Japan Alps. Cheap accommodation deals along with discount lift tickets and being able to get a table at any restaurant without booking are just a few extra bonuses.
More shocking video of the devatation from the tsunami. There is some footage here that may upset some people so please use your discretion before pressing play. Reality bites when you see people running from the wave of destruction. We only pray they were all able to reach safe ground. Official reports are close to 13,000 people have lost their lives and still over 15,000 are missing.
You can send donations to the Red Cross appeal here.
These mountains were made naturally by the earths movements.
We are certainly getting our share of earthquakes here in Japan at the moment but sooner or later they will ease off again and life will move on. Currently the area of most activity is off the east coast of Honshu which is the main island. We may feel a slight shake here in Hakuba but we have not had much in this area for the 5 years I have lived here. When it does happen I make the comparison to the feeling of a large truck rumbling down your street. The thing is large trucks don’t come down our little street. For those thinking of coming to Hakuba on a ski trip next winter season, I would like to try and give some reassurance that we are safe from all the disasters this world dishes out however nobody knows what is around any corner of your life. Please help support Japan either with a donation to the Red Cross or even better still, show your support by coming here and assisting the communities to get back on their feet. Just by coming on a holiday means you are helping out by keeping the economy moving. It is very quiet here in Hakuba at the moment which affects us along with the restaurants we send people which then effects the food suppliers and the delivery person and the farmer and so on and so on. The flow on effect is huge to all businesses. One things for certain is I can assure you that you will be overwhelmed with the response by the Japanese people if you do come.
Earthquakes happen all the time throughout the world. Here is a link to USGS which lists them as they happen. I hadn’t realised there was so much seismic activity around the globe until looked at this site.
Distance, weather, geography and containment have been some of the factors in why Nagano has not been affected by increases in radiation.
The main concern currently here in Japan is the issue with the power plants and the potential for radiation exposure. The subject is such an emotive one and for those of us without a university degree in radiation related subjects, we have had to rely on other sources to learn about the risks. The media, especially in foreign countries have been playing it up dramatically with headlines like meltdown and black rain which have not occurred.
The season came to a sudden end this year with most of our hotel bookings cancelling and many foreign staff leaving the country immediately due to the media hype. The snow season continues here with still plenty of snow but as we experienced, cancellations were across the board for most of the hotels and lodges in Hakuba. A lot of this was also due to the change in mood throughout Japan which I had felt. This was not a time to be out on the mountain enjoying ourselves when people on the other side of the country had lost everything along with many losing their lives or the lives of loved ones.
The Japanese will recover and move on from this disaster as they have throughout their history. If you were considering a trip to Japan I can wholeheartedly understand why you would cancel at this point in time however please keep it in mind for the future as this will assist the rebuild of a country deeply affected by this tragedy.
You can check here to keep an eye on the radiation levels in the Nagano and the other prefectures
https://hakuba.wordpress.com/2011/08/02/radiation-levels-in-japan-2/
Everyone can be a National Geographic photographer at the monkey onsen.
We have snow monkeys that can be seen around the resorts in Hakuba however a trip to the Onsen monkeys is a must while you are here if you enjoy wildlife experiences. Joshinetsu Kogen National Park is located in the valley of the Yokoyu-River, in the northern part of the prefecture. The name Jigokudani, meaning “Hell’s Valley”, is due to the steam and boiling water that bubbles out of small crevices in the frozen ground, surrounded by steep cliffs and formidably cold and hostile forests. It is famous for its large population of wild Japanese Macaques (Macaca fuscata), that enjoy the colder months of the year sitting in an onsen bath. It is uncanny how humanlike they are as they stretch out in the natural hot waters and watch the tourists wander around taking photos. They seem to sit back and wonder what all the fuss is about. It’s just a bath.
The White Horse Hotels can arrange an escorted tour or give you directions to get out there yourself.
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