New Years Eve in Hakuba is always a lot of fun with everybody in a very festive spirit.  It should be noted for those coming over at that time that it is a traditional holiday period for Japan and Hakuba is probably at it’s busiest  so book your accommodation early.  We always have a big night here at the hotel to see in the new year with most people racing off to bed 15 minutes later so they are refreshed for the morning ski. There are also a few who will head out to one of the bars or clubs in Echoland and have a big night out.  The smart ones have put in their order for a bacon and egg sandwich in anticipation of a late start. Breakfast is between 7 and 9am. Coffee is always on.

The next big storm has started and we are more prepared this time with our shovels. There is a lot of snowclearing machinery in Hakuba to deal with the massive quantities of snow that is unleashed into the valley. Until it is experienced most people have no comprehension of what such a huge amount of snow can do to an area.  Everybody should be very careful when walking under eaves. The areas at either end of the White Horse Arctic are very dangerous with massive overhangs that eventually break off and crash to the ground. There is no reason to go into these areas so we do not have warning signs however we do remind parents with children to ensure they stay off the mounds of snow there.

Some big fat snow flakes falling outside my office window this morning in Echoland. Quite wet snow in fact however as mentioned previously the mountains rise up suddenly from the Valley floor to over 1000 meters of vertical so when you go up on the lifts the snow is light and dry.  Good reports back from the mountain with everybody happy with the conditions although there was some times when the cloud came in and the visibility wasn’t so good.

Merry Christmas
For the last 4 years we have been in Hakuba we have held a traditional Christmas dinner at the hotel restaurant. Starting out with pre dinner drinks at the bar at 5 we arrange the tables into one long one so we can celebrate as we would at home with our families. It is a good chance to meet new people and enjoy some festive Christmas spirit. For those coming next year please make a reservation for the dinner early as we are always booked out.  A special thanks to our  chef Glen for putting on such a great spread.

Onsen bathing is a Japanese tradition that everybody should try when coming here to Hakuba. For many people the thought of being nude in front of a group of strangers in a bath is quite daunting. The Japanese however have been doing this for centuries in public bath houses throughout the nation. There are many onsen baths in Hakuba. My favourites have outdoor baths where you can sit and look out towards the mountain views and even better is to sit out there while it is snowing. Because our hotel only has 8 guest rooms we have the pleasure to be able to offer our guests the opportunity to book an onsen and therefore be able to share the experience with their partner after a hard day on the mountain. Many will sit back and relax with a beer or cup of champagne (please no glass in the onsen areas).
Onsen etiquette
The principle behind the onsen bath is to always keep the water pure.
1) Remove all clothing in the changing room and place in the baskets. I prefer to change into my yukata robe  in my room before making my way to the onsen.
2) Take your washing products and modesty towel into the bath area. There is a range of shampoo, conditioner and body soap supplied also.
3) Take a seat at one of the shower stations and now take your time to wash yourself thoroughly.  In western cultures the shower is usually a quick process however in Japan it is regarded as a time to relax and cleanse your body and mind.
4) Once you have washed and rinsed yourself of all the soap you can step into the bath to totally relax.  For those that thought ahead, a cleansing ale is a good reward while you recap with your partner or friends on the days best runs.
5) A quick rinse off and then back into the changing area to dry off and stroll back to your room.

I was out on the mountain with some of our guests today. The conditions were perfect with the groomed runs smoothed to perfection and still plenty of powder to be found. Visibility was good however the wind did pick up a bit after 10.  I enjoy doing a bit of mountain hosting.  Tough job but someone has to do it.

It has finally stopped snowing and the clouds have cleared a little with the sun occasionally peeking through. A great day to get some photos. Hakuba is truely beautiful when the big snowfalls come through. For our guests I am happy to take them for a drive around to some of my favourite spots for them to take advantage of the beautiful scenery for their photo collections.

While our guests are eagerly rising to head down to the restaurant for their big cooked breakfast we have a dedicated team of workers up bright and early to get the vans ready to shuttle everyone to the resorts. This morning it was all hands on deck as it had not stopped snowing at all. The road clearers usually come around early however because of the massive amounts of snow they have had to clear the main roads first and our quiet little street was not done. We first had to dig out the cars and then create our own track to get them down onto the main road. Tough work but we got there and our guests were able to get to the resort for first lifts.  I was able to get a few runs in myself with top to bottom, dry bottomless powder.  Once again people were struggling with the conditions.

It snowed all of yesterday and continued through the night. The Balcony this morning was overloaded so it was an easy decision to head up to the mountain for a few turns to really get the season started. I headed up to Happo One for first tracks. They opened the gondola early and the Alpen Quad was running so I jumped on that and had some great runs in some mega deep heavy powder. It was very difficult for the majority of people on the mountain who have not had powder conditions before. I heard people say that it was too deep and by the sight of so many skiers and boarders just trying to dig themselves out and get moving again, I think that it was for most. I enjoyed it though

It started snowing on the mountain as we were leaving our “first day” activities. This morning we woke to a nice blanket of snow covering the whole valley.  I like to check the balcony balustrade outside the White Horse bar for a good indication of the amount of snowfall. The rule we go with is double the measurement for the mountain depth.

We had some guests arrive yesterday who were very keen to get up on the slopes. We drove them over to Kashimayari which had one run opened however they said they had a great time and came back in high spirits with the knowledge that some big snow storms were on their way to Hakuba. Kashimayari is a great place to check out on a sunny day as is in the above photo from last season.

Please book early if you would like to give it a go.

A quick trip into Tokyo today. It is good to head into the city once in a while and I love the craziness of this place. The fact that you have to go into a restaurant to smoke as you are not allowed to smoke in the streets is backwards to anywhere else. In regards to smoking, our hotels are all smoke free throughout including the bars and restaurants however there are spots outside with ashtrays and for those that may feel they will want to smoke  then there are some rooms with balcony’s. Smokers should remember to be courteous while on the mountains and also use the pocket ashtrays that are available from many shops around town.

Where do the guests come from? We have a big variety of guests from around the globe come and visit us in Hakuba. Because of the easy accessibility from Tokyo we get a number of expats who are living and working throughout Asia. One of the comments I hear is a little selfish but quite understandable. Skiers and boarders want their snow fix. Peoples holiday time is valuable.  If they were to go home for their ski holiday in Europe or America then they would have to also try to catch up with friends and family. All they really want is great snow conditions and a friendly atmosphere to enjoy some time out from their busy work schedule so they end up here in our Hakuba Hotels.  Holidays are very important and give us all a balance making the journey of life an experience rather than a chore. Live life.

Checking forecasts is a daily routine when staying at the snow. There are quite a few options for weather websites. The one we have on our website is reasonably accurate however it does not seem to take into account the amount of moisture that is picked up out of the Japanese Sea when the big cold air masses from Siberia make their way over here. It usually underestimates the amount of snowfall which is good because it means I don’t get my hopes up.
When checking conditions click onto the snow forecast emblem on our home page.

I have been asked a few times about the picture on the top of the blog. It is from when I was out with the Warren Miller crew a couple of seasons back. Local legend Takehiro Sakamoto is a professional free rider who competed against Johnny Moseley in the 1998 Winter Olympics. In this shot he is carving up the north face of Happo One backcountry. You can check out the area at the back of the building when you get off the Grat Quad.

Well our first guests are in. When booking a snow holiday in Hakuba I will always be completely honest with people. The last thing I want from guests is for them to be upset with me because I possibly embellished what we have. The guests that are here at the moment were completely aware that there may be limited snow conditions at this early period of the season. They still decided to come and test their luck. This year they lucked out but are still lining up the many other options available for when conditions aren’t much good in Hakuba. A trip to the monkey onsen, Matsumoto Castle, and Zenkoji Temple are must do’s. Late night drinks at the local izakaya’s and bars and long bathing sessions at the onsen followed by a massage turn the holiday into a very chilled out experience.  The last 2 years have seen everybody up on the mountain in November. This year we are running a little behind schedule with the snow but we all know it will happen soon.

Still waiting for the snow and the snow forecast is telling us it is on it’s way in a big way. At the moment it is a good opportunity to stroll around Hakuba and take some photos of some of the traditional architecture in the area. There is quite a mix of buildings in Hakuba ranging from grass roof houses to random tudor style mansions. Make sure you bring your camera when holidaying in Hakuba. Snow on the 3 peaks makes the background of every shot look very scenic.

Kampai (cheers in Japanese)

Rain in the Valley. Don’t despair. Hakuba Valley sits on an elevation of 750 meters above sea level. The top of Happo One rises quickly from the valley floor up to 1831 meters.  The resort boasts 1071 vertical meters of runs and the longest course is 8 km. Down in the restaurant at breakfast I inform our guests  that while it may be raining and miserable occasionally outside the  big windows, the freezing level may only be a hundred meters up the road and it has been dumping snow on the mountain all night.  Each morning we assist our guests in finding the best snow conditions in the valley. Our experience here and knowledge of the weather ensures that our guests get the optimum skiing and boarding available. As there are a number of microclimates throughout the valley it means that there can be a huge difference within the 25 km between the resorts of Cortina and Kashimayari. Which mountain will you be choosing. I see many people come into our restaurants and bars each night who are staying at other hotels saying they had a pretty ordinary day and our guests telling them that they had one of the best days of their lives on the mountain. When staying in Hakuba please make sure your hotel can get you to ALL of the resorts and that they have the knowledge of where the best place is to go to each day.

All those that were here last season would remember our most exceptional barman, Adam. I would have to say that Adam is THE most professional barman I have ever had the pleasure of working with. His energy just made our bar the most vibrant place in Hakuba. He helped us out in so many ways and has improved our level of service and our commitment to making our bar the best place for apres ski in the Japanese snowfields. Well, Adam has been enjoying himself over the summer working in Osaka. His intention was to explore a little more of Japan and then come and work another season here. It was a sad day when he told me that he needed to move on and challenge himself in a pilgramage to India. On a brighter note he had to come back here to pick up his snowboard so I was able to spend a week of catching up and I most certainly got him behind the bar for one last big night of mixing the best drinks in town.

Thanks Adam and good luck with your travels. We will meet again.

No snow at the moment so what should you do in Hakuba now? Check out the Olympic Ski Jump. About a 15 minute stroll from the hotel, the ski jumps were constructed for the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics.