Glen Farmer is the Head Chef at the White Horse Restaurant in Echoland. Along with our classic chicken parmagiana and perfectly cooked thick sirloins, he has put together a rissoto with a green tea smoked chicken and locally produced goats cheese. I am not a big wrap for risotto usually but this one I can guarantee will please. Of coarse for those that have eaten here before we still have the massive Hakuburger.

Weekends can get a little crowded here but we are not talking big lift lines that some of the well known resorts around the world experience. In fact you will find it unusual even on a weekend to end up in a lift line at the bottom of many of the runs here. It is one thing that hasn’t really changed in Hakuba over the years that I have been coming. If you are planning your trip and you really want the best conditions along with the least amount of people then this time of the season is perfect. You should keep an eye on when Chinese New Year is on however as this period changes each year and can get busy along with long weekends and the Christmas / New Year period.

I woke up to about 20cm of powder outside our Hakuba hotel today (= 30-40 up top). I am nursing an injured foot so I was unable to get out on the mountain however the next big storm is brewing in the north which will see us get snow everyday next week. I should be right by then to get out into it. Our guests and staff let me know how good it was on the mountain today and I was very jealous. Oh well, I’m grateful that I live in this snow paradise and I can get many great days on the mountain each season.

We had our annual Australia Day party last night with a few people coming in for the traditional Aussie BBQ and a few Aussie beers. Everyone was in good spirits and the INXS concert on the big screen topped it off. It’s always a good fun night.

Today I went for a trip with the Nowegians to the monkey onsen before they headed back to Tokyo. Jens took over 400 photos and was in his element at this amazing wildlife experience. Torkel Karoliussen and Håvard Ånesen enjoyed monkeying around on the edge of the onsen. I have been to the monkey onsen over 20 times and I still love checking them out. We also have snow monkeys in Hakuba. Keep an eye out in the Iimori area for a group that like to hang around there.

We have had a lot of media people staying with us over the years and this week we have had the famous Norwegian photographer Jens-Morten Øvervoll. He is shooting for a story to be published in the biggest scandinavian outdoors adventure magazine. Jens has also been involved in the Norway Avalanche Rescue Team for over 20 years and his backcountry experience is astounding. I had the pleasure to spend some time on the mountain with him and his crew Torkel Karoliussen, writer and pro skier and Håvard Ånesen  who is a pro snowboarder. Today Jens told me that he did not want to do the story as they didn’t want anybody to find out about Hakuba. Their lines down the south face of Happo were the talk of the town. Another satisfied customer. Thanks for coming guys. We will see you again, i’m sure.

The Japanese Alps (日本アルプス, Nihon Arupusu) is a series of mountain ranges in Japan that bisect the main island of Honshū. The name was coined by William Gowland, the “Father of Japanese Archaeology,” in reference to the similarity of the European Alps – only we average more snow.

It’s not always about the powder here in Japan. Sometimes you just want to test yourself on some of the long perfectly groomed runs that weave their way down the mountains here throughout the valley. First lifts are always best in my opinion. I am after first tracks on either powder or corduroy.  An early finish for a lazy onsen is my favourite way to enjoy the Japanese ski fields.

When I receive emails such as below it makes me feel good to know that we are giving our guests a holiday to remember. Skiing is a sport that keeps families holidaying together forever. The love of the mountains envelops all age groups and it is a joy to see even 3 generations coming to our hotel and enjoying a snow holiday together.
Hi Tony
I have to email you to Thank You & your team for the wonderful time our family enjoyed at the White Horse Hotel recently.
We had fantastic snow & ideal conditions but more importantly you & the team made our holiday one to remember.
It would be hard to find a better destination for the family. From your phone call to me in Australia to the last hour being transported  by Clint to the bus stop we had amazing service.
You run a well-oiled operation, from Gucci , Cocco , Clint , Tara & Glenn in the kitchen.
Please pass on our sincere thanks to your team. We would love to visit again.
We hope that you can make it later in the year & we look forward to your visit to the Sunshine Coast.
All the best to you & your family for the new baby in May.
Craig & Sandra
Josh, Tara & Lachlan

Where do Singapore pilots fly to on their holidays? Hakuba of course. This week we have had the pleasure to accommodate 10% of the Tiger Airways pilots at the hotel. A great bunch of people from all parts of the globe. They kept us entertained at the bar every second night alternating huge nights out with quiet ones in. Thanks for coming guys. I look forward to catching up with you in Club Street one of these days.

I had some good friends visit me from Australia this week. The McCann’s from Queensland came over after hearing all of the hype about the snow here in Japan. I am constantly impressed with how the younger generation are when they come and stay at the hotel with their parents. The McCann kids were no exception. Good manners and the ability to carry on a conversation with adults and their willingness to try new things. Tonight we all went out to one of my favourite restaurants where we tucked into a range of local delights including basashi toro which is a fine grade of raw horse meat.  The kids loved it although they were not too sure about telling some of their horse riding friends back home.

A bit of a tweak of the knee saw Aoife from Ireland off the slopes for a couple of days while the rest of the group hit the mountains. I like to make sure all our guests have a great time regardless of whether or not they are on the snow. Today I took Aoife (pronounced Ef-fa) to a sushi restaurant for lunch and then we went off to a beautiful onsen which looks out over the mountain range. On the way back to the hotel we stopped off at the Olympic ski jump where they were holding a local  event off the small jump.  I really enjoy getting to know our guests from all around the world and hearing some of their life experiences.  Thanks for a great afternoon.

I don’t tweak my photos on photoshop and play around with contrasts and colours. My policy is to take a heap of shots and hope that one of them will come out ok. I was amazed by the colour of the sky against the white of the new snow on the Arctic White Horse Hotel this morning. Note how loaded the trees are. Once again be careful where you walk. It is not so bad with the fresh snow falling on you though.

Master Braster is a great little bar in the center of Echoland. They have a huge range of beers from around the world. One year I was determined to try them all over a number of nights however I discovered some of those Belgium beers are pretty potent and I waivered that challenge for another time. Maybe in the warmer months when things are not so hectic. Let me know how you go with the beers.

There is a new Cafe in Hakuba called “Sounds Like Cafe”. It is a great place positioned in the middle of Echoland and already has a great reputation for good coffee and the pastrami foccacia is absolutely delicious. Another good thing is that it opens at 6am for those wanting an early breakfast and a place to chill out before hitting the slopes. The Arctic White Horse Hotel around the corner will also cater for those wanting a big bacon and eggs  brekky and is open daily at 7am.

The road sides here in Hakuba just keep growing. For those that have been to the White Horse before you may not recognise the street scape as the snow just keeps building up on the edges hiding any features that you may be familiar with. At this stage the walls are getting so large that it is difficult pulling out anywhere and it is best to go slow and steady when driving. Also when walking around please take care and stay aware of cars from behind. It is not a good mix to have people and cars together on icy roads.

More wildlife for Hakuba. We get some kiji (wild pheasants) in the area that certainly stand out in the snowy landscape. They turn up in the strangest areas  around the township.

A good drying room is imperative at any ski hotel you stay at in the world. It needs to be warm dry and odourless. I have stayed at some places with a stink that would outlast religion. I think we have a good room with just enough space to cater for all our guests skis, boards and gear.

Corona day every Saturday at the Nakiyama base area of Happo One.  What better way to spend Saturday afternoon than at the Bankok -ya restaurant after a hard day on the slopes sipping a corona or 2 and tucking in to a bowl of thai curry. Starts at 2 pm.

Still plenty of powder around today. The thing with Hakuba is if you are prepared to look you will find it most days of the season. If you are heading out of bounds make sure you are educated in avalanche awareness and have the equipment too.

Hamish and Andy are a couple of famous Australian personalities who were in Hakuba and decided to hang out at the Echobeach Bar in Echoland this evening. The bar opened this year and has already built a reputation for being a great place for apres ski. Make sure you get down there and tell the bar girls Tony sent you for a free Sake.

How cute is this kid being dragged around in a box at a restaurant at Iwatake Ski Resort in Hakuba.

I live in Hakuba for the powder but for some people it is all about the blue bird days. The great thing about Hakuba is that we get these huge dumps of snow and then we usually get some clear days to enjoy the magnificent vistas here. It is a place that will suit everyone. Check out some accommodation options here.

We have a lot of guests who drive up from Tokyo for their ski trip. They are happy to park their car for the week and have us drive them around in our free shuttle service which takes them to all of the nine resort areas in Hakuba. We always remind our guests that they should have snow tyres or chains as it may snow while they are here. We are happy to help our guests dig their cars out and we order the dozer to come around on the big dumps. A Navi is a good idea also in Japan.

We get a mixed bag of injuries come through the hotel but thankfully nothing too serious. Today I was asked to operate on a sprained finger that just happened to have a wedding ring on it. The swelling was quite pronounced and throbbing so the guest asked me for a pair of wire cutters and then asked me to cut the ring off. No small task considering there was no room for error. Well I did the job and then remembered we actually had a doctor staying with us who had a look at the finger and suggested to tape 2 together for the days skiing. We have a lot of doctors staying with us at the White Horse which has come in handy over the years. Disaster averted and another great powder day for Petri.

Another awesome powder day and I was able to share some time on the mountain with some of our guests. The Finnish family along with sole traveller Vic and I were all up on the first lifts. There was another foot of fresh on top of what had fallen the previous days. My time to get on the mountain is usually first thing in the morning. Fresh tracks in powder or on the groomers is the best for me and it is always great to be able to share that time with new friends. I took Vic to some of my secret spots and allowed him to drop into my favourite bowl for first tracks.  He was pretty happy.

The Monkey Onsen is a great side trip to do on a lay day in Hakuba. There are organised tours available however it is quite easy to arrange for yourself and a lot cheaper.  We will drop you off at the bus station in the morning for a trip into Nagano. There is a train to Yudanaka on the opposite side of the station. If you get a little disorientated you can talk to the people at the information center. If you purchase the cheapest ticket you can use the fare adjustment machine at the other end. Once you get to Yudanaka you will see the taxi service which will take you to the trail that leads to the snow monkeys.  Come and have a chat to me at the hotel for some extra tips.

Greeting all to the New Year. 2010 – where does the time go. Well what better way to see in the new year than to have more snow falling and to get out on the mountain. We have a family from Finland staying with us and one of the sons is a Finnish junior freestyle champion. The whole family were very competant skiers and all said that they had never seen so much snow. Another group of converts to the Hakuba powder machine. It was great getting out on the mountain with them and watching them rip it up.