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Lifts & Terrain

Niseko Ski and Snowboard Terrain Skiing and boarding at Niseko ski resort can be broadly summarised as “deep not steep”. The predominant feature is snow, snow, and more snow, and even the groomers can be covered in deep powder. Niseko has a variety of terrain for all ability levels from beginners up to advanced riders, and whilst there is minimal expert terrain, most experts will be happy just skiing in all the fresh powder.

The Niseko ski area (aka Niseko United) has four major zones or resorts which are interconnected via lifts at the top of the mountain. The An’nupuri area has great groomed runs but also provides off-piste and tree skiing. The Niseko Village Ski Resort (formerly Higashiyama area) with the distinctive Hilton Niseko Village Hotel at the base (formerly the Higashiyama Prince hotel), is largely a beginner and intermediate area. Hirafu has something to offer everyone, whilst Hanazonzo is probably more suited to tree skiers as the groomed runs here do not offer much variety. The two latter areas are sometimes collectively referred to as “Niseko Grand Hirafu”. Whilst all the names may confuse you, the only important thing to know is that the whole ski area is huge!

The only negative aspect to the ski area, which you may also find at other Japanese resorts, is the annoying music and announcements that disturb the tranquility. You’ll be keen to ski in the trees and out-of-bounds just to get away from the noise.

Niseko Skiing Off-Piste, Out-of-Bounds and Avalanche Risk A huge plus for Niseko is that skiing and boarding off-piste and in the trees is permitted, so long as you enter through the appropriate gates. Nevertheless you might find signs in these areas such as “ski here and you will die”. Whilst there is some risk associated with skiing off-piste, obviously some of the message gets lost in translation! Backcountry skiing is also permitted but only when the gates are open. Have respect for the patrollers who are pretty lenient. When the gates are closed, it’s for a good reason.

Considering the abundant snowfall, the occurrence of avalanches is not as common as you’d think, particularly in the height of winter. With constant sub-zero temperatures and minimal sun, the formation of unstable layers is lessened. The maritime-like snowpack and the snow crystals that typically fall during winter also make the snowpack reasonably stable. However avalanches still can and do happen, and appropriate caution should be exercised. There are commonly big cracks in the snow that need to be avoided, not only because of the associated avalanche risk, but also because it may take you half an hour to climb your way out!

The patrollers do not actively control for avalanches with blasting or other techniques. They only monitor the risk and close runs as necessary. This is somewhat frustrating as sometimes major piste areas such as the Super course may be closed for long periods of time.

With the increasing popularity of Niseko, the likelihood of finding freshies at lunchtime in the obvious off-piste areas has lessened somewhat over the years. However if you can’t find fresh tracks, you’re just not looking hard enough.

Lifts Niseko has many lifts including gondolas in Hirafu, An’nupuri and Niseko Village (formerly Higashiyama). These gondolas are an absolute godsend on bad-weather days, and the hooded chairs are also well appreciated. There are no surface tows, although there are a few slow single chair lifts which work well in the sometimes windy conditions. These are affectionately known as the suicide chairs considering there are no safety bars. However if the weather is particularly foul, even these lifts need to close. Once these top lifts are closed, access between Hirafu and An’nupuri is only possible via shuttle bus (or taxi).

Many of the gondolas and hooded lifts are also open for night skiing. Unlike other ski resorts where night skiing is just for the kids and beginners, at Niseko the evenings are for powderhounds. The area that is lit up is so extensive that it’s possible to ski the Miharashi trees and other advanced areas, and sometimes the visibility is actually better at night time than during the day. After a little après, it can be incredibly peaceful and surreal bouncing around in the fresh powder under the lights. Be sure to wear a helmet!

Lift Tickets The four major zones of Niseko are accessible off the one electronic lift ticket. Most visitors have lift tickets included in their holiday package, but otherwise lift tickets can be purchased in an array of configurations. A one day ticket in the regular season costs ¥5,500 for an adult, ¥4,100 for ages 13-15, and ¥ 3,300 for children 7-12 (2009 rates – convert currency here). This includes night skiing. There is also an 8 hour ticket which will suit many people. Rather than set time frames, this ticket starts from the time you pass through the first gate. A ¥1,000 yen deposit is required for the electronic ticket which is refunded via machines.

Moiwa has separate lift tickets. A day ticket is quite expensive considering the relatively small terrain size, but they have single ride tickets for ¥350. You can sample the ski area to determine whether it’s worthwhile making the extra investment.

Niseko Snow and Weather  Whatever the definition of “champagne powder” is, the powder at Niseko is even better. Even though it’s near the coast, the powder is incredibly light and dry. It falls in great volumes and is up there as the best powder in the world. It gives Utah a run for its money! No one can really agree on the average annual snowfall as there’s too much of it to keep track, but it’s about 15-16 metres a season.

The Siberian weather patterns that bring the fabulous snow also create the wind and the cold, so Niseko is often very, very chilly. Even with gondolas, hooded chairs and plenty of trees for protection, this is a place where you may need warm clothes, a neck warmer, face protection, and a hat or headband under your helmet. It’s unlikely you’ll get much of a chance to use your sunglasses, and you won’t see the great view of Mount Yotei very often, so take a photo opportunity when you can.

For the Beginner For beginners, there are beautifully groomed slopes at the base of each of the ski areas. All four areas have slopes for the novice as well as runs for the next progression. The beginners’ areas are well populated with large groups of Japanese taking ski lessons. It’s quite bizarre to watch these groups with their identical outfits. The only item differentiating them is a numbered bib.

Intermediate Ski and Board Terrain Niseko is paradise for the intermediate skier or snowboarder. With long groomers and fantastic fall-line, there’s plenty to choose from. The challenge for intermediates that are not used to powder is that sometimes the powder is knee-deep on the groomed runs. This takes a little practice if you’re used to skiing ice or hard-packed snow underfoot, but it’s a great opportunity to learn to powder ski in relatively easy conditions.

For the Family / Kids Niseko is very well suited to families considering the variety of terrain and the available areas for beginners. There is child minding available through Hirafu Kids and also through ground tour operators. There are two ski schools that offer ski and board lessons in English for both adults and children.

For The Shredder There is plenty of natural freestyle terrain in the off-piste areas amongst the trees, but there are also three terrain parks offering rails, spines and table-tops, and there’s a half-pipe close to the Hirafu gondola.

Advanced and Expert Skiing and Snowboarding There are no super steep on-piste runs at Niseko, although there are some relatively steep runs at the Alpen Super Course and under the Hirafu gondola. There are also some ungroomed bumps runs, but considering it snows so much, the bumps don’t have much of a chance to properly form.

Most advanced and expert riders stay off the piste and play in the powder.

For the Powderhound Off-piste skiing is permitted in Niseko which makes it a wonderful haven for all powderhounds. In most off-piste areas, there are only small drop-offs so it’s a place where you can easily improve your confidence.

There are many non-secret powder stashes including the Miharashi trees at the top of the gondola, the tight trees in Blueberry Fields (left of Hanazono no.1 lift) and the more widely spaced trees in Strawberry Fields (right of Hanazono no. 1 lift). Take care in Strawberry Fields as we managed to catch the love bug in this area! The Peak walk which isn’t always open, is a 20 minute hike from the top of the no. 4 King lift and will provide you with an awesome kilometre of vertical if you ski it down to the golf course.

There are some amazing out-of-bounds areas which are easily accessed with minimal or no hiking, and with easy exits back to lifts. The An’nupuri bowls are an example of this and provide great open and tree skiing terrain. With a little investigating, you’re likely to find your own secret stashes where you can get away from the crowds and enjoy more freshies. As for the location of our secret powder stashes – well obviously they’re a secret!