White stuff falling from the sky...

November 19th

Wet, cold weekend but that means snow up high....

White appearing on the mountains around the lodge and things looking good up at Tenjin.

Hopefully can ride Kagura from Friday...

Pre-season ski training

The snow is falling and we're getting excited. Bit early to be dusting off the gear yet but we are getting some dry land practice in. We're currently playing around with the Sweetspot Ski Trainer. It is a balance trainer that slips on over your ski boots and promises to help you find that elusive centered balance that is so important on skis.

It's challenging though really good fun, and we can definitely see that mastering this would pay dividends when we are out on the slopes. Wearing ski boots in the office is a bit weird though.

Can't help but think that geta, the Japanese traditional footwear, were just waiting for the invention of skiing...

If you want to get a head start on your form this season we'd definitely recommend jumping on a pair of these. Head on over to the Sweetspot Ski Trainer site for more info (and there is also an awesome free ebook on ski technique if you are look for some pre-snow reading.

+ Ariticle in the UK Telegraph

Snow down low

We've had a few dustings up high recently and last night we even had a bit of snow outside the lodge. A good few centimetres up at Tenjin and Houdaigi too.

Houdaigi is still aiming for a December 15th start to the season and Tenjin are saying mid December as well.

The Alpine Lodge opens on Friday 14th December this winter and we'll be ready to get those turns in early - care to join us?

JR Kanto Area Pass

Most people know about the great value of a JR East Pass which lets you travel on the trains and bullet trains around eastern Japan as much as you like for your chosen period. There is a lesser known sibling to this pass that lets you get up to this area as well as several other great tourist destinations - the JR Kanto Area Pass

The adult ticket is 8,000 yen for three days unlimited travel within the area. You can also pay a supplement if you plan to head further afield (e.g. up to Yuzawa costs an extra 1,000 yen). Usually the trip for the airport to Jomo-kogen one way costs more than this ticket, so it is great value, especially if you are trying to take see a lot in a short time.

If you are planning to come up here for a showshoe tour or a quick winter break, this might just be a good option.

Nozawa Onsen planning to open Dec 1st

It is all eyes to the skies at the moment as everyone waits for the snow. Nozawa Onsen are planning to open their slopes for the season on the first of December.

Our instructors will be available for ski lessons and snowboard lessons from day one, so drop us a line and get your booking in.

It is an awesome resort with some great slopes for beginners and plenty of terrain to challenge other levels, a good park and a half pipe. The town itself is really unique with lots of narrow, winding streets, some super-hot, free onsen and a very cool feel to it. We can put you in touch with some great accommodation options over there if you are interested.

Autumn Colors

As we get deeper into autumn the temperatures are getting cooler and the snow keeps dusting the local peaks. The autumn colors are getting really spectacular.

There are gangs of hikers roaming the trails and a steady stream of buses heading up to Tanigawadake Ropeway. Stunning time to be up in the mountains (though if you are agoraphobic caving might be more your thing.)

Snow up high

We woke this morning to a dusting of snow up on the local peaks again. Cold temperatures this week, especially over night and the snow is coming down to about 1000 meters. Far to early to get excited yet but even a little dusting of snow is good news.

We're still waiting for Tenjin to announce their opening date so at the moment Kagura is looking like the best bet for some early season turns when it opens on Friday 23rd November (which just happens to be the start of a 3 day weekend.)