Skiing in Hakuba - Nagano

It's been 7 years since I was in a slope. And that slope was a pretty crappy one outside Beijing called "Nan shan". Time to see if I still got what I learned since I was 6 years old...

Always wondered what people mean when they talk about powder snow in Japan and that skiing here is amazing. Now I know! Skiing in Hakuba isn't cold at all and the slopes are fantastic. Weather during the day is about -3 degrees which is so much better than north of Finland and Norway. No need to freeze your feet and hands or look for a shelter to warm yourself with coffee / whiskey every hour. Hakuba is suuuper popular among foreigners, I've never seen so many white people in Japan before. It's nice that the Australians started all kinds of beer breweries here :)

There is a straight train from Shinjuku to Hakuba, takes about 4 hours. Leaves at 7:30 in the morning so it's an early wakeup but you still have time to hit the slopes after it. 

Floating house looking very Silent Hill-ish 

Some small town on the way, beautiful mountainous scenery most of the way to Nagano. City of winter olympics 1998! 

First day we arrived it was pouring down so no skiing....

Only thing we did first day was to rent skies

and have some nice beers at Hakuba brewery 

Second day was half sunny occasionally, pretty gorgeous view and not much people 

Up we go! 

and down! 

Third day and not a cloud in the sky!! Olympic ski jumping slopes from 1998. Wonder if Matti Nykänen jumped here :) 

 Just going out for a walk is gorgeous 

 Stayed at this place called Yamano hotel

 Third day was also a LOT more crowded than the first one...

 View from the top, it's a long way down! 

 Up we go again 

 Pictures don't do this view right. Nature is gorgeous!! 

 Hotel up in the slopes 

 Last set! 

Hakuba train station 

 

Goodbye Hakuba, see you next skiing season again!