Mountain Climbing Mecca Japan Still snow in Japan if you go high enough. Kamikochi is a Mecca for hikers and mountain lovers in Japan. Have been meaning to get there for a while and luckily managed to get there this week. With the Spring season in full swing it is the perfect time to visit. The valley floor is green and fresh mountain water runs deep through its veins. Above 1700m there is still plenty of snow so need to be prepared with crampons and mountain gear if venturing up high. Kamikochi is just over a 2 hour drive from Nozawa via Matsumoto. Public transport will take a fair bit longer and either way you need to take the Alpico […]
Lessons Nozawa Japan
Last Week Season Nozawa
Last Week Season Nozawa The Last week of the Ski Season in Nozawa Fun time to be in Nozawa at the moment, the streets starting to buzz with Golden Week guests. It has been constant but not flat out yet. However think tomorrow all that is going to change with most guest houses in town saying they are pretty full tomorrow night. Probably will be a few busy days then pretty quiet to see in the end of the season. It has been pretty cool too. In town is nice when the sun is out but at night has been Jacket weather for sure. Single digits up on the slopes too. These cold temps have helped to preserve the base […]
May Ski Nozawa Japan
May Ski Nozawa Japan Welcome to Nozawa Golden Week Beautiful start to the holidays today with plenty of sunshine in Nozawa, We even got a few centimetres of snow up top overnight. A good amount of people enjoying the outdoors up on the slopes and around town. Even a bit of a lift line up the top at Yamabiko, have not seen that for a while. All the lifts up top operational with the Skyline connector, Uenotaira and Paradise lifts also rolling today. The snow is naturally slushy and slow on the flats but there are pockets of fun to be enjoyed including the natural half pipes up top. May Ski Nozawa Japan Temps at a respectable 7 degrees above […]
Easter Ski Nozawa Japan
The Easter Bunny delivers in Nozawa Spring days as sweet as an Easter egg. Magic morning up on the slopes of Nozawa today. Temps dropped the last few days and we even got a dusting of snow yesterday with the resort reporting a few centimetres of fresh snow falling on the slopes. There was a bit of a queue for first lifts this morning with lots of eager ones lining up to experience the sunshine of this beautiful Sunday. Easter Ski Nozawa Japan The base sitting at 210cm this morning and we still managed to ski all the way top to bottom. Temps were fresh early but around 9 degrees now. Winds are very light which made for beautiful conditions […]
Easter Ski Holiday Japan
Easter Ski Holiday Japan No Aprils Fools in Nozawa Awesome April has begun and kicked off with a gorgeous day on the slopes yesterday. We had 5cm of fresh snow and temps were -5 degrees. With a 3 meter base and the trees doing their frozen broccoli thing it is hard to believe it is Spring time. This morning looking like a bit of a carbon copy but just a light dusting up top. Temps still at -5 Degrees and the sun is shining. Easter Ski Holiday Japan Doesn’t feel as busy as the last few weekends, peoples thoughts shifting to the Cherry Blossom season no doubt. But make no mistake the conditions are still beautiful in Nozawa if can […]
Japan Ski Cherry Blossoms
Japan Ski Cherry Blossoms Bang on 3 meters of base up top to round out March 2022 in Nozawa Will need to look at the record books, but that has to be a bit of a record for base at the end of March in Nozawa. This day last year we had only 185cm up at Yamabiko. At the base this season we have seen over 11 meters of snow fall and imagine is a lot higher number up top. The guys cutting the road at the bottom of Nagasaka Gondola the other day had a bigger job than usual this year. Japan Ski Cherry Blossoms Yesterday was a glorious sunny day on the slopes with plenty of sunshine but […]
Ramen Noodles Nozawa Onsen
Ramen Noodles Nozawa Onsen Who loves a good Ramen? The sun is out today in Nozawa and still nice and cold so should be a great quiet day on the slopes. Temps are -2 degrees up top and base is 340cm, hard to believe it is nearing the end of March. Yesterday was a beauty too with some fresh snow to be enjoyed early on from the day before and lots of sunshine. Today started foggy up top but clearing now. Love the spring time but will miss winter too. Nothing better than a cold night with a hot Onsen and a nice big bowl of Ramen. Matsuba no Yu the Onsen in this photo is a beauty too as […]
Special Events Nozawa Onsen
Special Events Nozawa Onsen Christmas Trees in March in Nozawa A bit of a return to Winter this morning in Nozawa Onsen. Just a dusting in the village but 8cm of fresh snow recorded up top and with the sub zero temps the trees are looking nice and white. Temps sitting at -3 degrees up top and base at 340cm. Pretty wintery for late March and nice to see Mother Nature chilling out in Spring,. The whole town is pumping too with the long weekend crowd. Probably as busy as any weekend during peak winter so great to see. Special Events Nozawa Onsen “Der Weisse Rausch” Top to bottom downhill race also took place yesterday with a great turn out […]
Ice Skating Nozawa Onsen
Ice Skating Nozawa Onsen A real Nozawa Ice bath – Would you take the plunge? As we said Spring has arrived but still nice and cool down at the lake. Looks like it is still partially frozen over but not sure I would be lacing up the ice skates. Would guess that water temp is just a few degrees above zero. Anyone keen for a dip? The good folk at Cosmic Sauna have set up next to nearby Lake Hokuryuko and you can enjoy a nice hot sauna then a refreshing ice bath afterwards. Very good for the body apparently. Ice Skating Nozawa Onsen Spring conditions continue on the slopes Temps sitting at 4 degrees up top and base at […]
Chair Lifts Nozawa Onsen
Chair Lifts Nozawa Onsen 4 Meters of base and free chairs all over the place. Another glorious sunny day on the slopes in Nozawa. Looking up hard to believe we didn’t see the blue sky much for the past couple of months. There were times when we thought it may never stop snowing. This is the longest run of sunshine we have had for a while now. Beautiful spring skiing to be had all over the resort. Temps have also swung in to spring mode with + 2 degrees up top and 9 degrees down the bottom. The snow is spring slush down low but still nice up top. The forecast suggesting more sunshine for Saturday and warming up a […]