Tour Resorts near Nozawa
Getting off the beaten track with a bit of Cow Farming.
Nagano Prefecture where Nozawa Onsen is located has the most ski resorts of any state in Japan with 85 in total. If you were to combine that with nearby Nigata Prefecture we have 130 resorts within easy striking distance and only a 2 hour train ride away from Tokyo to Iiyama to get to to the centre of it all.
Towards the end of the season when things start to slow down we often head off to check out some of the lesser known ski areas nearby. In March we jumped in the old Hiace and drove just over an hour to the unique little ski resort of Yamaboku Wild Snow Park. Had heard about this place for years from Tommy san that runs Tommy’s burgers in Nozawa and was always keen to check it out. It is a Cow Farm in the green season and used to be known as Yamada Bokujo or Meadow. As a result the Cheese Cake is amazing and worth the trip just for that!
Tour Resorts near Nozawa – Resort Stats
A few stats for the resort which feels like a club field in New Zealand
- Top Elevation is ; 1774m, Base 1500m giving 274m of Vertical – Feels like more!
- Number of lifts ; 3 – Two times Pairs and One single Pizza Box
- 30% Beginner, 40% Intermediate, 30% Advanced
- Number of Courses 16 with Steepest being 38 degrees
- Longest Course is 2800m but the Takochi Course is a massive 13km long!
- Lift Passes 3400 Yen weekdays and 3900 Yen weekends
Tour Resorts near Nozawa – Terrain
The resort has a fun and interesting mix of terrain. Lots is left ungroomed so on a powder day can be pretty awesome with very little competition for fresh tracks. Plenty of good groomers for beginners too.
On weekends they open the Takochi Course a back country course which is a massive 13km long the longest in Japan and a pretty cool experience. You ski off the top lift and then drop into the course. The views are magnificent and the top half has open powder sections which are great. It becomes a road towards the end but by the time you get there the legs need a rest anyway. Then they meet you in a bus near Yamada Onsen and drive you back to the resort.
Another bonus of the area is lots of great Onsens just nearby and also very uncrowded. We went to Shichimi Onsen just down the road and had the outside bath all to ourselves with beautiful views across the river.
Ski Tour from Nozawa Onsen
Who would be keen to check out Yamaboku Ski resort and other lesser known resorts in easy striking distance from Nozawa Onsen? We are thinking of running a few tours in March next year for any like minded people with a sense of adventure. Combing some days in Nozawa and a few days at other resorts with one of our knowledgeable local guides. If keen shoot us a mail to team@nozawaholidays.com and jump on the site to book some accommodation; https://www.nozawaholidays.com/properties/
Come and meet the friendly locals and experience some amazing snow, food and fun
