 Poster: A snowHead
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I'm thinking of going skiing in Niseko for 5-7 days in the 1st week of February 2008 (Chinese NY).
Has anyone here been skiing there before and can comment and/or make suggestions regarding Niseko?
I'm a lower-intermedate level skier. Will Niseko have enough to keep me entertained for 5-7 days.
All of skiing has been done in Australia & New Zealand, to put my experience in perspective, and I live in Hong Kong, which makes the proximity of Japan quite appealing.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Welcome.
Japan has the best skiing in Asia.
And the deepest snow.
Niseko has plenty to keep you amused for a week.
Do it.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Hirafu is like Bethlehem that week - no room at the inn.
If you can find accommodation you won't regret it.
Great start to the winter.
Over 3m at village level (300m). MUCH more on the hill.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Thanks for the quick feedback guys!
Mike, is it the whole of Niseko that gets booked out at that time of year or just the Grand Hirafu?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I have booked a week in March in Grand Hirafu, staying in Hotel Alpen.
The flight is by Hong Kong Cathay Pacific arriving 15:10 airport CTS, which I take it is the New Chitose Airport. The last bus to Niseko Hirafu departs at 16:30. Will I have enough time to collect the luggage and catch this bus? May be I worry too much but getting on the right bus can be challenging as the destination could be in Japanese.
There seems to be about 4 different areas of Niseko in which Grand Hirafu is just one of them. I presume I could buy a ski pass to cover all the area.
Can Welsh Mike give us an idea how large the resort, in term of km piste or does it measured like the American resorts in area or none at all?
Is it advisable to bring our own skis? We have to stay in HK afterward for a couple of weeks and thinking carrying only the boots for this trip.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Ordinary_Skiier,
I don't know how long you have been in Hong Kong for but in my experience virtually everything in East Asia including flights gets very booked up during Chinese New Year. Hong Kong itself being an exception which everyone leaves.
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saikee,
If you can read Chinese you will be able to understand enough of the Japanese writing to find your way around. You can get a ski pass for all areas.
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I skied in Niseko in 2000. At the time, what is now called 'Grand Hirafu' was called 'Very Very Hirafu'. Gotta love those Japanese marketing folks ...
Anyhow, when I was there you could buy a lift pass to cover all the Niseko terrain - there is a shuttle bus between base lifts.
Great snow, great people, great food. Go. But wrap up warm. My last day there the thermometer at the top of the hill was reading -17 celsius, not including the wind chill. Brrr. Still, had a great day despite getting up close and personal with a birch tree.
Re: ski hire, there was a reasonable selection 7 years ago, so I would guess better now. Don't forget, skiing is HUGE in Japan, it's just that it isn't really on our radar in Europe, so the support businesses for the industry are well established.
Make sure you try some of the local hot baths (onsen). Sitting outside in boiling water with snow falling on your head is pretty unforgettable.
Look forward to hearing how your trip went in a few months time!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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T Bar's right about HK. Since everyone leaves HK during Chinese NY, flights can get tight. You better get cracking on the flight ticket. Definitely before X'mas.
I got around ok speaking only English. I tried a bit of Japanese and found it useless. Japanese tend to answer in long sentances instead of a simply yes/no (in Japanese) supplemented with hand signals.  Fortunately, there're more Japanese speaking English better than my limited Japanese.
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My Japanese is dreadful. However, I can offer this extremely useful phrase:
Biru o futats' ku desai
That's "2 beers please", or so I am led to believe.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Ordinary_Skiier, welcome to snowHeads 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Hey thanks Elizabeth B!
Well I've defintely left it too late to go in February, but there seem to be bookings available in early to mid-March. Is it still worth going in March or is it too late in the season to get good snow?
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Fly out to Niseko next Monday.
How's the condition? Think we may have SH with ears close to the ground there.
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You know it makes sense.
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Spring conditions for the past 4 days.
Light snow forecast on Monday night and Thursday. But that could change in a matter of hours.
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