Nozawa's top 5 powder runs

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Ski & Snowboard

2017/11/20

Nozawa Onsen Snow Resort

Nagano

Nozawa Onsen Snow Resort is one of Japan's biggest and offers some of the country's highest-quality snow. You'll find up to 36 courses open across the vast snowfield that serve up countless ways to enjoy yourself. Don't miss the powder snow Nozawa is celebrated for. There are five powder courses you should keep an eye on for those perfect powder days.

Yamabiko Course

The Yamabiko Course, with its sprawling nature beautifully contrasting the world below, sits at the highest part of the ski resort 1,366-1,650m above sea level and offers the best snow on the mountain. Sometimes this area gets five meters of snow cover, with over a meter falling in a day. What it means for you is a high chance of the deep, soft powder snow that you and loads of other powder lovers have come all the way here for. The Yamabiko Course actually comprises five courses, A to E, with the longest run being 1,300m. On a clear day you'll have a fantastic view from the summit, overlooking the Sea of Japan.

Challenge Course: maximum angle is 39 degrees!

The 39-degree wall, the sharpest in Nozawa Onsen, is so steep that you can't see the middle part of the piste from the course entrance. On a powder day you can experience a fantastic powder ride, as if you're floating in the air! For serious powderhounds, the Challenge Course may be your best bet because there are fewer people here than in the summit area.

Ushikubi Course

Secretly popular runs for advanced skiers and snowboarders, because of the powder snow that accumulates on a snowy day, are the Ushikubi and Kurokura Courses that descend towards the Hikage piste. You can check out the Ushikubi Course from the Nagasaka Gondola Lift, and ski down it with a view of the Nozawa Onsen town below. It's steep - the maximum angle is 30 degrees, and the run's very narrow, making it one of the most advanced courses that's a test even for advanced skiers.

Kurokura Course

The Kurokura Course is an advanced forked course at the top of the Hikage piste that can be reached from the Mizunashi piste on the right side of the Ushikubi Course. The maximum angle is 37 degrees. It's pretty steep, giving you a floating sensation as you descend!

Skyline Course

Skyline is a long 3,500-m course for intermediate to advanced skiers, tracing down from the top of Mt. Kokenashi through a scenic ridge, to the foot of Nagasaka and Karasawa. The course is scattered with play walls and dips, and a steep, new-snow area at the bottom. The course has loads going for it with such variety of terrains. If you're not too focused on skiing, you'll marvel at the fantastic view of the five Hokushin mountains and the onsen town. Savor the best powder of Japan in Nozawa Onsen, full of courses that are sure to make any powderhound crave for more.

text : Kensuke Itahara