I never imagined I'd be on the business side of 30 years old before I'd catch my first glimpse of snow but those first moments of seeing the tiny flakes fall from the frosty Japanese sky were nothing short of magical. Joining a group of friends on their ski trip to Hakuba, about 274km north-west of Tokyo, was an experience of a life time and for a first time skier and snow virgin, the trip was made even more wonderful, full of challenges and surprised.
The train ride out to Hakuba is nothing spectacular in the first hour other than witnessing the density of Tokyo’s outer suburbs. Snowcapped roofs dotted throughout a jungle of overhead electrical wires and the occasional bare tree. The further west we travelled, the snow on the ground increased. From Hachioji to Kofu, the terrain changes and starts to become more mountainous, almost instantly, like the city ends suddenly and then alpine wilderness takes over. Upon arrival at Hakuba Station, the snow was 'puking' down as we scrambled into our mini-bus bound for our chalet accommodation.
On day one, Blake and I walked down to get coffee in a can at the vending machine nearby before our first skiing lesson with our Japanese instructor. His English was ok but there were a few times where he'd say, "Please do it!" or "Please try!" and I couldn't help but get agitated with myself at how difficult skiing was at first, and with him giving us encouragement rather than direction. He was very polite but not entirely useful. Anyone who says to you that skiing is easy has forgotten what it was like when they first learned. Balance was hard to begin with but we improved over the first 2 hours. Turning and stopping also took a bit of practice but eventually we got there. Overall, not bad for our first attempt. The hardest part for me was getting back upright after I'd fallen. It requires core strength and sturdy legs otherwise you end up slip-sliding to the snow again. After a couple of crashes on the beginners' run (we'd been learning in the kids' area until this point) I had had enough and was aching in the my back. Blake continued on, taking him 10 minutes to get down about 50m of the slope - but he was persistent and improved as the days progressed. Tip: If you do decide to try skiing, invest in some exercise before you go - this sport uses muscles you never knew you had!
The Hakuba area is quite large, with picturesque views to be had no matter where you look. It has long been a popular skiing destination for Australians and played host to some of the events in the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics - the Ski Jump Stadium is still there, a monstrous structure built on the side of a mountain. The buildings adopt a very alpine feel and look beautiful at night with twinkling lights illuminating the crisp white snow that rests on rooftop archways and window sills. Hakuba's main districts (Echoland, Happo and Wadano) have plenty of bars and restaurants. The only real way to get around at night is by taxi, and it's a good idea to take plenty of cash with you as there's only one ATM in town.
NEED TO KNOW
SNUG - Alpine Condos Hakuba
Located in the Wadano area, we stayed in this large, self-contained 3-bedroom apartment within easy walking distance to shops, bars, cafes and the Sakka Ski area. There are two chalets, each easily sleeps 8 people and the upstairs chalet affords great views of the mountains and lifts. They have free wi-fi and heating in every room.
FEED - Traumerei
On our last night we treated ourselves to an 8-course French degustation dinner at Michelin star restaurant
Traumerei in Echoland. With full French service in a grand hotel owned and operated by one of Japan's top food and wine critics, every delicious course on the winter menu was ornately prepared and bursting with rich flavour. Book ahead for a table.
LOVE - The Penke Bar
This cosy bar in Wadano is the perfect little spot for an apres ski Asahi. It has a friendly, relaxed atmosphere and was packed with Aussies, but not the drunk 'day at the cricket' kind. There's local beers on tap and they're open late throughout the ski season. If your legs give in as early as mine did, Happy Hour is from 2-4pm.
LEAVE - The kids stuff alone!
There's not much I'd leave on this trip, apart from my pride at the top of the run. The weekends get very busy in the main eating spots and it can be hard to find somewhere to sit down. Make sure you have an English speaking ski instructor that can answer tricky questions like, "Can you explain that to me?". At times the language barrier can take some patience - especially when ordering a taxi over the phone - be persistence and polite and eventually someone will understand you. Better still - learn some Japanese before going!
Verdict: Love (of course) though I wish I'd had a bit more time to allow my body to recover for a few days and get back on the snow with my skis. Oh well, there's always next year!
Alpine Condos Hakuba. Wadano, Hakuba Mura, Nagano Pref. Japan 399-9301.
Penke Bar. Wadano, Hakuba Mura, Nagano Pref. Japan 399-9301.
