Hakkaisan Ski Resort

Gaijin visiting the Hakkaisan Ski Resort are most likely to be there for the amazing tree skiing and the consistently steep fall-line (except for the mellow part at the very bottom). Most of the locals go to Muikamachi Hakkaisan Ski Resort to hone their skills on the mogul runs, which max out at a gradient of 38 degrees. That’s of course if the runs are not closed due to glide cracks because the ski patrollers haven’t done any proper avalanche work!

Despite there being trails for beginners, very few novices visit Muikamachi Hakkaisan Ski Resort. Intermediates probably don’t go there either, considering the abundance of better suited Yuzawa ski resorts just down the road.

Lifts

The Hakkaisan Ropeway services almost the whole vertical of the ski area and thankfully it is rather fast with a speed of 7m/s. It arrives reasonably often and fits about 80 people, so lifting capacity is OK considering it’s a cable car, but it doesn’t have the lifting capacity of a gondola. A first tracks program is available on weekends, whereby you can access the Hakkaisan Ropeway 10 minutes before everyone else.

There is also a slow pair lift for those who want to lap the moguls (if they can be bothered opening it), and a slow double lift for those that want to do circuits of the bunny slopes, which thankfully has safety bars and foot rests. There is also another double chair in the middle and off to the side that’s also only open when they feel like it.

Hakkaisan Snow

There is generally plenty of Hakkaisan snow with an average of 10 metres of snow fall per season, however fresh is best. On a powder day the snow is generally awesome, but at times the Hakkaisan snow quality can be rather lacking. Whilst the top elevation at 1,147 metres is higher than some nearby Yuzawa ski resorts, it’s not really that high. The ropeway faces southwest and some of the slopes even face due south, so the snow can be left to bake in the sun. The poor aspect also contributes to a short ski season. Of course it’s all relative! The Hakkaisan snow is often good, it’s just generally not the awesome powder goodness that can be found in other parts of Japan, especially Hokkaido.

One of the positives about the aspect is that it’s tucked into a reasonably sheltered spot, and can be a good pick for stormy days when the wind has closed down lifts at nearby ski areas.

Hakkaisan Skiing for the Beginner

The double chair that leads up from the day lodge services a few green runs that are absolutely ideal for learning. The trails are wide open and there are no other runs in the area, so it’s not possible to accidentally head down a black run.

There’s also a beginner-rated trail that snakes its way down the top half of the ski area, but it’s really just a narrow cat track. It’s very long and should have the quads quivering by the time you get to the base.

Skiing Hakkaisan for the Intermediate

The Maekura trail is ideal for intermediates if the lookers' left chair is operating. The other red runs are really for strong intermediate riders only, because they may or may not be groomed, and a couple of them have a maximum gradient of 36 degrees. This is one of few Japanese ski resorts that actually under-rates the trail difficulty.

Terrain Park

In the beginner area is a supposed terrain park. It consists of a couple of short lines of hits for learners, that’s of course if they’ve got around to setting them up.

Advanced Skiing & Snowboarding – On-Piste

The two black trails at the top that run adjacent to the Hakkaisan Ropeway are generally heaven for mogul lovers. Japanese dudes from far and wide come to ride these moguls. They don’t quite have the same cult status of the Mary Jane Winter Park bumps, but the locals do seem to get pretty excited about them!

When the bumps get too big on the Champion Trail, they sometimes send out the groomer to flatten them out.

Off Piste Skiing and Riding

Let’s leave the moguls to the locals because fat skis and powder boards are designed to ride powder! Some off-piste areas are roped off and some are not, but either way, off-piste riding is not permitted. If you want to chase powder you’ll have to be discrete (ie invisible) and accept the risk of losing your pass.

The tree skiing is so much fun and there’s a mix of tree species and spacing between the trees to provide plenty of variety. The consistently steep-ish fall line is also a highlight. The trees near the black runs are superb (but a little obvious to ski patrollers’ eyes), and the trees between the green snaking run are also very enjoyable and probably the first slopes to get tracks.

For those new to tree skiing, the mid zone provides some nice trees.

Hakkaisan Sideccountry & Backcountry

Unlike other ski resorts that ban off-piste riding (inside the resort boundaries) but permit out-of-bounds riding (at your own risk), Hakkaisan also prohibits sidecountry and backcountry riding. This is probably because the ski patrollers are in bed with a local guiding company that takes big groups out into the sidecountry (and who wants to ride with a big group?!). There aren’t that many ski patrollers around to tell you off for going in there, but the guides who “tri” to “force” the issue may dob on you!

In some respects, it’s a good thing that Hakkaisan sidecountry skiing is discouraged, because it has lots of inherent risks. The terrain itself is extreme in places, the solar aspect increases the avalanche risks, and there are lots of terrain traps and consequential avalanche terrain. The rewards can be great, with steep well spaced trees and deep powder, so best to only head in there if you feel well placed to do so, and you don’t really mind if you lose your lift pass.

The sidecountry terrain to skiers’ right is rather impressive and includes a range of steep trees as well as some very rocky terrain in the form of cliffs and chutes. To avoid the big rocky areas, either stay really close to the resort boundary line, or head much further skiers’ right. Depending on the snow base you’ll need to navigate a big gully but otherwise egress is rather easy.

Hakkaisan sidecountry to skiers’ left is not as steep. You can play in the top third before a hard traverse in, or follow the drainage down to pop back in at the ropeway car park. Mid-way traverses cross too many steep gullies and creek lines.

As with any backcountry terrain, only go in there if you have avalanche safety gear and backcountry know-how and/or a guide.