Ishiuchi Ski Resort Terrain

In its own right, the Ishiuchi Maruyama ski resort is reasonably large by Japanese standards, and of course its inter-connection with Gala Yuzawa and Yuzawa Kogen makes it a decent sized ski area. However the size of the Ishiuchi Ski Resort is somewhat dependent on the snow quality because the bottom elevation of the resort is only 256 metres, so some of the lower runs might be closed or undesirable.

The official trail stats of the Ishiuchi Ski Resort are 30% beginners, 40% intermediate and 30% advanced, but in reality it’s really only good for beginners and intermediates. However other than the complete novice trails, Ishiuchi Ski Resort can be a little challenging for international beginners because most of the lifts service both green and red runs, and the signage isn’t that obvious as to the degree of challenge you’re about to hit. On the plus side, there are various big wide trails where there’s less chance that beginners will crash into each other.

The supposed “advanced” runs won’t challenge most advanced riders, although there is a little designated tree skiing, plus off-piste and sidecountry skiing and riding. The steep tree skiing in the lower parts of the resort is only ideal when there is good snow.

Lifts

The lift layout isn’t a strength of Ishiuchi Ski Resort, which is probably a by-product of the way in which the ski areas grew and interconnected. Some of the lifts crisscross each other, you have to skate a bit to get between some lifts, and the lifts are all rather short so you have to catch multiple chairs just to get in a decent length run. On the plus side, some of the lifts operate in the evening, providing good night skiing 7 days a week.

The Sunrise Express is a chondola, which is a cross between a gondola and a 6-person chair lift. It’s a shame they didn’t extend it just 20 metres further up, so that it linked well with the other lifts. The chondola can develop queues on weekends, especially considering the many pedestrians that use the gondola cabins. The top quad lift also often has queues on weekends, and the staff are often inept at organising people to load 4 to a chair.

Lift Tickets

You can purchase lift passes for just Ichiuchi Maruyama, or for a handful more yen, you can purchase a tri-area ski pass to access all three resorts during the main season.

Ishiuchi Maruyama Snow and Weather

This is snow country where it dumps a lot. Many of the Yuzawa ski resorts receive about 11 metres of snow per season, and Ishiuchi is no exception. The slopes have a mostly north easterly orientation which aids the snow quality, but Ishiuchi doesn’t have elevation on its side which plays out when the temps are a little warmer than normal.

Some of the higher trails are very wide and treeless and the visibility can be difficult when the fog rolls in.