Able Hakuba Goryu Ski Resort opened on Saturday, November 30th. The North Face/Genten Stick Rider and Hakuba resident Kazushige Fujita reports on the first day, which was blessed with more snow than expected
November 30th (Saturday) 8:00 AM -2°C Snow accumulation on the summit was 50cm overnight and 2-3cm during the day
Hakuba Goryu opened on November 30th last year. This year, it seemed unlikely that it would open in November. But that feeling was blown away overnight.
"Hey, isn't it opening tomorrow?"
When people woke up on the morning of the 29th, they were all greeted by a winter landscape. With about 20cm of snow piled up on top of the cars, and the snow continuing to fall steadily, surely everyone in Hakuba village thought the same thing.
With that in mind, information about ski resorts around Hakuba began to pour in. Those working at the ski resorts must have been overwhelmed with the constant influx of inquiries.
Then, on the afternoon of the 29th, the three ski resorts of Goryu, Happo, and Tsugaike announced that they would open on the 30th. Hakuba suddenly became bustling with activity, as if the excitement of just a few days earlier had never existed. In Hakuba, the ski resorts compete to see which one will open first, and this year Tsugaike emerged victorious.
Tsugaike opened at 8am, Goryu at 10am, and Happo at 11am. Some hardcore skiers even hopped between the resorts to ski at all of them. And
so, just like last year, the Hakuba area successfully opened on the last day of November.
On the opening day, every ski resort was packed with people who seemed to have been eagerly awaiting the opening, creating a lively atmosphere.
Snow, then a blast, then snow. I was awakened by the snow that had fallen, about 50cm deep
At Hakuba Goryu, the Panorama Course on the Alpsdaira slope, accessible by gondola, has opened. This is an annual tradition, and more courses will gradually open from here as snowfall progresses. Incidentally,
on December 1st, the second day of the season, one course of Hakuba47, which connects to the upper slopes, will also open.
Another fun and friendly feature of Goryu is their regular "free curry" event held on the first weekend of opening. At the gondola-top restaurant "Alps360," you can enjoy unlimited free refills of curry.
"Lunch is curry at Goryu,"
is a common sentiment among Hakuba Valley season pass holders, who often travel from the neighboring ski resorts just to enjoy it.
The line for the gondola started to grow as we approached 10 o'clock. There were fewer people than I expected, around 200. This is probably because Happo and Tsugaike are also open. People were excited by the snow, which was knee-deep even down below. Conversation flowed easily as people reunited after a long time, and the time spent waiting for the gondola passed in a flash. Especially at this time of year, there are many locals and enthusiasts, and you can really feel the strong sense of community. It's a moment when you feel that snow is supporting the region.
Incidentally, the person at the front of the line had apparently been waiting since 5:30 in the morning. That person was also at the front last year, so they must be a serious enthusiast.
At the end of the gondola ride, we found soft powder snow, a stark contrast to the wet snow below. The snow, which even our boards could glide over, instantly got us excited. The Panorama Course had packed snow covering about 40m in the middle, which is about half the width of the course, and the untouched areas to the side were covered in about 80cm of powder. Everyone hurried to catch the next lift
However, just as we safely boarded the lift, trouble struck. I
was so excited that I didn't notice, or rather, I was just pretending not to notice, but the lift stopped due to strong winds that blew in from time to time, and when I looked back, there was a long line of people waiting for the lift.
I made it to the top, almost having my board blown away,
"We'll be closed for a while! (tears)"
Everyone was like, "What?!" but it wasn't anyone's fault, and it wasn't so bad to feel the power of nature. That's all we could think.
Still, we could get in one run! So we changed our mindset and started riding.
"Ah! This feels great!" we high-fived each other.
Everyone is excited, saying "This is it!" as they experience this feeling for the first time in six months.
And because they're so excited, they don't seem to mind the suspension of service. On the contrary, they're chatting and seem to be having a great time.
Everyone ate curry, hiked up, and skied. Hiking up is usually prohibited, but on this particular day, even the patrols couldn't stop them. The sight of over 100 people hiking up and having fun was overflowing with everyone's love for the sport
Afterwards, the wind died down around 1pm and operations resumed. Some people had left because they couldn't wait any longer, so everyone enjoyed a comfortable ride.
Despite some natural troubles, Hakuba Goryu was filled with smiles from beginning to end. Today signaled the start of the long winter, which will last until Golden Week.
Opening Movie
■Information
Able Hakuba Goryu Ski Resort
22184-10 Kamishiro, Hakuba Village, Kitaazumi District, Nagano Prefecture 399-9211
Official Website:https://www.hakubaescal.com/winter/
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