One of the joys of freeriding is skiing over a variety of terrain. Natural terrain, or terrain left untouched by nature, is a favorite playground for freeriders.
Streams, forests, jumps, mash, logs, banks, swells, waves, walls beside the course... What kind of line should you ski? What kind of fun can you have? We introduce ski resorts with a wealth of terrain that will inspire you.
A place to enjoy the natural terrain
Research with a broad perspective
To enjoy natural terrain, you need to start by looking for changes in the terrain. Start researching while you're on the lift. Look down at the course and look around for undulations, walls, slopes, gaps, and other things to see what's out there.
The important thing when riding is to maintain a wide field of vision. Looking up will give you a more stable feel and make it easier to find the terrain.
Predict and visualize the line
Look at the whole picture and first imagine the line you will ski on from the entrance to the exit. By gaining speed efficiently, you can enjoy the G-forces that only 3D terrain can offer.
As this is untouched natural terrain, the slopes are often full of variations. The basic mindset is to always anticipate changes and move accordingly.
Try all the lines
Depending on the situation, I want to try all kinds of lines, including the angle of entry, the arc of the turn, carving, sliding, speed, etc. If I make a deep carving turn, I can hit the apex, and it's also good to try flying a little on the lip.
[Hokkaido] Niseko Moiwa:
A BC-like natural landscape hidden in the forest
You can ski all through the forest within the ski resort area, which is a treasure trove of natural terrain just like the backcountry. "Moiwa Back Bowl" is a famous spot that is well-known among Hokkaido's favorite freeride enthusiasts. With natural pipes, mashes, logs, and jumps, it's truly a natural park. You can enjoy it over and over again by using the lifts, so the satisfaction is incredible
Although the mountain is compact, Moiwa is packed with terrain changes, making it fun no matter where you ski or how you ski. It's a mountain that will blow your mind with the joy of playing in natural terrain. And yet, the snow is the world-renowned JAPOW's finest powder. Moiwa receives particularly heavy snowfall in the Niseko area, making deep powder rides a reality. It's a field that's truly like a dream
■Course Map
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| Top elevation : 839m | The longest run is 2,200m | Elevation difference: 400m | maximum slope 35° |
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8 courses | 3 lifts | Gondola - Unit | Ropeway - Book |
◆Official website: https://niseko-moiwa.jp/ja/
[Hokkaido] Rusutsu Resort:
A treasure trove of terrain play
Mount Yotei blocks the humidity flowing in from the Sea of Japan, allowing Rusutsu Resort to receive exceptionally dry powder snow intermittently from December to February. The faces are reset with fresh snow almost every day, and the powder hit rate is high. What's more, what makes Rusutsu so appealing is its beautiful forests and rich natural terrain
Rusutsu Resort has a variety of terrain and beautiful broadleaf forests that delights overseas freeski movie crews. Areas with good snow in Europe and the US are often open runs due to their high altitudes. It's rare to find an environment like this, with faces covered in superb powder in a broadleaf forest, abundant natural terrain, and plenty of playgrounds. Rusutsu's forests, full of natural charm, are a happy place where you can enjoy powder, tree runs, and a park all in one place.
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| Top elevation : 994m | The longest run is 3,500m | Elevation difference: 594m | maximum slope 30° |
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37 courses | 14 lifts | 4 gondolas | Ropeway - Book |
◆Official website: https://rusutsu.com/
[Hokkaido] Sapporo Teine
: A rare and abundant steep slope in Hokkaido
The women's giant slalom course, with its series of steep, winding slopes of over 30 degrees, is also famous, but for freeskiers, Teine is best known for its North Wall course. It features an ungroomed slope with a maximum gradient of 36 degrees, a tree run with varying terrain, and a long ride of 1,500 square meters. The excitement is endless. After snowfall, you can enjoy a "steep and deep" overhead ride in deep snow. It is such a challenging course that the official website states, "There is no turning back, so please refrain from riding if you are not confident."
Some say that all the courses are interesting, not just the north wall. It's packed with steep slopes over 30 degrees and valley terrain, which are rare in Hokkaido, and while the mountain itself is compact, you'll never get bored even if you ski all day. Home to the Miura Dolphins, the rich terrain that nurtured many famous skiers, including Daisuke Sasaki and Tsuyoshi Kodama, is still going strong today
■Course Map
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| Top elevation 1,023m | The longest run is 6,000m | Elevation difference 683m | maximum slope 38° |
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15 courses | 9 lifts | 1 gondola | Ropeway - Book |
◆Official website: https://sapporo-teine.com/snow/
[Nagano] Nozawa Onsen
Ski Resort's diverse and interesting terrain
Its skiable area is one of the largest for a single ski resort in Japan, with an elevation difference of a whopping 1,085m. Nozawa Onsen's appeal lies in its vast slopes, long runs, and abundant natural terrain. It is characterised by long runs on three ridges and large, steep runs, but the placement of the lifts is excellent, allowing skiers to smoothly flow into a variety of runs, and you can spin around on the lifts. The natural terrain found everywhere, including streams, between trees, and the gradual changes in the terrain beside the runs, is simply delightful. It's fun not only during the powder season, but also during the long spring season
A prime example is the special self-responsibility area on the Yamabiko slope. This area receives high-quality snow and has a large amount of snow throughout the season. The undulating terrain creates swells that make it feel like a natural half-pipe, with plenty of spots for you to fly. There is also a section where you can ski over the undulating terrain like in a banked slalom
As long as you don't go under any ropes or nets, you'll always be able to return to the course no matter where you ski, so it's a place you'll never get bored of skiing down the lifts. However, this is a "self-responsibility area," so the ski resort is not responsible if you get injured by hitting a standing tree or a support pole for the lift. It is open to the public on this premise
■Course Map
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| Top altitude 1,650m | Longest run: 10,000m | Altitude difference 1085m | maximum slope 39° |
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44 courses | 19 lifts | 2 gondolas | Ropeway - Book |
◆Official website: http://www.nozawaski.com/winter/
[Nagano] Hakuba Iwatake:
A treasure trove of natural landscapes secretly loved by Hakuba locals
Although Iwatake is a relatively low-key ski resort in Hakuba, where many big ski slopes are located, its greatest appeal is its slope design that preserves the natural beauty of the terrain. This is the topographical paradise that locals treasure in Hakuba Valley
Iwatake's gondola is filled with skiing points along its entire length, and it's a treasure trove of natural terrain, including VIEWA, with its succession of gigantic banks, HIKAGE, the Sawa course, and DANGAN, with a maximum slope of about 30 degrees. Large bowls, undulating ridges, and streams are ungroomed, and after fresh snow falls, they become the best powder areas. The number of ungroomed courses has been increasing year by year, and currently stands at seven. What's great about Iwatake is that you can ski these courses using the gondola
■Course Map
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| Top elevation 1,289m | The longest run is 3,800m | Elevation difference: 539m | maximum slope 35° |
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26 courses | 12 lifts | 1 gondola | Ropeway - Book |
◆Official website: https://iwatake-mountain-resort.com/winter
[Nagano] Happo-one:
Japan's most dynamic skiing experience and wall heaven
With an elevation difference of 1,071m, it's one of the highest in Japan. There are five main lines leading down from the top of the slope. Each features a continuous, continuous slope with a succession of medium and steep slopes, with few undulating sections. No matter how much you ski, there's always more challenging slopes ahead. The dynamic feel of the skiing is undoubtedly unparalleled in Japan.
While the mogul slopes of Usagidaira have made Happo particularly famous, the sheer variety of slope directions and undulations also adds to its appeal. The long, detour courses at Panorama Yoko and Riesen are banked and wall-to-wall. Riesen boasts an elevation difference of 800m, and the wide, long course offers a 3,000m long ride despite the varied terrain. Olympic Course I is Happo's signature course, remaining almost entirely natural, thanks to the fact that no alterations were made to the course except for cutting down trees.
Renowned by local Hakuba professionals as a "paradise for playing with terrain," this ski resort never gets boring no matter where you ski or how you ski
■Course Map
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| Top elevation : 1,831m | The longest run is 8,000m | Elevation difference : 1,071m | maximum slope 37° |
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16 courses | 20 lifts | 1 gondola | Ropeway - Book |
◆Official website: https://www.happo-one.jp/
[Nagano] Madarao
Kogen: Tree runs and a variety of natural terrain spots
Madarao Kogen is known for its course layout that makes the most of its undulating terrain. In particular, there are 12 varied tree run courses that allow you to slide through the trees, and the area is renowned for both the number and quality of the courses, making it the best tree run course in Japan
Madarao has been working on the forest within the ski resort area to increase the number of ungroomed runs every year. The scale of the ungroomed runs is now comparable to the number of groomed runs, and naturally, the terrain remains untouched, with plenty of natural hit points with a wide variety. It is an excellent environment for skiing on natural terrain
■Course Map
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| Top elevation : 1,346m | The longest run is 2,040m | Altitude difference 430m | maximum slope 37° |
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32 courses | 10 lifts | Gondola - Unit | Ropeway - Book |
◆Official website: http://www.madarao.jp/ski
[Gunma] Marunuma Kogen
Gondola: A paradise of banking, the size of a whole gondola ride
The Gunma area has several ski resorts where you can enjoy the natural terrain, but Marunuma Kogen stands out among them. What makes it so is the course design that allows you to "play while flowing." There are various types of walls that make use of the rich natural terrain, and with a gondola-length structure, it's a "paradise for skiers." Combined with the snow quality that changes daily, the walls are always in different conditions, so it's fresh and you never get bored. You can also spin the gondola around, so you'll be engrossed in playing with the terrain all day long
Among the courses, the one that is most highly praised by skiers is the 4km long course from the ropeway summit station to the base of the mountain. You can slide rhythmically along the natural terrain, hitting the walls on both sides. This 4km downhill course, where you can ride while floating and playing like flowing water, is the symbol of Marunuma, the kingdom of terrain play
■Course Map
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| Top altitude 2,000m | The longest run is 4,000m | Elevation difference: 600m | maximum slope 32° |
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12 courses | 7 lifts | 1 gondola | Ropeway - Book |
◆Official website: https://www.marunuma.jp/winter/
Other ski resorts with interesting terrain
| Hokkaido | Wassamu Higashiyama | Located roughly halfway between Asahikawa and Nayoro. With snow-compacting technology that exceeds that of local ski resorts, the course conditions are of the highest quality |
| Hokkaido | Niyama Plateau | A ski resort near Hakodate. If you hit the powder, you'll fly around in a big way |
| Hokkaido | Niseko Hanazono | Strawberry has multiple mashes and can fly continuously |
| Iwate | Hachimantai Shimokura | Although it is compact, there are many terrains that allow for endless ways to play depending on the skier's sense |
| Niigata | Seki Onsen | Where it falls, where it flies, where it hits, creativity is tested |
| Niigata | GALA Yuzawa | A 2.5km downhill course that opens in the afternoon. The terrain changes every time you ski, so you'll never get bored |
| Nagano | Yamaboku | Only two lifts are operating, but the natural terrain and ungroomed snow are a delight |
| Nagano | Ryuo Ski Park | A tight course with trees on both sides. The undulating terrain lets you fly! |
| Gifu | Takasu Snow Park | The Diamond Course is fun because the terrain changes dramatically depending on the snowfall |
