Iwatake's new gondola opens. Enjoy a 7-minute walk in the sky and enjoy 360-degree panoramic views

2024/12/20

A clear day without a cloud. The temperature in the morning dropped to around -10℃, making for perfect conditions.
On December 20, 2024, Hakuba Iwatake Mountain Resort began operating for the 24-25 season.

The highlight of the 24-25 season is, of course, the new gondola lift, which has been under construction since 2022.

Some people wait in line from early morning when the restaurant opens at 8 a.m. Unfortunately, the editorial department couldn't make it in time for the first flight, but a friend who got on board during the countdown received a special limited edition sticker.

Special stickers distributed in limited numbers to first-come-first-served customers

After 8:30, when the wave of passengers had subsided a little, the editorial staff also tried riding the gondola lift. From here on, let's mainly focus on photos.

The new gondola lift is located about 20 meters before the old Gondola Noah platform. The entrance is flat, instead of going up stairs like before. This was nice because going up the stairs after skiing non-stop from the top of the mountain can be a little tiring.

Next to the IC gate, children from Hakuba Kita Elementary School are collecting funds to repair the dilapidated jumping hill (there is a jumping hill inside the school!). After this, the children went up to the mountaintop area and raised their voices.

The gondola entrance and platform are flat and very easy to ride.

It has a seating capacity of 10 people, so it's spacious and comfortable. I'm 170cm tall and the space is high enough that I can stand up without touching my head.

Inside the gondola, all four sides except the floor are made of reinforced resin glass. Enjoy 360 degree views

The seat is elastic and extremely comfortable. A level of comfort compared to the hard seats of old gondolas

The new gondola lift runs almost parallel to the old gondola Noah, but it is an order of magnitude higher.

This season, you may even be able to see the path of the old gondola below.

The pillars of the old gondola lift can be seen in the middle of the slope. Previously, the ride ran through a valley, but the new gondola lift has a support line extending over the valley, and combined with the clear carrier design, you can truly enjoy the feeling of walking in the air. The part with the greatest height difference is about 90m.

Personally, my biggest surprise and joy was that the gondola operated quietly. The old gondola Noah is a type that you ride with your back facing each other. When I was riding in a group, there was a lot of vibration and sound every time the carrier passed the support, and only when the conversation got heated, I would pass the support and say, "Huh? What?" In addition, because the passengers sit back to back, they have to turn their bodies around while speaking, which made it difficult to hear voices, but that has now been resolved. happy!

Very quiet even when passing through pillars

The view of the Hakuba mountains from the track to the summit station is impressive. My eyes naturally turned to the left hand side, towards Happo/Hakuba Sanzan.

When you look at the carrier from the end, it is surprisingly compact, and it is clearer than expected.

The summit station is a flat passage just like the foot station.

You can access the slopes immediately after getting off.

The area around Sancho Station. From the left: the new gondola, the middle is the patrol hut, and the right is the old gondola, Noah's summit station.

The new gondola lift runs parallel to the old gondola, but because it is at a completely different height, the scenery seen from the course changes. It might be interesting to ski while looking for such unusual behavior.

Slide down Sunny Valley from the summit station, and enjoy the new gondola + spectacular views from the flat area along the way down to HIKAGE.

As we skied down from the top of the mountain, lines started forming again and it was starting to get crowded. On the day of the new gondola's unveiling, the weather was clear and the ski resort staff were happy to hear that there were more customers than expected.

By the way, the previous gondola took 8 minutes to reach the summit station, but the new gondola will run in 7 minutes, one minute shorter. When I measured it with my smartphone, it took 7 minutes and 33 seconds from the time the carrier started to pick up speed to the time it reached the summit station. Transport capacity is 2,460 people per hour. The lack of transportation capacity will also be resolved, and the long lines that used to form along the stairs should be reduced.

Gondola Noah has supported the ski resort for 38 years since 1986. The new gondola will take over and create a new history of Iwatake. Since Mt. Iwatake is popular all year round, there were many non-skiers who didn't wear any clothing and went up to the top of the mountain from the gondola. The arrival of the new gondola will further accelerate its popularity.

By the way...the old gondola was affectionately known as Noah. When I asked a ski resort representative whether the new gondola would also have a name, he said that it has not yet been determined. I feel like the name "New Gondola" will become popular, but what do you think?

Check out the movie summarizing Hakuba Iwatake Mountain Resort's efforts so far and the construction process leading up to the new gondola lift!

Information

Hakuba Iwatake Snowfield
12056 Hokujo, Hakuba Village, Kitaazumi District, Nagano Prefecture 399-9301
Official website: https://iwatake-mountain-resort.com/winter
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