Enjoy STEEP&DEEP Tree Run Powder | Another side of Yuzawa Nakazato, known as a family ski resort

Do you know the latest Yuzawa Nakazato?

Yuzawa Nakazato Snow Resort, located in Yuzawa Town, Niigata Prefecture, is a wide ski resort with 11 courses and six lifts.
The slopes are relatively gentle, and with a wide range of attractions for children and an expanded range of family-friendly measures such as kids' room service, it is known as a "family-friendly" ski resort.

Yes, that's certainly not wrong,
but I want to point out that this perception alone will lead you to a misunderstanding of this ski resort.
This is a ski resort that will satisfy those who enjoy skiing to the core, tree and powder lovers.

The steep tree run area is very popular with advanced skiers

Smile Resort, which manages and operates the entire ski resort, has focused on a vast, steep tree run area that, apart from the gentle slopes, was previously inaccessible.
On the mountain to the right of the ski resort, there was an untapped area large enough to be opened as a tree run area. This area was developed while essentially making use of the natural terrain and trees, and opened up as a tree run area.

---

On the map, this is the area around G and H on the right side. By opening this area, the skiable area will be even larger than before. Excluding dangerous areas such as under the overhead lift wires, the entire mountain is now skiable.
What's more, there is no special fee or application required to ski in the tree run area. All you need is a lift ticket.

The STEEP editorial team takes a look at this season's Yuzawa Nakazato!

The STEEP editorial team heard that "Yuzawa Nakazato is in fantastic condition right now." To see just how much fun it would have for tree and powder enthusiasts who pursue a true ski experience, we went to Yuzawa Nakazato in late January. Here are our evaluation points and evidence

Good Points 1. The density of the trees is varied and the rhythm changes are fun.

Good Point 2. A wide variety of slopes to choose from depending on your preferences

Good Point 3. There is a moderate slope that is steep and provides a good feeling of sliding.

Good Point 4. Stable conditions with constant snowfall

Good Point 5. The rugged and rich natural terrain makes it extremely interesting

The terrain among the trees is varied and undulating, and the snow piles up in different places depending on the wind. If you aim for the snowdrifts, you can enjoy an exquisite run

This drone footage gives a clear view of the tree run area

Check out the ungroomed courses where you can enjoy long runs

Yuzawa Nakazato's innovations don't stop at the tree run area.
They've also made improvements to the four steep slopes that already exist as ski slopes, turning them into ungroomed slopes.

All of the ungroomed runs are concentrated on the mountain to the right of the ski resort, with a total of five runs. The white areas in the image below are ungroomed runs. The areas inside the white dotted lines, excluding the red areas, are tree runs

① Dynamic Course / Total length 600m, maximum gradient 32°, average gradient 17°
② Giant Course / Total length 580m, maximum gradient 32°, average gradient 22°
③ Challenge Burn / Total length 370m, maximum gradient 32°, average gradient 25°
④ Extreme Course / Total length 200m, maximum gradient 31°, average gradient 24°
⑤ Training Burn / Total length 250m, maximum gradient 31°, average gradient 25°

Uncompacted powder all-you-can-eat on an ungroomed course

Yuzawa Town in Niigata Prefecture, where Yuzawa Nakazato is located, is a well-known area for its heavy snowfall. Taking advantage of the abundant snowfall, the ungroomed courses offer unlimited access to untracked powder during the peak season, with snowfall continuing day after day. Once you ski down the deep fresh snow piled up on the steep slopes, you'll be treated to a ton of face shots and an incredible run

We especially recommend the Giant Course, which can be reached by taking the No. 2 Romance Lift. It's exhilarating to ski down the unobstructed, open run of fresh snow on the single slope that stretches out in front of the ski resort

A deep and steep field known only to those in the know

Yuzawa Nakazato has the facade of a family ski resort, but behind the scenes it is a hidden STEEP & DEEP field with fresh snow falling in abundance, a big tree run area on steep slopes, and five ungroomed runs.

In fact, this fact that "Nakazato is a great place to ski on snowy days" is well known among locals and avid skiers. In fact, on this day, a local professional snowboarder was there to take photos. In other words, it has been a ski resort that only those in the know knew about until now.

Ken Hirose talks about the quality

Currently, Hirose Ken, who has competed in the freeride skiing festival FWQ many times, uses Yuzawa Nakazato as his home base

Regarding the quality and high potential of the ungroomed snow and tree run areas, he said,
"Yuzawa Nakazato has steep slopes, but trees grow at just the right intervals, making it ideal for practicing freeriding. The speed helps you develop the ability to judge the course instantly. As for the ungroomed slopes, personally, I find it most fun when there are just enough people on them and they become uneven. That's what freeriding feels like. The slopes are steep and the runs are long, so this is also good practice. I used to ski here before the FWQ HAKUBA 4 Stars."

The potential that was harnessed

Yuzawa Nakazato Ski Resort has many gentle slopes, just looking at the slope specifications. Until now, it has been a family ski resort, so I'm curious as to why they are expanding the tree run area

We spoke to Mr. Yagi, the ski resort's operations manager

"Yuzawa Nakazato is wide, with many gentle slopes overall. However, when I looked at slopes that had not been used as courses until now, I noticed that there were some steep inclines and slopes with a variety of characteristics. It is a shame that this area is not being used.

I visit many ski resorts overseas for work, and many of them have slopes that make you wonder, 'Wow, you can ski here too?' Many overseas ski resorts are so large that it is difficult to tell where the ski resort begins and ends. In the
case of Yuzawa Nakazato Ski Resort, if the forest area on the right side of the resort were managed as a tree run course and safety managed, and if it were opened on the basis that customers' level of ability were met, there was great potential for the entire mountain to be skied. What's more, the slopes are satisfying even for experienced skiers. We wanted to make the most of this, so we decided to open it up.

Yuzawa Town and Minamiuonuma are already home to several ski resorts famous for their backcountry skiing, but if those resorts are closed due to strong winds or other reasons, we would encourage people to come and try ours out."

The ability to turn an entire mountain with a single lift has transformed Yuzawa Nakazato

While nearby ski resorts such as Kagura are known for their backcountry skiing, Yuzawa Nakazato offers a different experience, perfect for enjoying steep tree runs. Don't miss the deep powder snow on the first track. A single lift can take you across a vast area that's practically an entire mountain. This is the charm of Yuzawa Nakazato

In fact, on the day of our visit in late January, among the many family skiers, we could see skiers and snowboarders wearing thick skis. Those lining up for the lift before the resort opened were also wearing thick skis

Yuzawa Nakazato, which has been perceived as a ski resort for beginners, is definitely starting to change. It won't be long before people start to recognize another side of this ski resort

■ Data

◆Official website: https://www.yuzawa-nakazato.com/winter/