The ski & snowboard season in Hakuba is a long one, beginning as soon as there`s adequate snow coverage, typically towards the end of November, & continuing right through the Japanese “Golden Week” holiday the first week of May. In such a long season, what to expect in terms of snow quality, crowds and atmosphere in the valley can vary quite a bit. With this in mind, i`ve broken the season down loosely into four sections in order to paint a bit of a picture of what you can expect; early season, peak season, shoulder season, & late season. EARLY SEASON (LATE NOVEMBER TILL ROUGHLY DEC 19TH) Decent snow high up with minimal crowds and super discounts on lift tickets & accommodation make early December a nice time for a visit to Hakuba. And in the unlikely event that there`s no skiing due to lack of snow, a full refund is offered for bookings up to Dec 20th. There`s no such thing as a guarantee in the world of ski conditions but typically by the 1st of December there`s enough snow that the tops of the big resorts are open. And by the middle of the month, there`s likely to have been a few big powder sessions. For those looking to get a real early start, it is possible to ride powder as early as mid-November, but it`s also possible to be shut out with no snow at all. In this light, diehards looking to come in November best follow the current conditions and forecast to help with a last minute decision. I should also note that some services in the valley are a little haphazard during this period. Resort shuttle buses and some restaurants for example, don`t get running until Dec 20th.  But have no fear, as we offer our guests complimentary […]

Today is Earth day a time to celebrate our wonderful planet – A day started in the 70’s to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment and nature gave a helping hand for what felt like the first day of Spring. The local area Earth day is down in the “big smoke” of Omachi about 30 clicks down the road from Hakuba. Omachi’s Earth day has been going from strength to strength and this year was another great event with live bands and local NPO group stands, sustainable development projects and organic food stands. The event feels a lot more authentic than the much larger commercial Tokyo Earth day helped somewhat by the large hippy and back to nature communities in Miasa and Yasaka.  

The Lodge was turned into an open air theatre and BBQ area last night for the High cascade Super Park BBQ party. The riders managed to get a fairly early night which couldn’t be said for some of the other partygoers. After a quick Morino heli scout of the back range for future lines the riders started strutting their stuff on the jumps. 13 year old Kadono Yuki was really impressive. Possibly a new Japanese Shaun white in the making. He’s already up there at the top professional level in Japan and he’s still got the best years ahead of him – One to watch. 36 year old Veteran rider Yoshino Michihiko was going huge on the hip, using the whole length of the hip and almost going into orbit. Towards the end multiple riders were hitting the jumps in tandem and the last run was a free for all with all riders going in unison. Thanks to Happo Kaihatsu, Igari-san & the High cascade team and all the riders who came together to make it a great event!

Arrived in style by heli today for day two of the High cascade super park session.Definitely the fastest I’ve ever made it from the Lodge to the top of Sakka! The combination of a complete lack of wind, faster snow conditions on the run-ups and the Heli shooting meant all the riders were really pushing it on the Jumps. Takumi Ikegami was busting some perfect methods on the hip whilst red bull rider Shinji Okada was doing some epic spin twists on the 25m kicker  

The High cascade Super Park session got off to a roaring start in the Morino lodge lounge last night. A chance for the production teams Indres formation, Bravoski, First children and Seven Samurai and the riders to get to know each other! Surprisingly, after all the late night shenanigans, everyone managed to make it out the door the next morning. 15cms of fresh overnight (not bad for mid April!) and the sun was starting to poke out. Today would be a great day to hit the High cascade super park! The riders took a while to get warmed up but by the afternoon there were some spectacular aerobatic displays. Tomorrow is set to be another stunning spring day for the scheduled heli filming session.

About 30 of Japan`s top ski & snowboard pros are descending on Morino Lodge & the Happo Super Park this weekend to do shooting for next year`s biggest ski & snowboard movies. With giant hits built by one of the word`s top park designers, film crews shooting from helicopters, and pro-riders galore, it should be quite the spectacle! You can come watch & shoot pictures of your own. The photo shoots takes place on Saturday, Sunday & Monday from 10:00 – 12:00 & again from 13:30- 16:00. b there or b perpendicular!

It`s Sachi Tanaka & her crew who were staying at Morino lodge last week while filming for their up and coming snowboard flick “Girl” . Sachi rides for k2, Oakley, Nomis & a whole whack of other brands and is one of Japan`s top female snowboarders. The other girls included veteran riders like Mina Shimizu & up and comers like the 14 year old Murai Mimoza & 11 year old Burton rider Miyabi Onizuka. The movie promises to be quite cool as it not only features great snowboarding in locations like Hakuba, Whistler & Hokkaido, but the shredding all  takes place within the confines of a mitten found in the forest behind the lodge. Huh? Yep, the movie has a plot, inspired by an old folk tale in which a lone glove is found by some animals who then enter the glove and proceed to partake in an array of adventures……..in the case of  this movie, the girls are the animals and the adventures all involve rippin on a snowboard. And the coolest thing about this is that the role of the woman who dropped her glove is played by none other than Morino Manager Jen. Jen`s officially a movie star……..and so is Yukie`s dog Kora!  

Here’s a good eating tip for when you’re skiing at Happo. Head up the Alpen quad above the gondola, go inside the Virgin cafe building and head through the back to Restaurant Pilar. Not the normal Japanese mountain cafeteria affair here. Instead theres a great choice of Italian and French fusion course lunches, fine wine and panoramic views of the mountains. Highly recommended!! Almost like being back in Europe drinking plonk and eating crepes and baguettes on le terrace!