by Mitchell Potter

I arrived in Niseko-Cho, Hokkaido, Japan, and was eager to indulge in what is commonly referred to as the “World’s Greatest Powder Snow”.  Powder snow is the epitome of quality in the ski world. Skiing on top of it creates a floating sensation unrivaled by any other activities. If cloud surfing were possible, it may come close. This type of snow is why people travel worldwide to the little town of Niseko. The geographic fortune of Niseko allows for the perfect combination of cold, dry air off the Siberian peninsula and moisture from the Sea of Japan to create enough snow that will bury an unattended car in a matter of hours.

Blend of Culture and Skiing

The blend of such a deep-rooted culture like Japan and some of the world’s best skiing is what intrigued me to set foot into this truly amazing country. Based at the Black Diamond Lodge in Niseko Village (one of the four main resorts on Niseko Annupuri), I found it easy and efficient to fulfill all my daily skiing desires. Clayton Kernaghan, owner of the Black Diamond Lodge, made it extremely easy to travel to many of the other local resorts. While the town and resort of Hirafu are by far the most popular visited areas in the region, there are many hidden gems waiting to be discovered. The Black Diamond Lodge has a tour-providing business with which they can offer assistance to those seeking to get away from the more “Westernized” resorts.

Relax in an Onsen

An onsen in Japan. Photo by Rod-A.

Whether it is internationally recommended hotel or a local backpacker hostel, the Niseko United resort area will have the accommodation you desire. Fortunately, many of the local hotels have an onsen within walking distance. An onsen is a natural hot spring upgraded into a utopia of relaxation. At nighttime, the rolling steam and snow flurries enhance the already peaceful sensation of the bath. If there was one specific experience I could recommend, It would be to tire yourself out as much as possible with a long ski day followed by an invigorating soak in a natural onsen.

Mt. Yotei

Mt. Yotei from the trees. Creative Commons photo by Jon Jowsey.

A close second would be hiking the tallest peak in the area, Mt. Yotei (1,890m). Mt. Yotei is a perfectly symmetrical volcano that hasn’t erupted since 1050 BC, so it is dormant. A spectacular 360-degree view of the greater Niseko area is the reward for the four or five hour expedition. Upon reaching the top you can decide to ski in the snow filled crater or take one of the many untracked gully runs down your direction of choice. Come prepared, as Mt. Yotei can often be subject to variable and inclement.

Sapporo

Sapporo Snow Festival (2010). Creative Commons photo by David McKelvey.

Sapporo, the fifth-largest city in Japan, acts as a gateway to Hokkaido and is easily reached via train or bus from the Niseko area. Usually before departure from Hokkaido, visitors will make it a point to partake in the endless nightlife around the city’s Susukino central area. The city holds an annual snow festival during February in which massive sculptures of ice are temporarily erected by warmly welcomed international artists. The neighboring port city of Otaru is within a short train ride and is the primary location to get a taste of Japan’s reasonably priced fresh-off-the-boat sushi. Otaru also features a canal walk lined with traditional Japanese gifts and illusive fish markets.

In three months, I still have not covered everything I would have liked to do. Perhaps this is the reason I have taken a personal oath to come back for another visit. Niseko, and Hokkaido in general, have been a truly remarkable adventure and are approachable throughout every season with plenty of activities for any outdoor orientated people.

I am 22 years old and currently base myself out of Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. I discovered a love for skiing and putting myself in potentially dangerous situations on skis at a pretty early age with the introduction to jumps. I recently graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in economics and decided to take a year to pursue my favorite thing to do while my body is still relatively young. Some of the most amazing people are in the ski industry and good friends are easy to come by. The word “bum” has a pretty bad connotation, however, the lifestyle in brings is simple and fulfilling. I blog at skibumJapan.

by Musa

Feature photo by CompleteSki

I’ve just come back from my first ever skiing trip, and it was a fantastic break. I always assumed that this type of holiday was only for the super-rich, but it turns out to be nowhere near as expensive as I’d expected. I’m sort of sorry now that I waited until my fifties to go on such a trip; it is a lot more fun that our summer holidays when we just lie on the beach. I had also assumed that when you went on a skiing holiday all there was to do was ski, but it turns out that there is a whole lot more to it than just this.

Journey to the Alps

I traveled to the French Alps by train all the way from my home here in London. This was my first time using the Chunnel and must admit it was all very impressive. You go in one end of the Tunnel in England and come out in rural France. I traveled to Paris, and from there picked up another high speed train that whisked me all the way to the French Alps. I’d already booked a chalet and it was even more beautiful than it appeared in the brochure – it’s usually the other way round. The location was fantastic, and now I know what people mean by the term ‘winter wonderland’.

More Time on My Ass Than My Feet

I joined up for some skiing classes, but it was a real struggle for me. I spent more time on my ass than I did on my feet; by the end of the two weeks though I was starting to get the hang of it. The best part of the whole holiday was the evenings inside cozy restaurants and bars – I made some great friends and haven’t laughed so much in years.

Sometimes You Have to Leave Your Comfort Zone

I’m definitely going again next year. It just goes to show that sometimes we have to get outside our comfort zone if we really want to find the best things in life. It also has me thinking about the other ways my assumptions could mean that I’m excluding myself from things. One of the people I met on this trip is currently taking flying lessons, but that is something that I would have also thought was well outside my price range. He was just an average guy though, and he convinced me that this could be something that I might try as well. It is something I’m definitely going to look into.

Musa is a guest blogger for ferry to france, he absolutely loves the internet and is a tech geek at heart.

Editor’s Note: This is a sponsored post.

So you’re off skiing and need a little reassurance and advice? Well before you strap those planks to your body and rush off down a mountain, take a look at our helpful hints. First, a couple of common myths which those who may even be great skiers often let distract them.

Heights

As a beginner on your first ski holiday, slopes will be about as steep as the average golfing green. Skis need just a gentle slope to begin moving and will glide easily over the slightest of slopes.

The Weather

Although the ground may be covered in snow, the European Alps usually receives only a couple of days of bad weather followed by long clear spells with warm sunshine.

The dreaded ski lift

The ski lifts in the beginners’ area will be easy to use. Often a simple rope tow or moving carpet, they are easy to mount and dismount running slowly along the ground.

Your first week

Skiing is a massive confidence sport, and taking your time to learn the basics is a must. While rushing straight up to the top of the mountain sounds like a great idea, a stack at high speed can put you off and also leave you severely hurt.

You’ll begin on the flat just getting used to the sensation of wearing skis before often moving onto short runs, going down a few meters and back up before using the lift. This will lead onto nursery slopes. Around day three, you may be ready to move onto the beginners run. After around a week, most skiers are ready to complete their first blue run and its here you can really put those new skills to the use.

Remember: it’s always worth getting a good ski insurance policy just in case the unexpected should happen–and you should never listen to your friends! While they may see a sloop as easy for a beginner, it is often quite the opposite.

by Karyn Climans

Last week, my son and I stayed at an Intrawest Hotel in Collingwood (at the base of Blue Mountain). The skiing was fantastic, but our hotel stay was not.

When we arrived at the hotel, there were no luggage carts available. Given the ridiculous amount of stuff we had to carry (skis, ski boots, suitcase, Tail Wags inventory, my computer, etc.), it wasn’t possible to simply carry everything up to our hotel room. It took my son over 30 minutes to find a trolley while I waited underground in the parking lot.

No Rest for the Weary

I woke up the first morning at 6:00 am to the sound of the snowplows directly outside our hotel room. We were on the ground floor, and the noise was so loud it sounded as if they were plowing snow IN our room. The beeping sound lasted for an hour. When I finally called reception at 7:00 am to complain, they explained it was necessary to clear snow in the central village area for safety reasons … BUT was it really necessary when everyone was asleep in their hotel rooms? They offered to shift our room to one floor above, but I’m sure the noise would have been just as unbearable. They also offered a room at the far side of the property where it would be quieter but suggested it was our responsibility to make this move.

I had just fallen back to sleep at 8:00 am when housekeeping knocked loudly on my hotel door. When I asked her to come back later because we were still sleeping, she rudely exclaimed, “You’re supposed to have your ‘do not disturb’ sign on your door knob”. She was right, but because Intrawest hadn’t provided this sign, I wasn’t able to post it. Funny enough, she did the exact same thing to the people in the room beside us.

We were told our skis would be stored for us in the ski valet hut, but when we went looking for our equipment, it took us over ½ hour to find our things. None of the Blue Mountain staff we approached knew where the ski hut was located.

My son and I skied all morning, but I was exhausted after lunch. After all, I’d been up since 6 am, so I begged my son to watch TV quietly in our room while I took an afternoon nap. Half an hour after falling in to a deep sleep, the fire alarm went off. My son called reception to ask if we needed to evacuate the building, but they explained they were only testing the alarm.

Nothing Goes According to Plan

That evening, we asked for a wake-up call the following morning at 7:00 am because my son needed to get to his ski instructor’s course by 8:30 am. Sure enough, we never received the call.

En route to his ski course, we became stuck in the elevator for over 10 minutes. The elevator alarm wasn’t working but, fortunately, I had my cell phone. I called 911 and was on the phone with police services trying to explain our location when the elevator suddenly started working. Thank goodness!

Heading out for dinner that night, our hotel room’s door lock fell off. My son called reception and requested a service call. One hour later, we are still waiting for the repairperson to arrive so my son called reception again. They told us we should have simply headed out for dinner. SURE and leave our hotel room unsecured with our valuables inside?

Speaking with Management

At that point, I was fed up so I headed over to reception the following morning and spoke to a manager about the problems we were experiencing. She was very apologetic and offered me a 40% discount on our hotel stay. Normally that would have sufficed, but the problems continued.

Sure enough, on our final night, we were woken up at 11:00 pm by housekeeping again. When I dragged myself out of bed to answer the door and asked her why she was knocking, she said she was delivering the extra blankets and pillows we requested. Obviously she had the wrong room.

At check-out time, I spoke with the same manager to relay the latest problem and to double-check that the 40% discount was applied. Sure enough, they had already processed the full amount on my VISA. When I pointed out the error, they debated with me the amount of credit that was due. They tried to claim that the 40% discount didn’t apply to the $10.00 per night underground parking fees. With a huge line-up of people waiting to register in to the hotel directly behind me, I’m shocked management started to nickel and dime me. They suggested that I complete their customer satisfaction report. At the top of this pamphlet, they claim that their goal is to “exceed expectations” and asked people to “please take a moment to tell us how we did”.

Wouldn’t it have been easier for management to simply apply the 40% discount to the parking fees as well?

The tag line for Blue Mountain Intrawest properties is, “Creating the best memories … again and again”. They certainly succeeded in creating memories over and over again, but I wouldn’t describe these memories as great!

Have you had a similar experience with poor service from a company? What was your response?

Karyn Climans is the entrepreneurial spirit behind Tail Wags Helmet Covers, a company devoted to encouraging more children and adults to wear their safety helmets. Karyn suffered a serious ski accident but fortunately was wearing her ski helmet. The helmet saved her life! One goal of her company is to help prevent unnecessary injuries and it is her passion for safety awareness along with her imaginative flair that are the key ingredients for Tail Wags’ success.

Tail Wags Helmet Covers, www.tail-wags.com
www.facebook.com/tailwagshelmetcovers
www.twitter.com/tailwagshelmet
www.karynclimans.com

Ski resorts are not immune to the current economic conditions, so this year they are looking to locals to boost their business.

If you live in an area within driving distance of a ski resort, you are in luck. This winter most ski resorts across the country are planning to offer discounts to entice locals who usually don’t ski to hit the slopes. Examples of the deals that are being offered around the country are heavily discounted season passes, and special times where children can ski for free.

Residents near skiing hotbeds like Vermont or Utah would be wise to act quickly to take advantage of these deals, because they won’t last forever.

If you are interested in booking a skiing trip and taking advantage of these types of deals, check out Solitude Mountain Resort in Utah, or Ski Vermont for more information.

Now hit the slopes!

Source: Associated Press