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Just another weekend in snowy paradise

By 28th December 2013March 22nd, 2021Niseko Snow Report

It’s pretty easy to get jealous of the seasonals with their mid-week days off, but the good news for weekend warriors is that this season is shaping up to be one of weekend dumps! The blizzard that ripped through last night town deposited a very dry 20cm on our doorsteps, which taunted me all morning as I was forced to stay in doors at work.

I managed to get up there by noon, and a brief sunny spell was soon overcome by another furious snowstorm, which made the visibility very poor but had surprisingly little effect on chairlift operation.

Super Grand Hirafu Niseko

We couldn’t stop smiling on our run down Super

That last 20m or so of the Ace Quad is always brutally exposed to the wind, but I couldn’t help but feel gleeful as I looked down over Super, impatient to go and play in the fluffy snowdrifts.

It was an awesome first run, with just enough bumps and rolls to make it interesting, and enough powdery snow to make me work for my turns. Next we rode down to Hanazono from Swinging Monkey, which was a complete whiteout – I kind of felt like I was in that dream sequence from The Neverending Story.

Grand Hirafu Niseko

Just another day in paradise

Obviously not seeing isn’t ideal for riding without crashing, but I found it kind of peaceful to ride down that long Hanazono groomer with little to no vision. With my face covered, some good tunes playing, and my body relying on instinct to glide me over the light, fast powder, I felt like I was in my own little snowboarding happy place.

Visibility picked up in an hour or so, and we had some epic gondola laps, the kind where simply zooming down the groomers reminds you of why you started snowboarding in the first place.

Enjoy yourself up there tomorrow, and remember to opt for the heavier thermals, as it was a bit chilly on the old thighs today. With more snow in the forecast, it is looking to be just another weekend in powder paradise.

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