Japan / Hokkaido / Niseko

Source: MAPPLE 観光ガイド

SKI REPORT
Niseko resort grew rapidly during the recent economic boom, driven by the large numbers of Australians which led to Hirafu being dubbed "Australian town". Real estate prices escalated to new highs, with the mushrooming of Western-style ski condominiums, pubs, cafes, and restaurants. The scene has quietened down somewhat with the weak Aussie dollar, with the last ski season seeing a higher proportion of Asian tourists.

The resort is divided into three areas - on the eastern most face, Hirafu, which has the most variety of ski slopes, snowboarding tubes and whatnot, and a special snowboarding zone called Hanazono which was apparently developed by Australian investors. Niseko Village (formerly known as Higashiyama) is sandwiched in the middle and has long beginner and intermediate runs and a 6-person gondola to the highest point. Annpuri is on the westernmost face and has mostly intermediate and advanced runs. It also usually receives the heaviest snowfall.

POWDER? Yes, lots of it, thanks to Niseko's latitude. Finely-formed flakes you can collect in the small of your palm. Niseko is renowned for its soft, fine snow.

ACCOMODATION OPTIONS
Hirafu - Widest range of accomodation, from B&B ("Pensions") to Youth Hostels, 2-4 star Hotels, apartments & ski condos
Niseko Village (formerly known as Higashiyama) - Dominated by ski-in ski-out Niseko Hilton Formerly named the Higashiyama Prince, the hotel was rebranded as the Hilton Niseko Village in July 2008.
Annpuri - Mostly Pensions and one 4 star hotel.

ACCESS
New Chitose airport is 1.5 hours from Haneda (Tokyo). Connecting flights also available from Narita, but less frequent.

Source: http://www.niseko.ne.jp

Ski bus (JPY 2,070 one-way when booked online)Good Sports White Liner
Hokkaido Access Resort Liner (Japanese only)
Train (Available from mid Dec - end Feb) JR Sapporo -->Kuchian倶知安 -->Niseko　Travel time: 1:30hrs via Niseko Express, 2 hrs by normal train
Rental Car　(sites below are in Japanese only)
eレンタカー gives a good overview of promotions across rental car companies
J-Wing is usually the cheapest option but about 10 minutes shuttle from the airport

Austria / Salzburg / Ski Amade / Flachau

Flachau, Ski Amade

Ski Amade is a co-branded ski region bringing together some of the finest skiing in the Austrian Alps. The five sub-regions are Salzburger Sportwelt, Schladming Dachstein, Gastein, Hochkönig and Großarl-Dorfgastein. Combined that makes for 356 pistes covering 860km, managed by >250 staff with 125 snowcats, >200 ski lodges, located up to >2,700m above sea level - all accessible with one Ski Amade pass!

Why Austria? Although the Austrian alps, at the eastern tail-end of the Alps region, may not reach the staggering heights of their neighbours in Switzerland and grance, the snowfall tends to be heaviest east of the Alps, Austria is the home of skiing (the Arlberg method of skiing was pioneered in the eponymous ski region of Lech-Zuers- St Anton), and people actually ski (not snowboard) here!

This report will cover the Salzburger Sportweltregion, which is located about an hour's drive south of Salzburg and is the largest and most centrally located ski region in Ski Amade. This region can be further broken up into nine smaller areas. The main ski areas are Flachau (most centrally located and where this writer stayed), Zauchensee which is a little like Sugar Bowl in Lake Tahoe, Wagrain, a quaint old town with narrow cobblestone alleys and Flachauwinkl, Flachau's small cousin, which has not much in the way of amenities but great beginner and intermediate runs and less crowded slopes. It's almost impossible to ski all of Salzburger Sportwelt in a week, and I missed out on Altenmarkt/Eben which I understand to be the old town, St Johann which is supposed to be relatively posh, Goldegg and Filzmoos.



(more to come)

Prologue

Raison d'être

The stillness in the early morning and biting cold as you labour over the straps on your boots, haul skis and poles over one shoulder, trudge calf-deep in snow to the chair lift that will send you over the top.

As you ascend, the clouds that shield the light part and the peak comes into view against the dazzling morning sun. You take a breath, deeper than usual because you are thousands of feet above sea level, and the crisp coldness flushes your lungs.

The chair lift jolts, and you are flicked onto the snow, muscles taut as gravity takes your skis downhill. The world slips by. Time slips by. Nothing else matters.