11 replies to this topic

[Metabo Oyaji]

Managed to score a free giveaway ticket to Marunuma (thanks SJ and Marunuma!), and have been waiting for the chance to use it. Made a weekend of it this past weekend, staying at Pension Currants (listed on this site) Saturday night.

Saturday was sunny when we arrived, becoming snowy and windy by the end of the afternoon. After a very pleasant stay at Pension Currants, Sunday turned out to be a spectacularly beautiful, blue-sky day. Not too cold, not too warm, no wind, squeaky packed powder, great views... just a perfect day.

Review later, pics for now.

Tree, Yellow Course:


Silver Course:


View from Karakura/Rose Course of White World Oze Iwakura (?):


Restaurant Tonfan:


View of Violet Course from Restaurant Tonfan:


Time to retire for the night. Pension Currants, genkan:


Very friendly proprietors. Great meals, and they bake their own rolls and bread.

Pension Currants, dining room:


Pension Currants, dining room:


Pension Currants, exterior, next morning:


Top of gondola:


Nikko Shiranesan:


Shirane Course:


Shirane/Gold Course:


Obligatory roof-shoveling shot, #1 Pair Lift:

[big-will]

Nice one Metabo, let us know how busy it was.

[Metabo Oyaji]

Some more photos, and a couple videos. (Note to self: in future, turn off image stabilization when panning. Hansei shiteimasu.)

Originally Posted By: big-will

let us know how busy it was.

Well, let's say busy, but not crowded. Parking lots were full, and restaurants were busy, but there weren't any serious lift lines anywhere; the longest wait was for the gondola, and that was only a few minutes. No real crowding on the slopes, either; they seemed more crowded when I went in November, probably because everyone was confined to 3 courses then.

They do seem to have a fair number of lifts scattered about the lower slopes, which I guess helps minimize choke points. Interestingly, even at that I did notice a fair amount of deactivated lift capacity. At least 4-5 lifts were in various stages of disuse/decommissioning -- I guess they aren't needed any more. Though one, Oohiro, seems to be down just temporarily for improvements to the trail it serves. (Unfortunate, as that trail gets good reviews on this site.)

The Kan-Etsu, on the other hand... I'm glad I was warned by others on this site about how bad it could get. I left early on Sunday and minimized my exposure to it, but from the traffic reports on the radio it seemed I escaped by the skin of my teeth.

[pie-eater]

How early is early MO?

I'm thinking I'll go there late season.

[BagOfCrisps]

Interesting Metabo. A bag of crisps next time too hey?

Interesting name for a pension - Pension Currants!

[muikabochi]

Ah I want to go back there before the end of the season.
Glad you enjoyed it Metabo Oyaji.
It's really pretty up there isn't it.

[Metabo Oyaji]

Originally Posted By: pie-eater

How early is early MO?

I pulled out of the parking lot at 2:30, which got me to Numata IC at 3:30. I switched onto the Kita-Kanto Expressway from Takasaki Jct, after which it was smooth sailing, but heavy traffic between Numata and Takasaki added about 30 minutes to the trip. Traffic reports on Highway Radio were also indicating several more jams popping up between Takasaki and Tokyo by the time I left the Kan-Etsu.

[Metabo Oyaji]

Originally Posted By: BagOfCrisps

Interesting Metabo. A bag of crisps next time too hey?

Well, as it happens, I found the following photo from my November visit to Marunuma:



Note the crisps on the left... and if I'm not mistaken, some pies even seem to be visible on the right.

[Metabo Oyaji]

Originally Posted By: muikabochi

Ah I want to go back there before the end of the season.
Glad you enjoyed it Metabo Oyaji.
It's really pretty up there isn't it.

It really is. The first day was basically zero visibility at the peak by the time we made it up there, so it was very fortunate to have the second day there.

[BagOfCrisps]

Nice one Metabo!

[andylaurel]

I like Marunuma Kogen. It is a LONG way from the interchange though, but it's worth it.

I love the Kita Kanto, never crowded, no police. Fantastic. Found out the top speed of a Daihatsu Mira on that highway.

[muikabochi]

I liked it too.
I hope winter returns and they can get a long season.
I hope to go back in April.