29 replies to this topic

[dyna8800]

I won a free lift ticket to Ryuoo Ski Park compliments of Snow Japan (thank you!) and used the opportunity to check it out during the holidays. As I promised to SJDavid, here is my trip report, also uploaded to the main database.

Executive Summary

Ryuoo is very popular with snowboarders, as it was one of the first to open up to boarders back in the days when skiers ruled the world. Although many other resorts boast of bigger parks, or halfpipes, it is one of the few with a "big air" feature, in other words, a huge airbag to land on after jumping. You could throw some big jumps all day for 500 yen, or 100 yen per time. Like they say, it isn't the jumping, it's the landing part that is scary...

One other notable feature of the resort would be the many hotels and inns that line the sides of the trails. The only way to access the ones up towards the top is by snowcat. After arriving, you call the hotel and then they meet you at the door of the second floor of the Bus Information Center which leads to a back access road. Then the snowcat takes you and all of your luggage up the hill for ski in/ski out accommodations.

One of the strange points of the resort is that in order to get to the first lift from the bottom of the hill, i.e. from the parking lot/Bus Information Center, you take two "magic carpets", or moving walkways, up the mountain to get to Valley No. 3 Pair Lift (or then ski/ride down to the bottom of Valley No. 1 Quad Lift where there is the ticket office).

Trails and Lifts

The resort has 19 ski trails, with the longest being 6 km., vertical 1080 (from 1930 to 850 meters) and steepest pitch 39 degrees. It has a total of 14 lifts including the ropeway which runs every 20 minutes. The tram can hold 166 people and takes 8 minutes to travel a distance of 2293 meters.

The slopes are divided into 3 sections, the Skyland area at the top, the Kiotoshi in the middle, and the Valley area at the bottom. The Skyland area can only be accessed via the ropeway, there is no lift that goes from the Valley area to Kiotoshi area.

Surprisingly, most of the trails are not named, and only the major runs are numbered (or lettered) on the map. It makes it more difficult to describe the runs, since multiple trails are only designated with one course name.

The Skyland area is characterized by flatter trails, seemingly out of place at the top of the mountain. Usually, steeper runs are at the top, but in this case, there are some nice beginner level cruisers, with a few tree runs. Unfortunately, lift #12 on the guide map, Skyland No. 2 Pair Lift, is not running, and on the current website, does not even appear on the interactive course map. Perhaps a few old timers could tell us, but it probably was a mogul course, 24 degrees pitch, average 13 degrees. The beginner run A is 19 degrees max. with average 9 degrees, while C and B are 24/11 and 25/9, respectively.

The Kiotoshi area is where the advanced skiers/riders will want to concentrate, even if it means having to wait for the ropeway, which departs every 20 minutes. Patrol seems to alternate opening Kioraku c and b. When I was there, they opened c at 10 am and then b later in the day...but they close each when they are doing inspection. In the afternoon, they closed off c and opened b for the remainder of the day. If they are both closed, then the only way down is to ride the ropeway.

The Valley area has a wide variety of terrain, ranging from some expert slopes such as Valley 5 Glende with maximum 39 degrees, average 27 degrees, and yes, it was verrry steep, even if it does not look that way from Valley No. 5 Lift, a squeaky old single chair.

For intermediates, there are some great cruising runs such as Valley 2 Glende, with maximum 36 degrees and average 25 degrees, and Valley 4 Glende, with max. 22 degrees and average 15 degrees pitch.

There is an abundance of beginner terrain towards the bottom, but be careful, as there are many snowboarders sitting smack in the middle of the trails, as well as the children and family skiers doing zig zags across the runs.

Beginners

The best terrain for learning is the bottom part of the Valley area. There is also a beginner park for trying out some small features. The runs seem wide until there are half a dozen snowboarders sitting spread out across the trail.

Intermediates

Doing laps off Valley No. 2 Pair Lift will keep intermediates busy, as will the cruisers off Valley No. 9 Pair Lift (Valley No. 8 Lift, is a single and runs on the same path) and Valley No. 10 Pair Lift.

Upper intermediates will enjoy the middle run which is marked as advanced off of Valley No. 5 Lift, an old creaky single lift.

Advanced

This is one of the few places that advanced skiers can really enjoy, due to the challenging terrain of Kiotoshi c and b courses. Why they are lower case letters and moreover, why there is no course a is a mystery. But if and when patrol opens up the runs, c leads out from a narrow, scalloped path to a great natural halfpipe. Course b is more challenging, with steeps and moguls, as well as some tight trees. Both of these courses are ungroomed.

Valley 5 Glende from Valley No. 5 Lift, the squeaky single, has several options ranging from hairy steep to just steep. The hairy steep run is thankfully short but at 39 degrees max., is a real challenge. The Valley No. 5 Lift, even though a single chair, does not seem to get crowded, and is probably the place for high intermediates and advanced to do laps if you do not want to wait around for the ropeway and unpredictability of whether patrol feels like opening up Kiotoshi c and b.

Facilities

Base Center

The Bus Information Center is 2 stories, with a narrow first floor mainly comprised of a gift shop, lots of vending machines, and lots of people standing around waiting for their buses. The second floor has a waiting area as well as some lockers, a small restaurant, and can also get crowded while people are waiting for their rides.

Accommodations and Onsen

Hotels and lodges line the sides of the mountain and offer ski-in/ski-out accommodations, picking up customers at the base of the mountain and going up via snowcat.

Ryuoo Onsen, Mikazuki no Yu, is located near the base of the mountain, a great way to soak those sore muscles after a day of skiing or riding. But it can get very crowded. They sell discount tickets in the Slalom restaurant.

On Mountain Dining - Restaurants

In a collaboration with Delhi Restaurant, the resort owned Slalom and Rosanne Restaurants (located at the top of the Ropeway, and the top of the mountain, respectively) offer curry rice with various topping such as tonkatsu, chicken, menchi katsu, or kara age chicken. Also, the standard Japanese ski resort fare is available such as ramen, etc. at many of the privately owned restaurants, most of which are minshuku/pensions as well.

Transportation

The resort is located about 16 km. from Shinshu Nakano interchange on the Joetsu Highway, about 20 minutes by car. Snow tires with 4WD or chains are a must, as the last section is windy and slightly steep uphill.

An indication of the popularity of the resort is the huge number of buses the line up in front of the Bus Information Center in the evening after the day has ended. Many of them are for one day tours, or the dreaded overnight bus ride from Tokyo, Osaka, etc.

Bus service from Nagano station as well as Yudannaka is also available, check the website for schedules.

Parking

There is a 1500 car parking lot, free of charge, located at the base of the mountain.

Lift Tickets

There are many variations of lift tickets such as afternoon+nighter, morning 8 am to 2 pm, afternoon 11 am to 5 pm, and daytime 10 am to 3 pm, including a family lift ticket (1 adult + 1 child, or 2 adults + 2 children).

Gaijin Friendly?

Signage in English is not so prevalent, but there are enough signs to let people know the basics. When I was waiting for Kiotoshi b, there was a large group of foreigners who wasted no time in getting into the trees and steeps instead of going on the somewhat icy and hard center of the run.

At the hotel that I stayed at, payment was in cash only, and mostly families and young people...the crowd reminds me of Shiga Kogen without the old timers practicing their perfect carve. All in all, highly recommended, especially for the steeps, challenging Kiotoshi slopes, and good vibe all around.

[ippy]

an incredibly detailed review! this is the stuff of a travel brochure!

[dyna8800]

Thanks ippy. I am actually working on a Japan ski guide.

[Karnidge]

Nice one.

Did you get any visuals?

[dyna8800]

Originally Posted By: Karnidge

Nice one.

Did you get any visuals?

Ummm, yes, but I am working on sorting out the pics and choosing which ones to post. Maybe later today or tomorrow...

[JellyBelly]

Cool.

[ippy]

well youre certainly putting my mickey mouse reviews to shame

[dyna8800]

ippy, I liked your review, it was really good! Now all we need to do is to get some pics up...

[Mick Rich]

Great review dyna! Which hotel did you stay at and how much was it, etc?

& don't worry Ippy, we like Mickey Mouse

[dyna8800]

Map showing accommodations and ski trails and lifts.

I stayed at Hotel Newport, only because I booked on a Japanese reservation site.



Magic Carpet



Bus Information Center before the zillion buses parked there...



Ropeway (and yes, it is exactly the same 166 person max. as some other resorts in Japan have)



Tech info



Patrol "inspecting" the runs



Finally, gate is OPEN!



Preparing to drop in



Yes, it really is as steep (or steeper) than it looks!



While these skiers and snowboarders were struggling with the steeps and some icy patches, I had just come out of the trees and more than a foot of powder...



Natural halfpipe

[iiyamadude]

Nice report dyna.

[norcal]

Nice review, looks like it was a good time!

[Mick Rich]

Originally Posted By: dyna8800

Hotels and lodges line the sides of the mountain and offer ski-in/ski-out accommodations, picking up customers at the base of the mountain and going up via snowcat.

Also, the standard Japanese ski resort fare is available.......at many of the privately owned restaurants, most of which are minshuku/pensions as well.

Was Hotel Newport one of the former? & the cost? Sorry for the questions but I'm heading to Ryuoo mid-March and plan to stay a couple of nights there. I quite like the idea of one of those minshuku as well, on the basis that good food is readily to hand!

[ippy]

so thats what it looks like with snow Looks kinda rubbish. Too many people trying their luck on the steep Lets keep it icy where only the foolish have a crack at it!

[joshnii]

Nice review dyna, cheers.
muika and myself and sanjo might well just make it this season.

[Mick Rich]

Originally Posted By: joshnii

muika and myself and sanjo might well just make it this season.

Lmk when you're going as I'm hoping to be there on or around Sat 19th March - a weekend I know but needs must!

[joshnii]

I will likely be a weekday when we go Mick.

Hopefully the resort won't decide to close for morning coffee and afternoon tea and biscuits the day we go!

[sanjo]

Haha yes.

[muikabochi]

Unless they share the afternoon tea and biscuits of course

[Mick Rich]

Maybe you could bargain with your cheese, which you'll obviously be taking!

Dyna, don't forget my accommodation questions - cheers!