If there was one thing I had to do before I left this country, it was to enjoy what many believe to be the best snow in the world.
First the transport to the feilds are amazing... I caught a Shinkensen for 90min deep into Niigata prefecture the home of part of the Japanese Apls. From the station you can then catch a gondola directialy onto the slopes and be boarding to your hearts content. I on the other hand didn't want to board with my luggage, so I checked into my Ryokan first.
The first thing I noticed after steping off the Shinkensen was how all of the building looked like mushrooms, bubbled up with 5m of snow (for thoes of you who don't know, on a good year Buller gets up to 120cm). It was snowing heavily and I was amazed that instead of gritting the road, they have sprinkeler systems installed into the road spraying warm water to melt away the snow. I was positive to find Ice on the roads in the morning, but they never seam to turn them off. So where you normally see people clearing the roads of snow and pileing it up onto the curb, here they clear the curb and pile it onto the road.
I had managed to borrow a board and boots for the weekend, but didn't have any bindings (for you old fogies out there, binding are the things that connect the two) and they thought I might have some trouble. At first they said I wouldn't be able to hire just binding anywhere, but after a few phone calls found a place that would give them to me for $65 for the weekend (more than the lift ticket itself). Then the ryokan rental shop gave it to me for $40, but after fitting them decided to give them to me free.
I was set, I headed up the Gondola to Gala and busted out onto the feilds. The conditions were horrible, it was still snowing and the visability was pretty poor. I think it's karma getting me back for laughting at people who paid a lot of money to go skiing at Buller and come Blizard, sleet or shine, they were going to get there money's worth. Finally I was one of thoes annoying tourists plouing out into unsavory conditions myself. One of the first thing I noticed that was different from the Aussie feilds is that no one on the lifts can understand you. I always enjoyed having short random conversations with complete strangers and it felt odd not to do so.
Night donned and I retreted to the soothing onsen at the ryokan, althought soothing it might have been, had it not been scaulding. And it wasen't just a stupid forigner thing, the Japanese were finding it difficult to enter the bath too.
In my lonelyness I turned to the only English speaking staff and striked up a pretty interesting conversation. Whenever you get into a smaller prefecture, they are always so proud of it. I learn all about Niigata and what actors and writers came from there. Enthuasticaly I was explained that Niigata was the location for Yasunari Kawabata's Nobel Prise winning novel Snow Country (which I was convienced to buy and am currently reading, it's pretty good). I think they were just excited to be able to practice there English, but it was an entertaining conversation never the less. I was invited out for lunch the following day and I gladly accepted, having very little money left and knowing it would all be paid for. It was just a pitty he was a guy and not a girl.
Morning came and the forcast was for clouds, but I was plesantly supprised when I opended my blinds to reviel a beautiful blue sky. Dissapointed with the closure of runs at Gala I tried my luck at nearby Yuzawa Kogen. Catching the worlds largest gondola (166ppl pax) I slowly rised above all the other mountains to apear what felt like the top of Japan (but of course everyone knows Fuji is the top of Japan). The views were absolutialy stunning. I'll really have to upload some photos when I get them processed. 270degree views of the surrounding Japanese Alps, all looking beautiful after their new snow fall.
The snow was amazing, best in the world (then again I've only been to Buller, Baw Baw, Buffalo and Japan). Fresh power snow, but still only two lifts were running and neither of them serviced black runs. The runs I was on were also very wide and... well, boring. Mix Buller runs with Jpanese show and you've got yourself a wicked park. They kept on teasing us by running the summit chair, but only to get workers up and down, not boarders, so alas I was left hungery for a real challenge.
Not only was I hungery for a challenge, I was hungery for lunch too. I was being treated to "the best soba in Niigata" spoken as if there was no other place on earth other than Niigata, and my heart (and belly) slumped as I saw the que ontside the establishment. Something I forgot about mountain life is locals get priority, so I was happy again as the otheres shuffeled aside as we were show to our table. I must say the soba was fantastic, but I'm used to it from a plastic packet at the convienance store so any form of real soba was a step up for me. This was accompined by a beautiful dish of tempura and some good craick. I asked where there was a good photo spot and he told me about a place five minuites drive up the road, I explained I was on foot and too poor for a taxi and he insisted he drove the company car there for me. I'm going to miss Japanese hospitality when I return to the lazy Australian way.
A few rolls of photos later I was ready to jump back on the Shinkensen and left the snow behind, heading back to that grey mess I call home... not for much longer though.
See you all in Aus!
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