SAPPORO, JAPAN: HERE WE COME IN 2009!

By an overwhelming vote, ski club members selected JAPAN as the location for Hawaii Ski Week 2009. Plan ahead for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ski at 3 different resorts on Hokkaido and attend the annual Sapporo Snow Festival in early February 2009.  Much work still needs to be done with travel agents, but we do have the following information:

 

Ski-in, ski-out hotel with twin beds and buffet breakfast included. Round-trip airfare from Honolulu to Tokyo on United Airlines and round-trip airfare from Tokyo to Hokkaido (the northernmost island of Japan) on All Nippon Airlines (ANA), a United Airlines partner carrier, are included.

 

A United Lift Pass gives skiing access to all 3 resorts on the Niseko-Annupuri Mountain (Grand Hirafu, Higashiyama, and Annupuri are connected with each other at the top of the mountain and connected at the base by free shuttle buses).

 

*The hotel in Niseko Ski Resort (for 4 nights) and the hotel in Sapporo (for 2 nights) to attend the Snow Festival (this is just a preliminary itinerary)

*For those who would prefer to spend 6 (or even 7) nights at the ski resort rather than 2 nights in Sapporo, the travel agents should be able to arrange this alternative.

 

Mountain statistics:

Acreage: 2,191 acres

30% beginner, 40% intermediate, 30% advanced

Top elevation: 4,295 ft.

Base elevation: 984 ft.

Number of lifts & gondolas: 38

Lift hours: 8:30am to 9:00pm (Hirafu offers one of the biggest night skiing areas in the world.)

Number of runs: 57

Number of mountain restaurants: 17

Longest run: 3.5 miles

Annual snowfall: 39 ft. to 49 ft. of powder snow

 

More trip details:

These 3 Niseko resorts receive Japan's lightest and driest powder snow.

Snow reliability (constantly snowing in this area)

Virtually no lift lines

English trail maps, signs and information announcements; restaurants are now also offering English menus because of all the Australians and British who have discovered Niseko.

Niseko, being part of a volcanic range, boasts a collection of great onsens (hot spring baths)

"Hirafu's apres-ski scene rocks" (the hotel is located in Hirafu)

For the snowboarders, Hirafu has a half-pipe, tabletop jumps, and lots of natural quarter pipes and hits.

There are mogul fields and tree runs for the more experienced skiers.

Non-skiers will be offered several optional day trips for sightseeing.

Because United Airlines' contracted individual airfares are even lower than the group rates, it will be very easy to extend one's stay in Japan for those who want to spend more time visiting other areas of Japan.

Expect a UNIQUE skiing/snowboarding experience in 2009!!!  (Anita)

2008  Whistler, BC
2007  Park City
2006  Vail

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