[Niseko Grand Hirafu Ski Resort in Kuttchan] Ski Resort Is As If Japanese Can Enjoy Myself at Foreign Ski Resort

Niseko Hirafu Onsen

Niseko Hirafu Onsen (ニセコ比羅夫温泉) is a hot spring resort in Kutchan town located in the southwestern direction of Sapporo city, and is the largest resort in Niseko with various resorts. There is Niseko Grand Hirafu Ski Resort (ニセコ グラン・ヒラフ) that is one of Niseko United, and is called “Niseko Mountain Resort (ニセコマウントリゾート)”. About 80 accommodations such as hotels, onsen inn, pensions and condominium are built around the ski resort. Except the accommodations, cafes, restaurants, convenience stores, supermarket, souvenir shops, sports shops, bars and Izakaya are built, and the resort shifted from short-stay type to long-stay type, and convenience goods are sold, too. Niseko has a lot of good restaurants that has a good reputation, Hand-made Buckwheat Noodles Ichimura (手打蕎麦いちむら), Kamimura (カミムラ), An Dining (杏ダイニング), Ruhiel (ルヒエル), Graubunden (グラウビュンデン), Gokoro (ごころ) and Guzuguzu (ぐずぐず) are popular in particular around here. Article is here

NISEKO

Niseko (ニセコ) is the general term for towns and villages around Mt. Yotei (羊蹄山) in the southwestern direction of Sapporo city, and contains Niseko town (ニセコ町), Kutchan town (倶知安町), Kyogoku town (京極町), Makkari village (真狩村), Kimobetsu town (喜茂別町), Kyowa town (共和町), Rankoshi town (蘭越町) and Iwanai town (岩内町). The Niseko means “A river in a gorge” in Ainu language, and the origin of the word is Niseko Anbetsu River (ニセコアンベツ川). In a winter, skiing and snowboarding can be enjoyed, and rafting along Shiribetsu River (尻別川) can be enjoyed in a summer. It is one of the features that the Niseko has various nature such as the Mt. Yotei, Shinsen-numa Swamp (神仙沼) and Oyunuma Pond (大湯沼). In addition, tasty water from the Mt. Yotei and tasty ingredients are abundant. In a spring, cherry blossoms can be enjoyed, summer activities and nature can be enjoyed in a summer, fall foliage can be enjoyed in an autumn, and winter activities can be enjoyed in a winter, so tourists can enjoy the nature of Hokkaido including various onsen and tasty foods in Niseko throughout the year. Article is here

Winter Niseko Grand Hirafu

The Niseko Grand Hirafu has 2 ski base, Mountain Center and .Base, and 2 types of lift ticket, Niseko All Mountain and Grand HIRAFU & HANAZONO, are sold at those bases. I visited the Mountain Center. They adopt a card key as a ski lift pass, and deposit is JPY 1,000. When skier and snowboarder ride the ski lift, points of the ski lift are deducted via a ski lift equipment. When I visited here, few Japanese speakers and a lot of English speakers came, so I felt as if I visted a foreign ski resort. The ski resort was crowded with the skiers and snowboarders even on weekdays.
Grand HIRAFU Ski Area Guide

I would go the highest ski lift station, and first of all, I went up by Hirafu Gondola. It took about 6 minutes, and the gondola was fast. Then I rode 3rd King Quad Ski Lift. It took about 5 minutes.

I went up by 4th King Ski Lift, and it took about 4 minutes. I reached to around the mountaintop. The mountaintop is available to reach on foot. But good views can be enjoyed here. It was cloudy day on that day, Mt. Yotei and Kucchan town seemed to look clearly if it was fine weather. I just skied there. The skiers can ski from there to the HANAZONO. It features that the Niseko has various ski courses.

Atmosphere of Niseko Grand Hirafu Ski Resort Can Be Watched on Youtube

Summer Niseko Grand Hirafu

The Niseko Grand Hirafu operats a summer ski gondola from late July to late September. Resthouse AceHill is built beside Gondola Mountaintop Station at about 820 m above sea level, and Niseko Siesta is held to enjoy the Mt. Yotei.

Guided Backcountry

Movie of Guided Backcountry

Mountain Bike

Movie of Flow Trail