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Iwatake is the sister Title to Happo-one. The same companies operate both lift systems. Although Iwatake is not as large as Happo and the terrain is not quite as challenging it does have two big advantages over Happo. First, snowboarders are allowed on all marked trails (pistes) on the mountain. This certainly opens up the amount of freeriding terrain. Second, Iwatake is generally less crowded than Happo so it is definitely a good alternative on weekends.

Although Iwatake is smaller than Happo it is still a sizeable resort with close to a kilometre of vertical, one express gondola, a high-speed quad and 18 other chair lifts. The great thing about Iwatake is that it has a good mix of freeriding and freestyle terrain. However, facilities at the base of Iwatake are limited. Rather, Iwatake has built a sizeable and modern restaurant and rest facilities at the peak of the mountain.

Terrain

Freeriding Terrain:

Just like most other Japanese resorts riding off piste at Iwatake is not allowed and if you are caught off the marked trails, say in the trees, you will loose you pass and may be taken by the police. Having said this, the best riding at Iwatake is in the trees so you will have to make your own risk assessment about deciding where to ride.

Iwatake has enough vertical to be a good freeriding mountain and there are plenty of trees to explore, if you don’t mind taking a risk. There is a good variety of medium and steep terrain which is all on piste. Iwatake lacks the natural obstacles of Happo but if you look hard enough there is still some interesting terrain to be found in the trees off the Noah Gondola and next to the Family No. 2 Lift. Although Iwatake doesn’t quite match Hakuba 47 when it comes to freeriding, its freestyle facilities are far superior. Iwatake are totally committed to providing quality halfpipes.

Powder turns: Try the trees directly under the Noah Gondola. But don’t get caught in the huge gully that runs down the side of the mountain. Alternatively check out the trees on the backside of the mountain directly under the Iwatake View Lift. The trees on skier’s left of the D Course are super fun and have good fall-line riding.

Early Morning: In the early morning it is great to do top to bottom runs of the Noah Gondola.

Bad Weather: In bad weather it is best to stick to the lower elevations of the mountain. A good lift to ride in bad weather is the Kamushika No 1 Double Lift.

Avoiding crowds: The best way to avoid the crowds is to take the Noah Gondola to the top then stick to the lifts at the top of the mountain. In this way you avoid the crowds that congregate at the base of the gondola and also the crowds on the main run from the top to the bottom.

Beginners: There is a great beginner slope near the peak of Iwatake, right next to the Iwatake No 5 Quad Lift.

Freestyle Terrain:

Snowboard Parks and Halfpipes: Iwatake has one of the biggest pipes in the Hakuba Valley. In fact, the pipe stands out so much that on a clear day you can actually see it from just about anywhere in the valley. The pipe is really too big to be of any use. The walls tower close to 14 feet with about 3 feet of vert, yet the gradient of the pipe is relatively shallow. A pipe with walls this big really needs a steep slope to accommodate for more speed and allow bigger airs. If Iwatake simply shaved about 2 feet of vert off their pipe it would be perfect since the transition and grooming are excellent.

Snow and Weather Conditions in Hakuba

Siberian storms roll in off the Sea of Japan bring consistent snowfalls to the Hakuba region. Although the quantities of snow are not as large as in Hokkaido, blue sky days occur more often in Hakuba. The climate is generally temperate with few extreme days during the season unlike what can be experienced in Hokkaido.

Accommodation

The best place to stay when visiting this Title is in the town of Hakuba rather than one of villages below the resort. This is because Hakuba has all the conveniences of a modern Title town. Supermarkets, convenience stores, fast food outlets, restaurants and plenty of accommodation.

Snowbeds Hostel:
Without a doubt, the best place to stay in Hakuba is Snowbeds. Located in the suburb of Echoland, it is a very comfortable lodge with bunk style bedding. Even more importantly, the owners, Mitch and Yoshi speak both English and Japanese and have a wealth of knowledge on the Hakuba region. Snowbeds can be reached on 81-904-867-2161 or 81-261-72-5242.

Getting There

Hakuba is located about 450 km (281 mi)to the west of Tokyo. As with most Japanese resorts it can be reached by train, bus or car. Of course, the quickest and most convenient route is by train.

By Train: The train to catch is the Super Azusa express from Shinjuku Station in Tokyo. It goes direct to Hakuba with limited stops and takes about 3.5 hours. Alternatively it is possible to get a bullet train to Nagano which takes about 1.5 hours. From Nagano there are buses that leave for Hakuba and take about one hour.

By Car: From Tokyo take the Chuo Expressway to Toyoshina then go north on Route 148 to Hakuba. Just be aware that there will be a substantial amount of tolls to be paid. The time it takes will depend on the traffic when you are leaving Tokyo

By Bus: Express buses leave from Shinjuku Station in Tokyo and take about 5 hours to reach Hakuba.

By Air: Most major airlines fly into Narita, which is the major airport about 1.5 hours out of Tokyo.

Korean Air offer an excellent and affordable airline service to most major cities in Japan including Tokyo and Sapporo.  For more information on Korean Air check out their website at www.koreanair.com.  For Australian residents call +61 2 9262 6000.

It is highly recommended that you use a travel agent that specialises in Japanese Travel. Snowave Snowboard Travel Company is a reputable travel agent that specialises in snowboarding. They offer both guided and unguided package tours to Hokkaido and other Japanese resorts. They can be reached on Ph: +61-2-9977-7488 or check out their website at www.snowave.com .

Last updated on 18 January 2038.

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Iwatake

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