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Goryu Toomi & Hakuba 47 Resorts
26th September, 2013
In tight competition with Happo One for the title of best resort in the valley, this ski area is actually 2 resorts with separate managements and styles but they are connected at the top and are on the same pass. Known locally as just plain “47”, 47/Goryu is favoured by the more hard core crowd. Boasting the best halfpipe and jump park in the area and some of the steepest terrain accessible from lifts in Japan, 47/Goryu is considered Hakuba's best resort by many, this writer included.
The 47 side of the resort is all facing north and is the biggest north facing ski area in Hakuba. The sun doesn’t shine on any northern face ski slopes in the northern hemisphere which is why it is the most favoured aspect for all those powder junkies out there. Although everyone loves sunny days in the mountains on the south faces as soon as the sun hits the snow it becomes heavier and sloppy and when the sun stops shining in the afternoon or when clouds come by the snow hardens again and becomes icy. Basically the powder is finished by 10am on all south faces the first sunny day after snowfalls.
The northern faces by comparison can have top quality powder for days or even weeks after a dump so long as the temperature stays under zero degrees. The north face is so revered someone even named a clothing company after it; The North Face. Also, like Happo, there is awesome backcountry accessible from top lifts on both the north and south faces.
Hakuba 47 and Goryu Toomi Statistics
- 1050m vertical lift serviced
- 15 lifts
- 500 hectares ski-able terrain
- Best pipe in the valley at 47
- Best park in the valley, mostly intermediate and expert at 47
- Also a great beginner park located at Goryu
- Steepest run 40 degrees
- Longest run 4.5 kms