New Hakuba Norikura Alps 11 Pair lift
Hakuba Valley is giving skiers and snowboarders more and more reasons to venture away from better known resorts such as Happo One, and discover where the real Hakuba powder lies, and the new lift at Norikura is a prime example! Norikura has often been overshadowed by its larger and much more famous sister resort, Hakuba Cortina. While those in the know have long headed to Cortina for its incredible tree skiing and the magic of the Green Plaza, neighbouring Norikura can be looked down on from Cortina’s lift no.6, and the small number of lifts, and wide beginner runs put it clearly in its place. Great powder was available for the adventurous few willing to hike from the top lift, but Norikura’s main draw was its few, empty beginner runs.
From the 2022-23 ski season, that could be set to change. A brand new lift is set to open as shown on the map below, and luckily you don’t need to be able to read Japanese to understand what the red line at the top means, or what all the white stuff is around it! Covering an impressive distance of 1,200m, the new Alps11 Pair lift will be complimented by the addition of a wide new ski course beneath, and perhaps most excitingly, it will provide easy access to a wealth of barely touched Hakuba backcountry. We can’t wait to try it out!
