1819hoshinoresort_trip
Asahikawa, the second largest city in Hokkaido, is located almost in the middle of Hokkaido.There are many slopes in the suburbs, including Mt. Asahidake, a mountain longed for by snowboarders all over the world.
The Asahidake Ropeway in February was frequently suspended due to the weather, and even if I wanted to slide on Asahidake and stayed at the foot of the mountain, I couldn't slide all the time and often went to hot springs.However, if you stay in Asahikawa, you can go to various other slopes even if Asahidake is out of service.Moreover, Asahikawa is a moderately urban area, so there is a lot of fun after snow.
Sora Sora & Kana Izumida, who are based in Niseko, are at "Hoshino Resorts OMO7 Asahikawa", a hotel that has made the "Asahikawa Ski City Declaration" (a snowboard city for us). I stayed and experienced a snowboarding life of 2 nights and 3 days in Asahikawa.
Experience Hokkaido with "OMO base" and "DANRAN room".
OMO7 Asahikawa is in the center of the city, right next to Asahikawa City Hall.There are shops and streets called long-established stores nearby, and it is located in a very convenient location.
It takes about 35 minutes by car to Kamui Ski Links, which is scheduled to go skiing this time, and about an hour and a half to Mt. Asahidake.Even after eating the hotel's luxurious breakfast, you can still get on the first ropeway.
In fact, at this time, overseas shooting crews also stayed at OMO7 Asahikawa and headed for various mountains according to the weather and snow quality.
In front of the front desk, there is an "OMO base" that is set up as a place to connect travelers and locals.Since it is located in the center of the city, it is designed to show the direction of the hotel, "Let's go outside and feel the city without staying inside the hotel!"
The interior of the "OMO base" is also named after Asahikawa.The tables and chairs of Asahikawa furniture, which is said to be the highest peak in Japan, are used, and the lampshade uses the bowl of Asahikawa ramen shop, which is full of playfulness.
Books related to Hokkaido and Asahikawa are collected in the corner called Book Tunnel.Core information not available online can also be collected here.
There is an outdoor specialty store "iGATE IKEUCHI EXIT asahikawa" that also handles wax services in the hotel.The staff is familiar with the snow situation in Asahikawa and provides accurate information.It will tell you what kind of wax to use as well as the weather and slope conditions.On the slopes of Asahikawa where the temperature is below -20 degrees Celsius, ordinary wax may not slip at all.It is a state of "stop snow" in extremely cold conditions.On this day as well, I had them carefully add two types of wax according to the temperature from the next day onward and the slopes I was planning to go to.Thanks to that, I was able to enjoy comfortable riding the next day.
I stayed in a very cute room named "DANRAN Room" with the concept of Danran.Beds arranged in an L shape with fun coloring.The green DANRAN table, which has the image of a lawn and is placed between the beds so that it can be surrounded by two people, is the best way to plan a snowboarding strategy from the next day.
Snowboarders have a lot of luggage, but there is a space under the bed to store a suitcase, and storage is perfect.Kana-chan is excited again by the very cute "DANRAN Room".
Have "OMO Ranger" navigate "Go-KINJO"!
OMO7 Asahikawa has one of the most famous restaurants in the city, "Chinese Cuisine Togen", but since it is a hotel in the center of Asahikawa, let's have dinner in the city of Asahikawa.
OMO7 Asahikawa will guide you to local shops within a 500-step walk from the hotel.Go-KINJYOThere is a service called "(Gokkinjo)", and there is a "Neighborhood Guide OMO Ranger" dressed as a hotel staff who knows the city of Asahikawa.It's a homage to heroes with red, blue, green, yellow, and pink rangers, which I think would come to mind if you're a little older.It seems that each color has its own specialty, and on this day I asked OMO BLUE, who is familiar with Asahikawa's classic gourmet food, to navigate Asahikawa at night.
The temperature on that day was below -10 degrees Celsius.The road was frozen and slippery, and of course my breath was pure white, but while I was walking around the city, I was able to hear information about the deep city and the history, and I felt that I was going and returning in no time.
Even if you want to go to a shop that the locals go to when you go on a trip, it is often quite difficult.Why haven't there been so many services like this that the local staff will guide you?It's a nice service that I think.Hotel stays will be very enjoyable if such services increase in each region.
On this day, I was introduced to Asahikawa's long-established izakaya "Fireside Yukara", which opened in 1950.
"Striped atka mackerel from Rausu" that is unthinkable in Honshu."Jaga butter" is so sweet and delicious that it may be different from the one in Honshu.And speaking of Hokkaido, "seafood platter".The "black soybean tofu" requested by Kana was also purchased directly from a local tofu shop.As expected, the OMO ranger who knows all about the local area will not be removed.
I ate a lot, but I went back to the hotel and ate "Shimepafe" which is popular in Hokkaido, and went to bed on that day.
Enjoy powder snow at Kamui Ski Links
Based on the information from the previous day, the slope we headed to the next day was Kamui Ski Links. Free buses run daily from OMO7 Asahikawa.
Almost all Asahikawa local riders are slipping on this base because of the ease of access in about 30 minutes from Asahikawa, the very large area, the fine powder snow, and the abundant terrain.By the way, in the early days of snowboarding, legendary rider Kenji Ishikawa was also studying with the half pipe here.By the way, no half pipe is currently installed.
In conclusion, it was a very good slope.You can comfortably access the peak with a gondola, and even the professional rider Sora has a lot of fun with the long and undulating terrain that makes you feel a little tired when you let it flow to the base.The non-compacted snow tree run course is also open to the public, and it's easy to imagine local riders coming in large numbers the day after it snows.
The day after it snowed, the locals would be heading here right away.
The pisten course is also very wide and you can cruise comfortably.Non-compacted snow powder remained on the side of the slope, and even if I went there before noon, the powder still remained. "There is no such powder left in Niseko near noon," Sora said.
The weather was cloudy that day, but snowboarding overlooking the city was still very refreshing.The view will be very good on a sunny day.
The center house is very beautiful and the menu of the cafeteria is abundant.The recommended slope is the spicy "Kuppa".
Take a short break and head to the afternoon round.There is still more powder left.Pistenburn is flowed while connecting it in small steps with a lift.You can enjoy jumping on a little terrain while eating the powder on the side of the slope.
Even if you slip a lot and get tired, you will arrive at the hotel in 30 minutes.If you use the bus, you will arrive while you are out.
I envy Asahikawa riders who have such a high quality slope near the city.
When they came to slip slowly again, they were close to each other.
Asahidake is closed due to the arrival of the largest cold wave in the history of observation
Sora has never been to Asahidake, and this time it was planned to be a good opportunity for her first experience.However, Asahidake, which was one of the largest cold waves in the history of observation, is closed.I had a faint hope that the weather might recover and the ropeway might start moving, so I waited until noon for the ropeway to move.
When I arrived in the morning, the wind speed at the summit was 20m / s. It doesn't change even after 11 o'clock.There were almost no customers waiting for the drive, and we were the only ones left.By the way, the wind speed of 20m / s is as strong as a typhoon, and you can't stand unless you hold onto something.
I waited until 12 o'clock and gave up, went to a fashionable cafe in Higashikawa-cho at the foot of Mt. Asahidake, and the last day was over.
Asahidake was disappointing, but if it wasn't for this interview, I could have been to Kamui Ski Links for two days in a row, and even Furano Ski Resort could be accessed in about an hour and a half.
Of course, after-snow can be arranged to your liking if you stay in the city.You can eat Asahikawa ramen, the famous salt hormone, and even soup curry.
Many snowboarders think of Hokkaido as Niseko, but the snowboard trips at Asahikawa Stay were very comfortable and satisfying.
