Iwatake Ski Resort
Iwatake is one of the ski resorts of the
Hakuba Valley. Many of the Hakuba ski areas offer amazing views, but Iwatake is a cut above the rest when it comes to spectacular vistas. From the top of Mt Iwatake there are 360 degree panoramas across to Happo One, the dramatic Japanese Alps, and the Hakuba Valley.
Hakuba Iwatake Ski Resort can be characterised as a great ski area for intermediates. Iwatake Ski Resort also has some steep green runs for confident beginners, a popular terrain park, and a smattering of bumps runs and powder lines for experienced riders, although there’s definitely no terrain that’s a sphincter shrinker for experts.
There is a little bit of
Iwatake accommodation so it can be used as a base to visit the rest of Hakuba, or with lots of regular free buses to Iwatake Snow Field from various other Hakuba villages, it’s ideal to visit as a day tripper.
Pros and Cons of Iwatake
Pros
- Iwatake offers amazing scenery on fine days.
- There is plenty of cruising terrain on offer for high-end beginners and intermediates.
- Ski school with English speaking instructors is now available with Evergreen Outdoor Adventures and the ski school also offers child care services.
Cons
- There’s no terrain to really excite experts and at the other end of the spectrum, there are better Hakuba resorts with super mellow terrain for novices.
- The Hakuba Iwatake snow quality can be affected by warm temps due to the lower elevation relative to other Hakuba Valley ski areas.
Pro or Con Depending on Your Perspective
- Iwatake and the associated villages have remained somewhat traditional, so this is a nice place to stay to escape the westernised tourism of Happo and Echoland.
- Much of the lodging provides an opportunity to immerse yourself in the Japanese culture and is inexpensive, but the nightlife is pretty low key
Hakuba Iwatake Ski and Snowboard Terrain
With 26 courses and 12 lifts, Hakuba Iwatake sort of sounds reasonably big but in reality it’s rather small (or medium sized by Japanese ski resort standards). It’s lower than all of its Hakuba ski resort counterparts with a top elevation of 1,289 metres and it has the second shortest vertical at 539 metres, and only a couple of courses go the full vertical of the ski area. So if you tire easily and love short runs, Iwatake could be perfect!
The official trail statistics are 30% beginner, 50% intermediate and 20% advanced, which probably accurately reflects the proportion of terrain by ability level. In an effort to be progressive, Iwatake has opened up a small area where it’s kosher to ride off-piste and in the trees.
Iwatake Ski Resort is renowned for being quiet relative to
Happo One and
Hakuba 47/
Goryu, and a good spot to visit for a day trip to get a little fresh powder or cruise groomers away from the crowds. However this hasn’t been our experience and we have found the slopes to be pretty choc-a-block.
See the
Iwatake skiing page for more information on the terrain and snow.
Where is Iwatake Snow Field?
Although not interconnected via the slopes, the Hakuba Iwatake Ski Resort is situated just to the northwest of
Happo One ski resort and to the south of
Tsugaike ski resort. The base of Iwatake is located only 3.5km northwest of the Hakuba train station, a bus trip that takes about 5 to 10 minutes.
There are also shuttle buses between Iwatake and Happo, Wadano, Echoland, Goryu and Tsugaike. However for those staying in Iwatake trying to get to other ski areas, the bus schedules are not very frequent. Similarly the night bus to/from Iwatake only has a few scheduled times.
See the
getting to Hakuba page for more travel information.
Iwatake Accommodation
There are a few Iwatake accommodation options close to the slopes in the little hamlet of Kirikubo including the
Hakuba Landmark Iwatake Lodge and
Villa Komakusa. A few minutes walk away is the cute little village of Shinden. There is also a dinky little lift at the top of Shinden village that takes you up to the Iwatake slopes.
The
Iwatake accommodation is typically inexpensive and consists of rather simple pensions or minshuku (Japanese inns) that have Japanese style rooms with futons on the tatami flooring. Some establishments include dinner and they may or may not have ensuite bathrooms. There are also a couple of Iwatake hotels offering the option of western beds and western food. You can look at availability and rates for
Iwatake accommodation here.
The other option is to stay in more mainstream
Hakuba accommodation.
Facilities
The ski resort has good facilities including a large cafeteria at the summit serving a range of typical Japanese ski resort fare. It’s called Restaurant Sky Arc, which is where Noah (the name of the gondola) must keep all the animals! The cafeteria also has a ski-osk, or there’s a larger retail shop at the base selling simple ski and snowboard accessories, snacks, drinks and souvenirs. A popular spot for an après snack is the take-away creperie near the base area.
Equipment Rentals
If you haven’t rented your equipment elsewhere there is a Spicy Rentals shop at the base of the ski area. Also check out other options on the
Hakuba Facilities Page.
[AdListings Filter="Hakuba Iwatake Rentals"]
Ski & Snowboarding Lessons
There are several companies offering English speaking ski & snowboarding lessons in Iwatake however most are private lessons.
[AdListings Filter="Hakuba Iwatake Lessons"]
Activities
Activities in the area include the Iwatake No-Yu onsen, snow-shoeing on the trails near the picturesque summit, evening snowcat tours, or cross country skiing on a 3km or 5km course. And kids Iwatake activities include snow rafting and buggy cruises.
Food & Nightlife
Up until recently Iwatake didn't offer any nightlife for westerners, however there are now a couple of offerings including the Hakuba Brew Pub and a bar/night club located near the base area at Iwatake. In addition, there are a few Japanese restaurants around the village.