The review Gala Yuzawa-Ishiuchi Maruyama was created by Skiresort.info, the world’s largest test portal for ski resorts.
Altitude difference
925 m (Valley 256 m - Mountain 1181 m )
Lifts/ cable cars
29
Number of lifts to get from one end of the ski resort to the other
→ 5 ← 4
Slope offering, variety of runs
Run location
under tree line
Worth knowing
- The valley run is open most of the time.
Season 2008/2009
125 Days open
120 Days when valley run open
The slope preparation is excellent.
Tip: By new snow, an optimal slope prepartion is not always possible, even with a large effort. In addition, the new snow can not combine with the snow lying underneath and moguls are created quickly. For safety reasons, usually no slope preparation is possible during operating times.
Access via Highway 17 (Japan)
Kanko Express 1 (Ishiuchi Maruyama), Ideal entry for day visitors
Distance: 1 km · approx. 4 Minutes driving time
Roads: Side road, well-developed
Parking spaces: usually enough available,
Stone parking lot,
free of charge
Orientation (trail map, information boards, sign-postings)
Environmentally friendly ski operation
Public transportation/ on-site mobility
- Train connection
- Ski busses
- Scheduled busses
Mountain restaurants, ski huts, gastronomy
8 Mountain restaurants & Ski huts
Accommodation offering directly on the slopes and lifts
Ski-in/Ski-out
There are some accommodations with direct access to the slopes and to lifts (Ski-in/Ski-out)
Towns/villages
- Yuzawa
Distance to ski resort 1-2 km
Note: For the evaluation, only the accommodations which are located directly on the slopes and lifts, or have very easy access to the ski resort have been considered.
Information for families and children
- Kid's Land/ separated area for children
- Beginner's lifts near the valley
- Beginner's lifts in ski resort directly at the feeder lift
Information for beginners
- Easy and manageable slope offering, which is easy to achieve
- Special slopes for slower skiers / beginners
- Beginner's lifts near the valley
- Beginner's lifts in ski resort directly at the feeder lift
Advanced skiers, freeriders
Information for advanced skiers, freeriders
- some freeride / deep snow areas
- no extremely difficult, steep and unprepared runs (Double Diamonds)
Slope offering advanced skiers
Note: Always mind the avalanche warnings and barriers, please. Never ski into a closed and unsecured area.
Information for Snowboarders
- some freeride / deep snow areas
Offering snow parks
Cross-country skiing and trails
- No cross-country trails available
Conclusion
located directly at the station (Gala), nice mountain huts (Ishiuchi)
no valley run (Gala), no connection to Yuzawa Kogen (Gala), short lifts (Ishiuchi)
Detailed description of the ski resort
The ski resort of Gala Yuzawa has it’s own train station where the high speed trains (Shinkansen) from Tokyo stop and is therefore ideally connected with the major city (driving time 77 minutes). From the Ski Center Cowabunga (Gala Yuzawa) you can take the high speed eight person gondola up to the ski resort of Gala Yuzawa. The double chair Phaeton open up easy runs near the top station of the gondola. The other 2 high speed quad chair lifts Sociable and Barouche serve easy to intermediate runs in the Central area. The double chair Coach leads in connection to the 2 quads up to the highest lifted point in the ski area at an elevation of 1181m on Takatsukura Mountain Peak. The Southern area and the connection to Yuzawa Kogen is currently closed so you have only one intermediate run back to the Central area. Via intermediate runs you can ski or ride from the top station of the 2 high speed quads to the Northern area and to the ski resort of Ishiuchi Maruyama. The connection to the other ski resort is made by 2 short triple chairs and in the Northern area is also the double chair Chariot which open up an intermedate run and a mogul run. Back to the Central area you have to take the high speed quad Victoria. Sadly there is no valley run and you have to take the gondola back to Gala Yuzawa or you can ski to Ishiuchi Maruyama, take the valley run and the shuttle bus back to Gala Yuzawa.
The ski resort of Ishiuchi Maruyama is reachable with the short triple chair Tilbury from the Northern area. You can choose between the 3 base stations Hatsukaishi, Chuo und Kanko at Ishiuchi Maruyama. A lot of shorter lifts open up the mountain with mostly easy to intermediate runs. 5 advanced runs are spread in the whole area. At the base station of Hatsukaishi there is a single chair, two triple chairs and a double chair especially for beginners and children. With the high speed triple chair Hatsukaishi Super Lift you can reach the slopes at Chuo and the high speed triple chair Chuo No. 3 High Speed carry you to all the other runs of Chuo and Kanko. The high speed quad Chuo Sancho is the connecting lift to Gala. From the top station you can ski or ride directly to the short triple chair Buggy in the ski area of Gala Yuzawa. There are a lot of nice restaurants on the slopes where you can order also international food.
Test Report issued on 2008-02-04
Highlights
Slope offering, run variety
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