Test report Gala Yuzawa-Ishiuchi Maruyama

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.