Sanosaka Ski Resort Guide — Simon Jack Burgess

Set in a beautiful location overlooking Lake Aokiko and away from the hub surrounding Happo One, Sanosaka is off the beaten track. A combination of Sanosaka’s location and an irregular bus service ensures that Sanosaka remains a crowd-free resort. People regularly use the terms quiet or crowd-free to describe ski resorts but at Sanosaka I genuinely felt that I was the only person there. Sanosaka is overlooked by many visitors which is an oversight as Sanosaka offers incredible views and uncrowded slopes.

SANOSAKA FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Arriving at Sanosaka you would be forgiven for thinking you are in the wrong place. The bus drops you at the road, a short walk into the resort. As you head through the car park you will notice there are very few cars and you know you will have a good day ahead. This feeling is amplified as soon as you walk through the main doors at the base area where I was met by @jupbrown an enthusiastic Kiwi who manages the resort. I have honestly never felt so welcomed at a ski resort and this personal touch makes a big difference!

Got to love having a ski resort to yourself

HAKUBA SANOSAKA SKI AREA

Even for Japanese resorts, it’s fair to say that Sanosaka is small. One of the smallest resorts in the Hakuba Valley with a vertical drop of 460m and 5 chairlifts Sanosaka is easily overlooked. Looking at the trail map doesn’t really do Sanosaka justice.

At Sanosaka the limited terrain is well maintained with perfect wide groomed pistes making it perfect for working on those carves. With 60% of the runs classified as red or black, Sanosaka is a resort that can offer a challenge although no pitch is particularly steep. There are plans for development at Sanosaka with the resort looking to purchase the closed down Aokiko which sits between Sanosaka and Kashimayari. This would significantly increase the ski area and make riding from Sanosaka to Kashimayari possible by chairlift.

My favourite run was Lake Down Trail which I continuously lapped. This run has some of the best views in the resort and is a nice wide groomer with some small park features at the bottom. This run made my list of the BEST FIVE RUNS IN HAKUBA.

BEGINNERS TERRAIN AT HAKUBA SANOSAKA

Beginners will find learning at Sanosaka particularly enjoyable. Firstly the terrain near the base area has a suitable learning slope with everything needed for your first lessons nearby; ski school, rentals, etc. With some mellow blue terrain, Sanosaka would be a particularly nice resort for beginners to progress at as they can head out around the rest of the Hakuba mountains.

INTERMEDIATE TERRAIN AT HAKUBA SANOSAKA

Intermediates will thrive at Sanosaka with most of the terrain at Sanosaka being nice wide groomed runs. Sanosaka ski resorts Lake Down Trail is the best of these with a wide pisted run down to a small terrain park nearer the chairlift. There is little to worry intermediate skiers and snowboarders at Sanosaka and they may even be tempted by the kinder black-graded terrain.

ADVANCED TERRAIN AT HAKUBA SANOSAKA

The advanced terrain at Sanosaka is negligible with only a couple of runs having any real pitch to them. Two steeper pitch runs in area C of the trail map alongside a mogul course near the base area are probably the pick of the lot at Sanosaka.

FREESTYLE TERRAIN AT HAKUBA SANOSAKA

There is a small terrain park at Sanosaka that consisted of two medium-sized jumps and some ride on tubes and rails. Better terrain parks are available elsewhere in the Hakuba Valley.

LIFTS AT HAKUBA SANOSAKA

Five chairlifts seem excessive for a resort of Sanosaka’s size but the lift infrastructure is pretty good. A fast lift from the base area into the main area of the resort alongside another fast lift that allows you to lap Lake Down Trail. Further slower two and three-person lifts make up the rest of the offering at Sanosaka.

HAKUBA SANOSAKA PROS

Hakuba Sanosaka ski area is quieter than the other Hakuba Valley ski resorts.
No lift lines make Sanosaka ski resort particularly appealing
Sanosaka’s great groomed terrain makes it a fantastic resort to hit first thing in the morning.
It would be interesting to hit Sanosaka on a powder day as you would have no crowds to fight with for freshies.

HAKUBA SANOSAKA CONS

Hakuba Sanosaka has a poor transport link up with the rest of Hakuba meaning bus options are few and far between.
Further from the centre getting to Sanosaka ski resort takes longer which can eat into your on snow time.

TRAVEL TO HAKUBA SANOSAKA SKI RESORT

Sanosaka is a little removed from the main hub of Hakuba Resorts. Sat between Kashimayari at one end of the valley and the main hub of Happo, Goryu and Hakuba 47 you can arrive at Sanosaka by train or via the free shuttle buses. Free shuttle buses run to Hakuba Sanosaka from the Happo Bus Terminal but are limited. The bus stops near the resort but doesn’t go in meaning a short walk to the resort from the roadside. Sanosaka is on the same bus route as Kashimayari ski resort. The 8:30 am bus will be your earliest option. For an up-to-date bus timetable click here

HAKUBA SANOSAKA SNOW RECORD

Sanosaka ski resort is in the Hakuba Valley which receives copious amounts of snow. At the other end of the Valley to Cortina which receives 12m per season, Sanosaka’s snow stats are less readily available. Sanosaka will receive less snow than Cortina but it will still receive around 8-10m of snow per winter.

HAKUBA SANOSAKA LIFT PASSES

HAKUBA VALLEY PASS

If you are planning to visit more Hakuba Valley ski resorts than Hakuba Sanosaka it may be worth picking up a Hakuba Valley pass. The Hakuba Valley Pass not only offers access to the slopes but the interconnecting resort shuttles. This means your transport and skiing are included on the same pass. Find out more by watching the video below.

EPIC PASS

If you are an Epic Pass season pass holder then you will get access to the resorts of the Hakuba Valley included with your pass. The Epic Pass allows for 5 consecutive days of skiing in the Hakuba Valley, additional tickets can be purchased at a discount.

PAY AS YOU PLAY

If you want more freedom to choose your day-to-day activities and resorts you won't lose much money by paying on the day. Paying for your lift passes on the day offers a number of benefits. You can get full-day, morning or afternoon passes which offers flexibility.

HAKUBA SANOSAKA GALLERY

ACCOMMODATION AT HAKUBA SANOSAKA

The traditional village around Sanosaka offers a more authentic feel than Hakuba village, but what you gain in authenticity you lose in surrounding amenities. This is why most people make the day trip to Sanosaka. It is unlikely you will opt to stay at Hakuba Sanosaka as it is further away from the main resorts. It would be better to find accommodation closer to Hakuba Base Camp and Echoland.

I stayed at Nori’s sharehouse, which is a no-frills share home in the Hakuba Village. The location was good and I had no complaints about my stay. The house even had a workstation to tune your gear. There are plenty of other accommodation options in and around Hakuba.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON HAKUBA SANOSAKA

I had my best non-powder day in Japan at Hakuba Sanosaka and I think that probably says all you need to know. Yes, it is small. Yes, other resorts have more runs. Yes, there is more challenging terrain elsewhere…. but Sanosaka is special. To have a ski resort pretty much to yourself is awesome and when the runs are maintained so well it’s hard to want to snowboard anywhere else.

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