Day trip to Madarao-Kogen/Tangram Circus from Akakura Onsen.

[Joe_King]

Cutting fresh tracks in this sub forum. Wow.   

So I've got a week in Myoko in Jan 2012, based in Akakura Onsen. And I'm wondering if I can if I can score a day in Madarao-Kogen/Tangram Circus, to have a look-see. So the questions are:

Is Madarao & Tangram on one ticket? Don't know anything about Sympathique. Can you ski all on one ticket? Can I get a ride there and back for two people from Akakura? Shuttle, taxi what do you recommend?

Thanks.

 

[brel]

Madarao and Tangram can be purchased on the one ticket about 4,500 yen and they are linked at the top.

Keep in mind that each resort is different and as such have very different off piste policies. Both resorts offer some great riding and if you head there during the week you will have the place virtually to yourself.

Powder Recon ( www.powder-recon.com.au )  is based in Akakura and offer day trips with their own buses and guides a couple of times a week if you can track them down in the village and have a chat to them. They have been skiing here for the last 5 seasons and know the place well....

Have fun.

[Joe_King]

Thanks. That's good to know.

Beauty!

 

[Method]

If you are doing it independently you could get a train from Myoko Kogen to Kurohime Train Station (which is on the shinetsu line to Nagano) and there is a bus from there up to Madarao. The Tangram side has got some nice pitch, but they yell at you if you go off-piste, whereas on the Madarao side they are a bit more relaxed and we get plenty of tree action.

[Joe_King]

Excellent. Thanks.

 

[myokoguy]

Have a look here Joe - http://myokokogen.net/resorts/tangram_ski_circus.htm and you'll find links to the Kurohime-Tangram shuttle timetable. They also used to run Myokokogen-Tangram shuttles but cut them about three seasons ago. That said the Powder Recon tour is the most straightforward as it will be door to door and get you more time on the snow. As Method and Brel advise, they are quite anal in Tangram about the off-piste though, even if you only cut in around a couple of trees.

Never been to Sympathique but wouldn't mind trying it one day. It's quite a small field with super-cheap tix - only around 2,000 a day. 

[Joe_King]

Have a look here Joe - http://myokokogen.net/resorts/tangram_ski_circus.htm and you'll find links to the Kurohime-Tangram shuttle timetable. They also used to run Myokokogen-Tangram shuttles but cut them about three seasons ago. That said the Powder Recon tour is the most straightforward as it will be door to door and get you more time on the snow. As Method and Brel advise, they are quite anal in Tangram about the off-piste though, even if you only cut in around a couple of trees.

Never been to Sympathique but wouldn't mind trying it one day. It's quite a small field with super-cheap tix - only around 2,000 a day.  

Got 404'ed on some of those timetables there. I should have said that in the first post.  

Thanks. Door to door. Yeah, that's the Gee-Oh.  
 

[myokoguy]

Thanks Joe. It was working only a few days ago. They have changed the link slightly (which I've now corrected) http://www.tangram.jp/access/shuttle/index.html

Not going to work for you anyway as first bus leaves Kurohime at 11.20

[Joe_King]

Hmm. Oh well.

 

[myokoguy]

You could think about staying a night (or two) over in Madarao either at the start or end of your trip. From/to Nozawa you can get a shuttle bus to Madarao. Maybe get the first bus at 11.20, ski an afternoon and a day, then get to Nozawa?

[Joe_King]

That might be the go. I'll have to get organised. Those web cams today have distracted me a little it seems. Let it snow!

[myokoguy]

You and me both. Fingers crossed for a top start to the season 

Madarao-Nozawa shuttle link: www.no-to-ma-bus.com/english.php

[skichanger]

Would love to know the outcome as we are likely to be at Akakura from the end of January for a little while. Would be good to go to Madarao - there is a moguls event on there early in January.

[myokoguy]

Got details or a link skichanger? I'll put it up on the noticeboard.

I like to see a regular Myoko-Madarao shuttle like they do with Seki Onsen. That way people could hook in the Nozawa shuttle. Depends if the figures add up I guess.