Ever wondered which ski resort near Sapporo is best for beginners?
With over 10 options within an hour's drive, including Sapporo City, Otaru, and Akaigawa, it can be tough to decide. Let our local ski and snowboard pros guide you to the perfect slope for your first winter adventure.
You might think that all ski resorts near Sapporo have soft snow, right? While that's partly true, even within such a small area, each resort has different average snowfall.
Additionally, popular resorts tend to have their powder snow packed down more quickly due to heavy traffic. Some slopes may have fewer trees or face the ocean, resulting in strong winds that prevent significant snowfall accumulation.
You might think powder snow is too challenging for beginners, but while ungroomed powder courses can be quite difficult, beginner courses are always groomed daily with snowcats. Even with fresh powder on top, these courses remain relatively easy.
From another perspective, powder snow increases the resistance between your skis and the snow, making it easier to control your speed. This can actually be beneficial for beginners.
Beginners are often so focused on their own skiing or snowboarding that they may not be fully aware of their surroundings. It's common for beginners to struggle with controlling their board and have difficulty maintaining a steady direction. Snowboarders, in particular, have both feet fixed to the board, making it challenging to even stand at first. Once they do manage to stand, they may find it difficult to go in the direction they want or to stop. Consequently, there's a real risk of accidentally colliding with other people standing or sitting on the slope.
When experienced skiers or snowboarders see a beginner struggling, they often have difficulty predicting their movements and may have to make a sudden maneuver to avoid a collision. For beginners, even a close call with someone going at a relatively slow speed can be quite frightening.
This can make it difficult to focus on their own skiing and can lead to increased anxiety.
Additionally, from a safety standpoint, beginner snowboarders are more likely to fall unexpectedly or in unpredictable ways, increasing the risk of collisions with others.
For these reasons, it's recommended that beginners avoid crowded slopes.
Even if a course is labeled as a beginner course, the slope can vary significantly from one section to another. Steeper slopes tend to result in higher speeds, and controlling your speed on these slopes requires not only skill but also leg strength, which can be physically demanding for beginners. Even professional skiers often feel significant muscle soreness the day after skiing at the beginning of the season due to using muscles that aren't usually worked.
If you're staying for more than three days, I highly recommend staying in a town with plenty of sightseeing opportunities to help you recover from skiing. A customized lesson and sightseeing plan, such as taking lessons in the morning and enjoying sightseeing in the afternoon, is a great way to improve your skiing skills without overexerting yourself.
Don't miss out on our customizable programs! Click here to learn more.
Kiroro boasts the highest snowfall among the 10 ski resorts listed, ranking among the top in Hokkaido. Even during the leanest periods, snowfall can reach 3 meters, and in peak seasons, it can exceed 5 meters. It's a popular choice for families, offering a 1900-meter long beginner course and a total of six courses with an average slope of approximately 6 degrees, making it ideal for beginners to practice.
Additionally, for intermediate and advanced skiers, there are 23 courses in total, one of the largest in Hokkaido, and five famous tree run areas (outside the ski resort boundaries) where you can fully enjoy powder snow.
The scheduled opening date for the 2024-2025 season is Saturday, November 30, 2024. In January, which is the peak season, the minimum temperature is around -18°C and the average temperature is around -8°C, so be sure to dress warmly.
Please refer to our recommended equipment for beginners.
Sapporo Kokusai Ski Resort, located slightly inland at an altitude of 1100 meters, is blessed with high-quality powder snow throughout the season, making it one of the most popular ski resorts among local Sapporo residents.
A highlight of the beginner courses here is the long cruising experience of up to 3.6 kilometers from the top of the gondola, with a consistent slope of 8 to 12 degrees. The consistent slope makes it ideal for beginners to practice, as variations in slope can make it difficult to control your board and speed.
The scheduled opening date for the 2024-2025 season is Friday, November 22, 2024. Similar to Kiroro, the temperature can drop to around -10°C, so be sure to dress warmly.
Sapporo Teine Ski Resort, is divided into two zones and has a rich history as a venue for the 1972 Sapporo Winter Olympics. The Highland Zone hosted the men's and women's giant slalom and slalom alpine skiing events, while the Olympia Zone featured the Olympic cauldron and was used for bobsleigh and luge events.
With a total of 15 courses for all skill levels and 9 lifts and gondolas, it is one of the largest ski resorts in Sapporo city. Additionally, there is a gate near the summit of the Highland Zone that leads to an ungroomed backcountry area, making it popular with backcountry enthusiasts.
Given its history and reputation as the most famous ski resort in the area, you may encounter more people taking lessons or advanced skiers going at high speeds compared to the other two ski resorts, so it's advisable to be mindful of your surroundings. The summit of the Highland Zone is over 1000 meters above sea level, and the resort is scheduled to open earlier than the others in the area, with the 2024-2025 season opening on Saturday, November 16, 2024.
As mentioned above, snowboarding involves a lot of falling. You might trip over your own feet, fall face-first into the snow, or even collide with others. That's why it's crucial to always wear a helmet, even if you have to rent one at the resort. Goggles are also essential as they protect your eyes from wind, snow, and tears. Make sure to fasten the strap securely so they don't fly off if you fall.
Sunglasses, on the other hand, are not recommended as they can easily be knocked off during a fall, and the lenses might shatter or the frame could break, causing facial injuries.
In Sapporo and its surrounding areas, where snowfall is heavy, face masks are a must-have. The frequent snowfall and strong winds can make it quite cold, so a face mask will help keep your ears and face warm, allowing you to enjoy your snowboarding experience more comfortably.
Hip and knee pads serve two purposes. First, they protect you from injuries when you fall, which happens frequently, especially for beginners. Second, they provide insulation against the cold, as beginners often find themselves sitting on their bottoms or kneeling on the snow while adjusting their bindings or waiting for others.
Without pads, the pain can be so severe that some beginners may give up on snowboarding altogether. If you can't rent them, be sure to purchase a pair.
While you can rent gloves, most rental gloves are too short, ending around the wrist. If you fall, snow will quickly fill the gloves, leaving your hands cold for the rest of the day.
Therefore, it's recommended to bring your own gloves that are at least 10 cm longer than your wrist.
Skiing typically involves less aggressive falls compared to snowboarding. Since skiers keep their skis on while riding lifts and even beginners can usually stand on slopes with the support of poles, protective pads are not strictly necessary.
However, we recommend using the same equipment as for snowboarding for other items.