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night skiing at Niseko

Niseko nights better than the days for fresh tracks

snow action team 21.07.2018

We all know Rule #1 of skiing powder is be first, but not always, Niseko nights can be better than the days in the fresh tracks department. Alister Buckingham, who does seasons up there as snow reporter for niseko.com with the tough job of producing video reports and images for their social networks, has the lowdown on why Niseko nights are often better than the days.

To find out for yourselves why Niseko is so good (day or night) hurry for the last best early bird deals which end at the end of July – like 15% off Alpine Apartments (3 bedroom from 8,350 yen per person per night) or Alpen Ridge (1 bedroom twin share from 14,800 yen per person per night) – these and more great Niseko specials are available from the original Japan specialists skijapan.com

Niseko nights are perfect for fresh tracks

Andreas Sjöbeck enjoys a lonely night at Niseko © Alister Buckingham / niseko.com

So why Niseko nights?
Imagine you’re in a powder paradise resort, you’re having a great night out with your pals, enjoying the culture, food and drinks and then suddenly you sleep in. You’ve missed first tracks and you haven’t even got your boots on yet!
If this sounds like a familiar story, well don’t worry because we’ve got the perfect solution.
Skiing at night is one of those magical things. All the early bird skiers have gone home, all the bunny-slopers have given up, and there’s absolutely no one around. There are no queues, and only a handful of people across the resort. Snow falling under giant floodlights creates a surreal atmosphere everyone should experience.
You might ask, “What about the fresh lines, they’re all gone!”
Well to that I just have one word, “Niseko”.
The now not-so-unknown resort gets an average of 14 metres of snow, and last season had around 17 metres; it just keeps falling! If you’re after that bottomless powder feeling, and you don’t want to join the rat-race each morning to get it, night skiing is easily the best option.
I can remember so many times riding through the forest and coming back to the same spot on the next run to find my tracks completely covered. Imagine fresh lines every run, with no people anywhere in sight.
Most people leave the slopes around 2 – 3pm, and it snows hard enough to completely reset the powder fields in just a few hours. That’s Niseko nights for you.

Niseko nights ski pillow line

For a good sleep you need a good pillow. Or pillow line! © Akister Buckingham /niseko.com

The best snow is in the trees for sure, so don’t forget your clear lens. NBS Uptown on the main street of Hirafu will be stocking the new Smith Optics IO magnetic goggle, so now there’s no excuse for not switching to your night time lens. The light is best when it’s snowing heavily; the floodlights diffuse through the falling snow, spreading it over a larger area, so visibility is almost never an issue.
You don’t even have to miss out on après ski; the gondola is warm, and there’s more than enough time for a Sapporo Classic on the way up.
There are so many special things about night skiing, but it’s just one of those things you have to experience.
Check out Alister’s Niseko.com snow reports on Facebook to get the best snow on the planet in your news feed every week.

For more on great options to get fresh lines day time at Niseko check our feature here.

For a great deal at Niseko (& most of the main Japan areas) go to www.skijapan.com

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Niseko nights are best when it snows heavily

The light is best when it’s snowing heavily!
© Alister Buckingham / niseko.com