Japan 2015/16
its just painful with big groups. there are always peps that are really organised that will be ready to get out the door on time, and those that are slow and don’t care. and in the end people start getting shitty with each other. 4 is a good number, cause you can pair off if wanting to different things and not worry about a huge crew. learnt that the hard way!
Which is one of the big selling features of Niseko (and Thredbo for that matter), you ready? Got a buddy? Boom…gone! The rest will catch up later 
As Oz says, we’ve 4 sons, nowadays they can sleep in or be out for first tracks - I don’t care. The youngest is 15 and has been boarding since he was 6 never missing a Southern or Northern hemisphere yet. My only stipulation is if they go OOB, they let someone know (text will do), go in a pair and take a beacon. When they were younger and we stayed in locations that were not so ski in ski out or well known to us we very much experienced that frustration!
Mates could be difficult if you’re needing to travel to get to the hill. Waiting more than a few minutes is a bad idea, I reckon a phone and a rendezvous point is a much better idea. I did a big wait last season for a couple staying elsewhere. I was solo. They were not readily contactable (not using phone on roaming, to save a few dollars). Snow was on, and I was standing at the bottom of the piste, getting frozen and annoyed. I threw a few laps in to warm up once I realised they’d slept in (wifi contact). I don’t regret waiting as we had a lovely day when together, I wasn’t going to ride with them again as going home the next day, and I continued to put a few faster runs down after I left them. (She was a tentative low intermediate skier).
Moral of the story.
Don’t wait around and ruin your day if you don’t want to.
If you do want to, then let it go and enjoy the day for what it is.
If you’re going with a group (especially one you’re not sure is well matched to you) then stay somewhere like Niseko where it’s easy to go separate ways and meet up for coffee/lunch/afternoon/après etc.
I always stay on snow for those reasons too!!!!!
So many advantages!!!!!
Well worth the extra coin, and if you’re on ya game you can get deals as good as those that stay off snow anyways!!!!!
Qantas July Sale Fares
Economy - for travel from 16 January $1088 from Sydney (Global Sale ends 31 July).
Premium Economy - for travel from 19 January $2,233 from Sydney (Ski Sale ends 22 July).
$1088 is good for Qantas!!!!!
Yep - must be the new $997 rtn you used to see.
First time back on the forums in ages! So stoked to see peeps heading to Japow! Im planning on taking a few folks over end of feb/march not really sure yet of where exactly we will be riding but I’m thinking Hakuba. Maybe meet up with some other folks?
Qantas July Sale Fares
Economy - for travel from 16 January $1088 from Sydney (Global Sale ends 31 July).
Just looked today and then came here and saw this.
I’m finally getting down to business for booking our tickets. Fred had to clear getting another month off work with his boss which delayed things a bit but this sale is perfect timing! Looking at booking 19th Jan - 18th Feb with Qantas. Will prob add an internal flight to Sapporo though so it’ll be a wee bit extra.
Booked my accommodation for Hakuba February 1st - 8th now need to snap up some flights and I’m sorted. After snowboarding going to spend some time in Kyoto , Osaka and maybe Tokyo (Not really a city person) but I’m sure I can forget that for the experience.
$899 rtn to Haneda - ski dates included!
link here
$899 rtn to Haneda - ski dates included!
link here
Thanks Oz 
Sydney! I’m not from the north, I’m a southerner and will be leaving from Melbourne. They are cheap rates but the flights are so long with Qantas due to Melb > Bris > Tokyo 14hrs I can get on a Jetstar run for 9hr-10hrs. The thing that only scares me with Jetstar is they are notorious for delays and cancellations 
Hokkaido Vouchers!!!!!
http://www.go-to-hokkaido.com/en/
Not a bad deal if you’re plannin on usin certain businesses/services and can be bothered/have the time, to grab from the local shoppin mall in Chitose!!!!!
Japan 2016 is booked, 25th of Jan to the 12th of Feb, so keen! Myoko kogen this time!
We fly out on feb 9th , 6 nights in hakuba, then 5 nights in myoko kogen. 4 guys, no wives…..oh the serenity lol
We fly out on feb 9th , 6 nights in hakuba, then 5 nights in myoko kogen. 4 guys, no wives…..oh the serenity lol
Yes! The chaos will be vast.
anyone got hints for finding cheap accommodation? It is all looking so exxy! Even the pensions!