It's snowing... time to go snowboarding!

Should have posted this a week ago... didn't get around to it.

Our hotel room. Night skiing.

It's winter. It's Christmas, so there's plenty of long weekends and days off work. So we've been snowboarding. First up, Naeba. Home to the "Dragondola". Living in Tokyo has its advantages, it's under two hours to get from home to Echigo Yuzawa, which is surrounded by numerous ski fields, then about 30 minutes by road to get to Naeba from there. I've got to say, Naeba has ruined my whole snowboarding experience. How? Ha, look here or in the pic of night skiing on the left. See that twenty something storey high tower? Well we stayed in that. Oh, and is that a gondola and a quad lift right outside the door? Yes, yes it is. I like being able to put my boots on in my room, and at lunch time, not have to fight for a table, just get takeaway and eat in your room. Nice. From now on, all snowboarding accommodation must be located less than 20 steps from room to lift. The quality of the pic's isn't too good, but its not too bad for a mobile phone. One is obviously our room, nice and big, great view of the mountain, and even better view of the fireworks each night... did I forget to mention there is fireworks? Well there is, and they were pretty damn good. The other pic is taken from the top of the quad lift which leaves fight from the door of the hotel. "Nighta" (Night skiing) until 10pm every night. Oh, it snowed too, mmm powder, deep windblown pockets in the out of the way sections of the black runs. Very nice.

On the way back to Echigo Yuzawa from Naeba, I spotted another resort right near the train station, looked like it had really nice long, wide, open beginner slopes, just what Yoko needs to practice linking turns. So two hours later, back at home, a quick Google finds that the resort we were looking at is called Iwa-ppara. Another few minutes and we've found a hotel right in the middle of one of the runs. A quick phone call, and we're sorted for the long weekend leading into new years.