Rusutsu

Published on January 31st, 2015 | by Japan Snowtrip Tips

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Rusutsu Resort Skiing & Snowboarding Review – Hokkaido thrill-rides on & off the slopes

Less than an hour from Hokkaido pow paradise, Niseko, you`ll find one of the most enjoyable of all Hokkaido, Japan ski resorts, Rusutsu Resort.

Aside from vast topographic differences in riding terrain between Rusutsu and Niseko — far more trees than open faces — the visitor demographics also differ, leaning more toward mellow Japanese guests than rowdy, free-for-all down-underers.

The Japanese cultural feel of Rusutsu also extends to the resort`s quirky, yet smile-inducing amusement park atmosphere off the slopes.

Where else around the winter world can you find a friendly robotic talking tree that everyone is compelled to push the button at least once to see it do it`s little dance?

Of course there`s also an indoor European-style fairytale promenade of shops & visual distractions…why wouldn`t there be? And what amusement park would be complete without a roller-coaster? For real, Rusutsu has a full-blown fleet of multiple roller coasters and tons of other rides to go along with it at the ski area base.

But the best thing about these slope-side distractions is that during mid-winter, trademark Hokkaido pow storms bury them under monumental snowfalls creating epic pow days and extra-long work days for resort employees  required to dig out the coasters during Golden Week from beneath 12+ meters of fluffy stuff.

For snowtrippers, the real thrill-ride at Rusutsu is out among the steep, tree-lined-powder-pitches that quickly erase any emotional damage caused by a singing tree in the lobby.

Rusutsu Resort On-piste Skiing & Snowboarding

Skiing and snowboarding on-piste at Rusutsu is pretty solid. Trails are long, wide and nearly always filled with fresh snow. Beginners will enjoy the mellow Green trails on West Mountain above the main lodging facilities and can begin to push themselves outside their comfort zones with top to bottom runs on Mt. Isola and East Mountain. Intermediates and advanced trail riders will have fun too, especially from the top stations on Isola and East Mts. There aren`t many overly steep or aggressive pistes that will completely challenge advanced skiers/boarders. Most are rated Red, but you can definitely get the adrenaline flowing along nearly 600 vertical meter descents.

Rusutsu Resort Off-piste Skiing & Snowboarding

Off-piste skiing & snowboarding at Rusutsu is what it`s all about for skilled, pow-starved lunatics on Hokkaido. Uber-deep, steep, easy access, well-spaced trees provide the best wooded riding on the Northern Island. Likewise, even if the wind is howling and snow is pummeling the resort, the trees at Rusutsu deliver a surreal sheltered riding experience allowing advanced tree-huggers to forget about the white-out conditions on the opposite side of the tree-line. Be aware that although the powder tree runs at Rusutsu are fantastically fun, they can be a bit short, requiring traverses to stay high enough to avoid gullying-out (and getting stuck). But once you`ve found the sweet spots, maniacal laughter amidst blower pow clouds will definitely echo through the trees.

Rusutsu Resort Crowds

More people are taking day trips from Niseko, but crowds are much mellower even during fully booked holiday periods. As fewer Japanese play in the trees (haha, rhymin`), it`s not uncommon for Rusutsu`s beautiful powder forests to harbor fresh lines days after storms if you know where to look. The manicured trails are also generally wide and long enough to create comfortably spacious descents alleviating bottle-necks on the slopes.

Rusutsu Resort Ski Lifts

Other than the annoying lateral lift crossing from the main resort center below West Mountain to East Mountain, the lift-system at Rusutsu is well laid-out. There aren`t a bunch of signature Japanese extraneous, defunct lift towers scattered around the hill sides. Rusutsu`s lifts generally drop you in great locations to begin your powdery pisted or treed off-piste descents. The resort is very spaced-out, however (3 separate mountains), requiring patience to reach the powdery goods from hotel to peak-top(s).

Rusutsu Resort Snow

Uh…it`s Hokkaido, so no worries. Rusutsu`s annual snow totals are excellent — officially 13 meters according to resort management — providing some of the best lift-accessed pow riding in Western Hokkaido.

Rusutsu Resort Mountain Stats & Ski Trail Map

Rusutsu Resort Snowtrip Tips

Tags: hokkaido

About the Author

Japan Snowtrip Tips is designed to help snowtrippers mix cultural excursions with epic powder submersions in Japan. All content is created by Alpine Objectives LLC owner, Christopher DiSabato, who has more than 20 years of international snowpro media, education and operations experience. JSTT offers honest, original, first-hand insight to help guide you along your journey of snow-driven discovery on Honshu & Hokkaido.

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