Norway or Japan

little_ey

little_ey

Member
So should I save my money for a powder trip to Japan in December?

Or a trip to the birth of skiing? Hitting the fjords via boat?
 
Well if you go to the good stuff in Japan, aka Hokkaido area, you.re probably gonna have a good time cus they get like 600 inches over 3-4 months. But like ^he said, you looking for deep pillowish, primarily tree stuff, or big open faces?
 
For sure Japan, such a better experience, cuz if the skiing would end up being shitty you would much rather go to japan than norway
 
Unless you have got some serious income and/or have already hit up all of the premier resorts in NA I say neither. Youll be forking over so much money in travel fees etc that you could go on 4 or 5 trips to places in utah montana etc.

If you dont like my realist assessment then I say Japan hands down. Always been a dream of mine, just needs to wait 5 or so years for me~
 
It is a lifetime goal of mine to go skiing in Japan. I want to experience the snow that they get, the culture, the different trees, the FOOD. I might end up going more than once...
Norway sounds sick too, but it seems to me to be a lot of above tree line stuff, which I don't find as interesting. Yeah there are some huge mountains though, so if you were more into big mountain than deep pow and pow jibbing then Norway would be good. But it seems a little too similar to North America to justify an expensive trip in the middle of winter when Japan is an alternative...
Also I don't think Japan has much in the way of parks, if that has any impact on your decision. Norway seems to be good that way.
 
I'm all about Japan at the moment. trying to learn the language in preparation for a trip over. One of the airlines was having a huge sale so we just jumped online and bought 2 return airfares. We're now figuring out the rest. probably going to stay in Hakuba and ski around there.
 
I am norwegian, and I confirm the fact that many of the norwegian resorts are park/big mountain-related. Though the real experiences don't come from our resorts. If you're into charging above the tree line, and prepared for some hiking, you will be pleased. Shit is fucking expensive up here (like 10 USD for a beer). If you've got the money, hire a boat for a week or two and hike the mountains around the fjords. Amazing nature.

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Ask the guys on this norwegian forum if there's anything you wonder about. They're kinda like freeride/hiking gurus. http://www.friflyt.no/index.php?pagenr=32&zone=102&category=1000&subcategory=2
 
I have been both to Norway and Japan. I would definitely say you should go to Japan! Everyone who hasn't been there is missing out on the world's greatest powder and the most fun and relaxed skiing in the world.
 
I love to ski deep pow, but I also love to charge big open lines.

Japan would be a whole new level of wickeness for me, but there is something almost spiritual about staying on a boat for a week in the fjords and skinning up to earn some awesome lines that ski right down to the water.

As for experiencing new culture... I'm Chinese. I know that Japan is different from China, but the food and people and bright lights aren't TOO different from eachother.
 
Im havin the same question. Got a free intl' plane ticket i have to use, either gonna be Japan or French alps. Prob not Norway or sweden bc i was there twice this past year

good problems to have
 
I remember I went skiing in Japan with my rents when I was really young. Although it was a while ago, its amazing. I ski in east canada right now and I really wish I could go back. I dont know much about Norway but all I can say is that Japan is unreal, so much powder :D
 
Norway has probably som of the best big-mountain skiing in the world. But the problem is that most of the ski resorts isn't build on the really big mountains. Off course you have places like Narvik, Hemsedal, Stranda and Røldal. But still if you wanna ski the best big mountains in norwa you will have to hike up, because heli's are not allowed to land on mountains in Norway without special permission. In the park scene we got really good places like Varingskollen, Hemsedal, hafjell and trysil. But compared to the US i don't think you will find the parks in Norway that good.

This is what i think of Norway after i started jibbing/ski pow 3 years ago.
 
I certainly have no problem hiking for my runs...

Actually, since I broke my leg, i've had more backcountry days than resort days.
 
As a Norwegian, I would go to Japan... I think you should consider Utah or the Alps if you want to get away from Asia, just because the conditions here in Norway are so variable and hard to predict. Didn't get that much snow on the west coast this year.
 
I would say Norway...but just a heads up it's SUPER expensive, you gotta pay extra just to sit in a restaurant or use a public bathroom! but Norwegians know how to party and are very welcoming.
 
Id say Japan after seeing the segment with sean pettit in the warren miller movie a couple years ago and in reasons. im sure either would be a incredible experience but the food culture and snow in japan just seems amazing.
 
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