Cortina

• Lifts: 19
• Runs: 40% Beginner 30% Intermediate 30% Expert
• Longest run: 5km
• Steepest run: 42
• Elevation Top: 1443m
• Bottom: 693m
• Night skiing: Yes

From the lodge, you can take a train ride followed by a free shuttle bus, or simply ask at the lodge for us to arrange transport for you. 

Hakuba Cortina and Norikura resorts are known for getting the most snow in the valley, with a massive total of 15 meters falling in an average season. Norikura is more suited for families and intermediates, whilst Cortina boasts some of the steepest in-bounds tree runs in the valley and is a definite hidden gem!

Beginners will probably feel more at home on the Norikura side, but Cortina also has a beginner run at the bottom of the mountain. Norikura's base area is expansive and is surrounded by gentle nursery slopes that are perfect for learning.

There is a fair range to suit intermediates. You can start on the left-hand side of Norikura and work your way around, riding a different run each time before heading over to Cortina for a bit more of a challenge.

Cortina looks small, but it is the hidden gem of Hakuba. The whole bowl is nice and steep on all sides. The lifts are slow here (there are no high-speed quads), but the upshot of this is that the powder never gets tracked out on a powder day.

Norikura has two halfpipes (an 18m and a 20m wide one) which are widely viewed by the locals as the best-shaped ones in the valley. You will also find a wave area, a few kickers, and one big air kicker.

Runs are possible down the right-hand side of Cortina, ending up right down in the valley at Minami Otari where you can catch a shuttle bus back up. It is highly recommended that you go with a guide (Evergreen Outdoor Centre, just around the corner from us, offers this service) or be fully versed in avalanche theory. Always carry a shovel, probe, and beacon, and ride with friends who carry the same if you venture into the backcountry.