Welcome!

It’s official, there’s snow on Mt. Youtei (hatsu yuki = first snow) and that can only mean one thing – the winter season is on the way. While the official season doesn’t start until next month, our thougths are racing in anticipaton of all the good times to be had here at The Chalets at Country Resort. 

Update from “Powder Paradise”

This fall has once again seen activity bubble up in our part of Country Resort.  There are 3 new chalets under construction as well as our long awaited restaurant.  The team from Niseko RDC have been out in force to help us complete the project on time and word is that things are flowing smoothly. 

We’ve also completed hiring our expanded ground staff for the year. With all the new chalets from last year and this year, we know that we have to expand our service team to deliver the personal service that you have come to expect.  This year we’ve gone with the credo of “many hands make light the work” and have doubled our staffing.  You’ll meet most of them in the next edition of this newsletter and they look forward to meeting you on your next visit to “Powder Paradise”.

We had a great summer here at The Chalets.  For those of you who didn’t join us, you missed out on the fun.  Along with landscaping our little village, we found some great spots to fish, cycled like crazy on the many different nearby roads and played golf on the courses that seem like they are in our backyard.  Even though we were doing some construction, we managed a record summer for guests to The Chalets and certainly proved that Niseko is an “all seasons” place.  That being said, we’re ready for a powder fix.  We experienced above average rainfall this summer and speculation is rife that it will lead to even better snow this season.  Can that be true? You’ll have to be here to find out.  As always, you can leave your comments on our blog at www.nisekoresortsgroup.com/blog and tell the world what a great time you had while you were here.

Just about a month ago, we released our new website to the world. For those of you who haven’t seen it, www.nisekocountryresort.com, is getting rave reviews.  We’ve more than doubled the traffic from last year to the site and that is resulting in a large increase in booking opportunities. Our Chalets are filling up fast and the major holiday weeks are almost sold out. If you are thinking about a holiday in the luxury of our Chalets and haven’t reserved yet, do not hesitate to contact Steve at steve.reck@nisekoresortsgroup.com to see if your favourite dates are still available.

We all want to be our best this season when we arrive in Niseko and head out to the Mountain that first time. To help us get the most of it, we’ve asked a friend of the group, Katie Jackson from Jackson Hole’s Training to Be Balanced, to give us some tips on exercises we could be doing now to make sure we are prepared for the powder.  You can check her website out at www.t2bb.com.

The exercises below focus on core, glute and hamstring activation and single leg movements for better ankle knee and hip alignment which is key for all winter sports.

Single Leg Quick Squat

1. Stand in an athletic stance

2. Swing leg behind body

3. Squat up/down at a moderate speed being careful to keep good hip/knee alignment

**Avoid major inward knee bend & shift weight to heel for added balance

Mountain Climbers

Get into push up position with back and hips straight & parallel w the floor, hands positioned slightly outside of your shoulders. Keep one leg straight, with the other bent and near your chest.

Quickly drive bent knee back while bringing straight leg up to chest. Alternate for 1 minute.

24’s (why 24’s – you’ll find out soon enough)

1. Standing squats. Stand with your feet a little more than shoulder width apart. Hands are behind head. Push off heels and squat quickly 24 times.

2. Alternating forward lunges. Quickly lunge forward & down, keeping your back straight. Repeat 24 times.

3. Scissors lunge jump. Lunge jump 24 times alternating legs forward. Switch feet in the air.

4. Jump Squats. Repeat exercise #1, adding a jump to each squat 24 times.

When you’ve caught your breath, continue reading…

There is a rumor that we will be testing everyone on arrival. It could be worth some drinks in the bar so get in there and get started.    

We think that the 2009/2010 season will be one of the best ever. Our aim is to help more guests have more fun ever. Your holiday is our business so if we can help in any way, do not hesitate to contact us. You might be surprised what our ground staff can pull off!  If you have friends who want to come join you on a great holiday or who you think would enjoy the area, be sure to have them email Steve on steve.reck@nisekoresortsgroup.com and we will make sure they get our absolute best price – unless you want us to charge them more…

We look forward to seeing you here!

The Team 

Spring has sprung!

Your Periodic Update from “Powder Paradise”

Goodbye Winter…

We are coming to the end of our first winter season in Niseko with guests enjoying the light, dry snow by day and the warm, peaceful nights in their comfortable Chalets. We’ve had a busy season. We almost doubled our number of Chalets for rent and are anticipating a busy Summer building season. There will be more than just building happening this summer. We have had a large number of inquiries about the summer season. As a fours season resort destination, there is plenty to do in Niseko in the summer. Hokkaido itself is the most popular tourist destination for Japanese. They love the outdoor activities (there are 152 golf courses in Hokkaido, you have to go to Scotland to find more per capita) and they really love the weather. There are very few places in Asia that you would describe as “non-humid,” Niseko is one of them providing a perfect backdrop for summer holidays. If you haven’t scheduled some time to check out what Niseko has to offer, be sure to contact Hayley (hayley.richards@nisekoresortsgroup.com) now to see when we have availability.

The Cure for Spring Fever? Plenty of Sunshine and Snow

The Concierge Team’s Top 3 Onsens

The Grand Hotel Annupuri – This mixed onsen offers a therapeutic outdoor pool setting overlooking the tranquil, snow-covered surrounds. It’s particularly enjoyable after a hard day of skiing with friends at the nearby slopes of Annupuri and Moiwa. The onsen complex also has 2 men’s indoor pools and 5 pools for women to choose from (including a private outdoor pool for the ladies).

Yuki Matsuri (the Sapporo Snow and Ice Festival) was held between February 5th and the 11th this year. During the festival, hundreds of snow and ice sculptures are created in three areas of Sapporo – Odori Koen, Satorando/Satoland and Susukino. They are lit up by a multitude of lights and accompanied by traditional shows and songs as well as contemporary events such as ski and snowboard jumping competitions. The magnitude of the festival is aided by the fact that the Japanese military builds most of the sculptures, some of which reach the height of 20 meters. So when you are planning your next winter visit to Niseko, be sure to think about squeezing in a trip to the festival. We highly recommend it for kids and adults alike. As always, you can contact Hayley (hayley.richards@nisekoresortsgroup.com) for any vacancies we might have during that time.

More Things People are Saying About The Chalets at Country Resort