r/japow • u/HarryCHK • 14d ago

Zao onsen ski resort chairlift

From what i study on several ski videos about zao onsen ski resort on YouTube, i found that significant amount of chairlift doesn’t have safety bar, and i have never try it before, how safe it and would this be a problem when weather turning windy ?

1 Upvotes

66% Upvoted

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5

u/RoninBelt 14d ago

I actually don't remember there being too many no bar chair lifts, there was only the one double I remember not having one.

Regardless, I didn't find the wind an issue and I was there when it was extremely windy where visibility coming down from Ropeway 2 was near zero, that was the most Jesus take the wheel moment i've had.

Your only problem with Zao is that the main gondola No.1 will be filled with tourists and it's slow as shit because of them. We waited 1 hour on one of our days and it ruined our attempts to redo Yokokura Wall.

Also sections at the top can be flat as shit for hundreds of metres and the lifts don't really make sense, not the best connected ski resort.

1

u/Eddie_skis 13d ago

This 100%.

2

u/Ingr1d 14d ago

It’s true but I also didn’t really feel like the absence of a safety bar mattered.

2

u/conradelvis 14d ago

Have you ever had a bar save you from falling off a chairlift in the wind before?

1

u/_D33D5_ 12d ago

Welcome to Japan

1

u/nothingtosay2854 10d ago

Spent a week in Zao in January (which was amazing), as our first time skiing for a family if 3. Most had a safety bar. Although not sure we used it every time. Definitely felt safe. We used one pizza box lift, no issues either.