The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Iwatake spreads across 539 vertical metres between 750 and 1,289 metres elevation in Hakuba Valley, offering 50 kilometres of terrain across 26 runs. The resort divides terrain as 30 per cent beginner, 50 per cent intermediate and 20 per cent advanced, with 125 hectares of skiable area. Hakuba Valley receives 11 metres of annual snowfall, and Iwatake's stand-alone mountain position provides reliable coverage throughout the season. Epic Pass holders receive five consecutive days of access to Iwatake and nine other Hakuba Valley resorts.
The Mountain Side area radiates runs in all directions from the 1,289-metre summit, featuring named zones including Hikage Powder Zone, Iwatake Back Bowl and Five Side Powder Zone. The longest run stretches 3.3 kilometres, though most descents are shorter and varied in character. View A offers a natural gully for powder, whilst the South course delivers wide groomed terrain. Intermediate cruisers dominate the upper mountain, with steeper green runs and tree skiing adding variety.
The resort maintains a terrain park serviced by a dedicated chairlift, featuring kickers, rails, boxes and tables without a halfpipe. The summit's Hakuba Mountain Harbor terrace provides 360-degree panoramas of the Northern Alps and Hakuba Valley, paired with The City Bakery. Weekdays see light crowds compared to neighbouring Happo One, though weekends and holidays draw more visitors from Tokyo. The villages of Kirikubo and Shinden sit near the base, offering budget accommodation and the slope-side Hakuba Brew Pub.
Iwatake joined the Epic Pass network in 2018, giving pass holders unrestricted winter access alongside Hakuba's other major resorts. The 2025-26 season ran from 5 December to 29 March, typical of the valley's mid-elevation areas. Lower summit elevation than Happo One or Cortina means occasional warm spells affect snow quality, making Iwatake ideal for intermediate skiers seeking uncrowded terrain with exceptional views when conditions align.
539m
Vertical
26
Runs
309 acres
Skiable
10m
Annual snow
Epic Pass
Pass
The Terrain
26 runs across 309 acres skiable
Iwatake spreads 26 runs across 309 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 50%, with 8 beginner runs to find your feet and 5 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
26
runs
26 runs across 4 grades
Beginner8 runs · 30%
Intermediate13 runs · 50%
Advanced5 runs · 20%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Iwatake
The 2025-26 season operated from 5 December 2025 to 29 March 2026, spanning 115 days and typical of Hakuba Valley's mid-elevation resorts. Iwatake typically opens mid-December, later than early-season areas like Goryu and Happo One which benefit from higher elevation and snowmaking. Historical opening dates have ranged from late November to late December depending on natural snowfall. The resort closes in late March, whilst higher resorts extend into early May during strong seasons.
Hakuba Valley averages 11 metres of annual snowfall, with Iwatake receiving consistent accumulation despite its 1,289-metre summit being the lowest in the valley. Cold Siberian air masses crossing the Sea of Japan deliver light, dry powder from December through February. The 2024-25 season recorded 782 centimetres at nearby Happo One base, the heaviest in 60 years, though Iwatake's lower elevation can experience rain during warmer storms. No snowmaking infrastructure supplements natural snow.
January and February deliver peak powder conditions, with late January through mid-February offering the most reliable deep snow and cold temperatures. Early December sees limited terrain open whilst the snowpack builds, and March brings spring conditions with potential for slush on sun-exposed slopes. The resort's protected position on a stand-alone mountain provides shelter during storms, when higher resorts may close lifts due to wind. Quieter periods occur in early December and throughout March outside Japanese holidays.
Night skiing operates on a seasonal basis depending on demand, with the Noah Gondola occasionally running for evening access. Chinese New Year in late January or early February brings peak crowds, alongside Japanese national holidays and weekends when Tokyo visitors arrive. The resort has hosted no major competitive events, focusing instead on recreational skiing and the Mountain Harbor all-season attraction. Cross-country skiing operates on a five-kilometre course at the base area throughout winter.
Season 2025-2026
5 Dec 2025
Opens
29 Mar 2026
Closes
114
Days open
10 m
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Iwatake, and where to stay
Iwatake sits in Hakuba Village within Nagano Prefecture's Kitaazumi district, three kilometres northwest of Happo One and part of the 30-kilometre Hakuba Valley chain beneath the 3,000-metre Northern Alps. The base village of Kirikubo sits at 750 metres elevation, with the neighbouring hamlet of Shinden located minutes away on foot. Hakuba Valley comprises ten separate ski areas spread across Hakuba Village, Otari Village and Omachi City. The Japan Sea lies 60 kilometres northwest, whilst the Northern Alps form an immediate eastern backdrop.
The Hakuba Happo Bus Terminal sits 3.5 kilometres south, serving as the valley's main transport hub with connections to all resorts. Hakuba Station on the JR Oito Line lies five kilometres south in Hakuba Village centre, surrounded by the Echoland and Wadano accommodation zones. Nagano city sits 50 kilometres southeast, serving as the regional capital. Tokyo lies 250 kilometres east, accessible in three to four hours via Nagano. The valley hosted alpine skiing events for the 1998 Winter Olympics centred on Happo One.
From Tokyo, travellers take the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Nagano Station in 90 minutes, then transfer to Alpico Express buses running hourly to Hakuba in 60 minutes. The Azusa Limited Express runs once daily from Shinjuku directly to Hakuba Station in 3.5 to 4 hours without transfers. By car from Tokyo, Route 19 connects to the Hakuba-Nagano Olympic Road via the Chuo Expressway and Nagano Interchange, a 4.5-hour drive. Snow chains are mandatory in winter, with Route 148 running the length of Hakuba Valley connecting all resorts.
Narita and Haneda airports serve Tokyo, 270 and 290 kilometres from Hakuba respectively, with direct shuttle buses operating in winter requiring five hours travel time. Chubu Centrair Airport near Nagoya lies 200 kilometres south, connected via the Shinano Limited Express through the Kiso Valley to Matsumoto then local trains to Hakuba. Free shuttle buses link Iwatake to other Hakuba resorts throughout the day, departing from Hakuba Happo Bus Terminal. Private transfers and rental cars provide flexibility, though most international visitors rely on the Nagano Shinkansen connection and valley shuttle network.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Iwatake, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Aspen Snowmass Marks 80th Anniversary With $3.75 Throwback Lift Tickets
Aspen Snowmass turns 80 this December, and it's marking the milestone with $3.75 lift tickets on the anniversary itself - the original 1946 price. A discounted long weekend, $19.46 dining specials, lodging deals up to 46 percent off, and a season of anniversary programming round out the celebration across all four mountains.
17 Sept 2026
Doppelmayr Group Posts 9.1% Revenue Growth in 2025/26, Passing 1.3 Billion Euros
Doppelmayr closed its 2025/26 business year with revenue up 9.1 percent to 1.3 billion euros, driven by projects including the Big Sky Explorer Gondola, Deer Valley's Mayflower East Village Gondola, and the first TRI-Line installation at Hoch-Ybrig. Headcount grew too, with the ropeway manufacturer now employing almost 4,000 people worldwide.
16 Sept 2026
Hintertux Glacier Replaces 40-Year-Old Gondola to Tuxer Fernerhaus
Hintertux Glacier is retiring its 40-year-old gondola to the Tuxer Fernerhaus. The replacement carries 10 people per cabin instead of four, with seat heating and nearly 40 percent more hourly capacity. Doppelmayr's new line opens at the end of October 2026, right as the glacier's high-altitude terrain becomes accessible again for the new season.
16 Sept 2026
FIS Weighs Holding World Championships in Almost Every Winter, Starting 2032
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation is looking at a major shake-up to its title events calendar. From 2032, World Championships could run not just in odd-numbered years but in every non-Olympic winter too, effectively putting a global title event on the calendar almost every season. The FIS Council has approved the concept following a feasibility study, though an accelerated rollout as early as 2028 is also under consideration.
4 Sept 2026
Mount Buller Becomes Latest Australian Resort to Call Time Early on 2026
Mount Buller closes out its 2026 season this Sunday, joining Falls Creek, Hotham and Charlotte Pass in a cluster of closures landing almost simultaneously and roughly a month ahead of schedule. The culprit is stark: Spencers Creek's benchmark snow depth hit 31.2cm on 3 September, just 18% of the 73-year average and an all-time low for this point in the season. Six of Victoria and NSW's best-known resorts will have shut their lifts early within a span of about two and a half weeks.
4 Sept 2026
Tremblant to Add New Timber Summit Ski Sector for 2027/28 Season
Tremblant has confirmed a major expansion of its Quebec ski area, with a new Timber Summit sector adding 62 acres of terrain, eight trails and a high-speed quad chairlift for winter 2027/28. It's part of a CAD 42.5 million investment that also includes a new beginner learning zone at Versant Soleil opening this coming season. The project has grown considerably since it was first announced back in 2020, when it carried a far smaller budget and an opening date that never eventuated.
2 Sept 2026
Mount Hotham to Close for the 2026 Season on Sunday, September 6
We knew when the Bird Bath Pond Skim showed up on Hotham's Instagram that the season was on its way out. It's been a rough one - I only managed two days on snow all year, at Falls Creek - and now Baw Baw, Selwyn and Hotham have all called it, possibly the worst Australian season I've seen in a decade. Hotham's last day of lift operations is Sunday, 6 September, with a Retro Day, Father's Day après and closing sales before the lifts stop turning for good.
1 Sept 2026
Thredbo to Replace Ageing Gunbarrel Quad With New Six-Seat Chairlift for 2028
Thredbo Alpine Resort has confirmed plans to replace its 37-year-old Gunbarrel quad chairlift with a new six-seat Doppelmayr D-Line, targeting winter 2028. The AUD 35 million project will keep travel time roughly the same but lift capacity from 2,800 to 3,000 skiers per hour. It's part of a broader investment push that also includes doubled snowmaking capacity at Friday Flat for 2027, with the ageing Kosciuszko Express now flagged as the resort's next major lift replacement after Gunbarrel.
31 Aug 2026
Iwatake Lift Tickets
Iwatake lift tickets & passes
The 2025-2026 season at Iwatake closed on Mar 29, 2026. Check back for next season's opening date and ticket pricing.
Lift tickets FAQ
How much does a Iwatake day pass cost?
Iwatake day pass pricing varies by date and advance booking - see the full breakdown in the tickets panel.
Can I buy Iwatake lift tickets online?
Yes, you can purchase tickets online or at the resort ticket office.
Are there discounts for multi-day passes?
Yes, multi-day packages typically offer significant savings compared to individual day passes. The per-day cost decreases with longer stays.
What is included with a Iwatake lift ticket?
Full access to all lifts and trails at Iwatake, including mountain safety and patrol services.
What is the difference between Iwatake lift tickets and ski passes?
"Lift tickets" and "ski passes" refer to the same thing at Iwatake - your access to the mountain's lifts and trails for your chosen duration.
When should I buy Iwatake lift tickets for the best price?
Purchase tickets at least 7 days in advance for the best rates, and consider weekday visits for further savings over weekend rates.
Does Iwatake offer group discounts on lift tickets?
Group discounts are typically available for parties of 10 or more. Contact Iwatake directly for group booking information and rates.
How can I check current conditions before buying tickets?
Before purchasing, check the live snow report and mountain webcams to see current weather, snow conditions, and lift operations at Iwatake.
More Iwatake intelligence: snow report, webcams, resort overview.