
Sapporo Teine
683m vertical, 15 runs, 36-degree North Face. Former 1972 Olympic venue 40 minutes from Sapporo.
Sapporo Teine operates across 683 vertical metres from a 340-metre base to a 1,023-metre summit on Mount Teine in western Sapporo, offering 15 runs across 76 hectares served by 10 lifts. The resort hosted alpine skiing, bobsleigh and luge events during the 1972 Winter Olympics, the first Winter Games held in Asia. Terrain splits 35 per cent beginner, 40 per cent intermediate and 25 per cent advanced, with north-facing slopes preserving Hokkaido's dry powder through extended periods.
The resort divides into two zones connected by the Eight Gondola and a 6-kilometre linking run. Highland Zone at altitude features the FIS-approved Olympic downhill course, the steep Kitakabe North Face with pitches to 36 degrees, permitted tree skiing zones and a terrain park. Olympia Zone occupies gentler mid-mountain terrain with wide groomers including Shirakaba Sunshine, family facilities and a snow escalator for novices. The longest continuous run from summit to base measures 5.4 kilometres.
Daytime operations run 0900 to 1600 hours, with night skiing in Olympia Zone from 1600 to 2000 hours on most days. The mountain draws local families and day-trippers from Sapporo alongside international visitors, with weekdays noticeably quieter than weekends when ski schools dominate lower slopes. On-mountain facilities include Highland Ski Center and Olympia Ski Center with rentals, restaurants and ticket sales, plus mid-mountain cafeterias. Views from the summit extend across Sapporo city to Ishikari Bay.
Sapporo Teine operates independently without major pass affiliations, though the K-Winter Pass at 89,000 yen covers multiple Hokkaido resorts. The 2025-26 season runs 16 November to 6 May, with weekend-only operation after early April. Standard day tickets cost 8,200 yen for adults, with online discounts reducing rates to 7,900 yen. The resort suits intermediate skiers seeking accessible Hokkaido powder, advanced riders chasing steep tree skiing near a major city, and families requiring separated beginner terrain with urban amenities.
Sapporo Teine is the Olympic mountain on the western edge of Sapporo, hosting alpine events at the 1972 Games. Its 76 hectares hold 15 runs over 683 vertical metres, from 1,023 metres to a base at 340 metres. The grading is 35% beginner, 40% intermediate and 25% advanced, with no expert-rated terrain. A gondola, a quad, a triple, six double chairs and a surface lift make up the network. The mountain divides into two zones, Highland above and Olympia below, linked by the Eight Gondola, and snow holds well on the north-facing slopes.
Highland is the serious zone, with the FIS-approved women's giant slalom run of 2,000 metres and Kitakabe, the North Face, a mogul run reaching 36 degrees that passes through spaced trees. A nature area allows tree skiing, and a small terrain park sits nearby. Olympia is gentler, with wide green runs, a snow escalator, a kids park and the ski school, and it also runs night skiing most evenings. The longest run, from summit to base, covers 5.4 kilometres. Advanced skiers wanting an Olympic piste close to the city, and families who need a convenient base, will both find a good fit.
The 2025-26 season opens 16 November and runs through 6 May, though Highland Zone typically accesses snow several days before Olympia Zone opens. After 6 April, operations continue weekends and national holidays only, with Highland remaining open into early May when conditions allow. Standard daily hours span 0900 to 1600, extending to 2000 for night skiing.
Mount Teine receives approximately 10 metres of annual snowfall, with the summit's 1,023-metre elevation and north-facing orientation maintaining cold temperatures and dry snow quality characteristic of Hokkaido. Base depths routinely exceed 300 centimetres mid-season. The provided data shows 772 centimetres season-to-date accumulation with 300-centimetre current base. Limited snowmaking supplements natural snowfall on lower runs, though the resort depends primarily on natural precipitation.
January through mid-February delivers peak powder conditions with consistent cold temperatures and frequent storms, whilst December sees the snowpack building with late-month storms averaging 50 centimetres weekly. March maintains good coverage with warming temperatures and longer daylight, though afternoon corn snow replaces morning powder. April transforms remaining terrain to spring conditions, appealing to those seeking reduced lift ticket prices and emptier slopes. Weekdays from January through March offer the best combination of fresh snow and minimal crowds.
The resort calendar includes standard Japanese holiday periods with peak crowds 27 December through 4 January. No major festivals or competitions appear on the regular calendar beyond occasional national ski competitions on the FIS-approved Olympic course. Night skiing operates most evenings through March, typically closing for the spring season. The Olympia Zone's lit runs and proximity to Sapporo make it popular for after-work sessions amongst city residents.
Daily snow reports at Sapporo Teine go back to 2025, 2 winters on the books. Open the record to compare winters, lifts and piste.
Mount Teine rises in Teine Ward on the western edge of Sapporo, Hokkaido's capital city with 2 million residents. The mountain sits 20 kilometres northwest of central Sapporo in the Teine Range, with Highland Zone base facilities at approximately 500 metres elevation. Slopes face predominantly north towards Ishikari Bay, visible from upper elevations alongside urban sprawl. The resort occupies a forested mountainside with no on-mountain accommodation, operating strictly as a day-use facility.
Sapporo city centre lies 20 kilometres southeast with 40-minute drive times, whilst JR Sapporo Station serves as the main transport hub. The resort sits 20 kilometres from the coastal city of Otaru to the northwest, reachable in 40 minutes by road. Teine Ward itself forms a residential and light industrial district within greater Sapporo. The 1972 Winter Olympics established the mountain's global profile, with the original Olympic flame holder preserved at Olympia Zone.
Road access follows Route 5 from Sapporo to Teine Interchange on the Sasson Expressway, then 10 minutes via local roads to either Highland or Olympia base areas. Central Sapporo requires 40 minutes absent traffic, whilst highway tolls apply for expressway segments. New Chitose Airport lies 60 minutes south via expressway. Separate parking areas serve each zone, with weekend capacity constraints during peak season.
New Chitose Airport, Hokkaido's primary international gateway, sits approximately 50 kilometres southeast with connecting rail service. JR trains depart Sapporo Station every 15 minutes for the 11-to-18-minute journey to Teine Station at 360 yen. JR Hokkaido Bus route 70 continues from Teine Station south exit to Olympia Zone in 15 minutes or Highland Zone in 27 minutes at 1,000 yen, though weekday morning schedules miss first lifts. Direct ski buses operate December through March from Sapporo hotels, taking 50 to 100 minutes with packages including seven-hour lift tickets at 10,500 yen. The JR Pass covers train and bus segments.
Hotels and lodges near Sapporo Teine, powered by Stay22.

Niseko Village is replacing a lift from the early 1980s with an eight-person gondola, Tsugaike gets a six-person chairlift, Madarao joins the Ikon Pass and Togari opens Asia’s first private ski resort. Here’s what is actually new in Japan skiing for 2026/27, plus what is still a year or two away.

Colorado’s early-season dominoes keep falling. Arapahoe Basin opened on Wednesday, Keystone follows on Friday, and now Wolf Creek is joining in on Saturday 31 October, just in time for Halloween. A storm on 23 and 24 October left 20 inches of natural snow in the San Juans, and three lifts will turn from 9:00 am, covering about 30% of the mountain. Expect rocks, unmarked obstacles and open water, but also Local Appreciation lift tickets at $73 for adults.

Keystone is next. After Arapahoe Basin claimed the first chairlift skiing of the season on Wednesday, Keystone opens on Friday 30 October at 9:00 am with more than two miles of snowmaking-built terrain on Schoolmarm and Silver Spoon, plus free donuts, coffee and a live DJ. Last year the order was reversed, when Keystone squeezed in a three-hour afternoon session to beat A-Basin by a day. Snowmaking has been running since 15 October.

Beaver Creek is getting ready for the biggest Birds of Prey ever, and this time it is not leaving the snow to chance. Crews started making snow on 27 October with 16 newly installed automated guns on the lower third of the course, after last December’s warm spell forced a downhill off the schedule. Seven races across two weekends run from 3 to 13 December, the most the course has hosted since its 1997 debut, and the guns start themselves whenever the weather allows.

Winter has officially started in North America, and it is one blue run long. On Wednesday 28 October, Arapahoe Basin fired up the Black Mountain Express at around 10:30 am after a surprise announcement just hours earlier, becoming the first major North American resort open for 2026/27. Cold nights, a dusting of natural snow and a lot of snowmaking made it happen in the resort’s 80th winter. More terrain is promised as the snow guns keep running.

Sulden am Ortler has called off its 31 October opening. The South Tyrol ski area has pushed its 2026/27 start back to Saturday 7 November, citing current weather and snow conditions and saying it will use the extra week to get the slopes in the best possible shape. The season is still scheduled to run through 2 May 2027. Elsewhere in Europe, around a dozen areas are already open, led by Sölden’s 30 kilometres of groomed runs.

Two days at Sölden, two races decided by a hundredth somewhere on the podium, and one very quick Brazilian. Lucas Pinheiro Braathen led from the first run to win the men’s World Cup opener by 0.48 seconds, with Loïc Meillard second and Marco Odermatt third. River Radamus charged from 15th to fourth on a rutted course, and Britain’s Freddy Carrick-Smith banked his first World Cup points. Braathen still hasn’t lost a giant slalom since Olympic gold.

The Alps are about to swap mild, sunny October weather for something far more wintry. A cold front arrives Tuesday, and SnowStash forecasts have Monterosa Ski out in front with 64 cm over 14 days, ahead of Blatten Belalp (55 cm) and Verbier (43 cm). The snow line should fall below 2000 metres by Wednesday night, and glaciers across Switzerland, Italy and Austria are in line for the best of it. The wind will have a say too.
Opening day for the winter 2026 - 2027 season is scheduled for Nov 21, 2026 (subject to change). Lift tickets at Sapporo Teine typically go on sale well before the start of the ski season.
Day passes start from ¥5,200, with peak rates up to ¥10,300.
Full access to both Highland and Olympia zones at 1972 Olympic venue Sapporo Teine. Experience steepest terrain in Hokkaido with 36-degree Kitakabe Course and Olympic heritage runs.
Buy passOnline advance booking discount for Sapporo Teine day pass. Skip ticket lines and save ¥300 while accessing both Highland and Olympia zones at historic Olympic venue.
Buy passSenior discount for ages 65+ at Sapporo Teine with full mountain access. Experience Olympic venue terrain including famous Kitakabe Course with reduced pricing for mature skiers.
Buy passStudent discount for junior high and high school students with valid ID. Access to Olympic venue terrain including steepest runs in Hokkaido with educational pricing.
Buy passChildren's access to family-friendly Olympia zone and beginner terrain at Sapporo Teine. Learn to ski at historic Olympic venue with excellent facilities just 40 minutes from Sapporo.
Buy passFree skiing for children 3 and under at Sapporo Teine when accompanied by adult. Complimentary access to Olympic venue with family-friendly Olympia zone facilities.
Buy passRound-trip bus from Sapporo hotels plus 7-hour lift ticket. Convenient transportation package perfect for visitors staying in central Sapporo wanting Olympic venue access.
Buy passSeason-long flexible pass allowing 25 hours of skiing used in 1-hour increments. Revolutionary system lets powder hunters maximize optimal conditions at historic Olympic venue.
Buy passSeason pass covering Sapporo Teine, Rusutsu, Tokachi Sahoro, and Nakayama-Toge. Multi-resort access with K-Winter Pass benefits and Epic Pass partnership discounts.
Buy passMore Sapporo Teine intelligence: snow report, webcams, resort overview.