A couple of things I didn’t get a chance to do last summer in the Niseko area are tree trekking at the Hilton and rafting. The tree trekking was open just for Golden Week and I took advantage of this and went across one morning to try it out. There is the kids course then you can choose to go on the adult course where there is a beginner and expert course. For Golden Week it was two thousand yen and you could use the courses as much as you liked. The ‘Pure’ activity area is open every day throughout summer, see their full website.
The hardest part for me was the Tarzan rope, you have to swing from the rope on to a net suspended in the trees. I landed a lot lower than the platform so had to climb back up and when there is nothing to lean on it was really tough on my arms.
To relax after the morning workout, went to the onsen which is probably going to be my last onsen visit for a while.
The Flame bar in the Hilton lobby was offering a Sakura Latte with Macha mousse set; ever a sucker for seasonal special, I ordered one.
The mousse was soft, sweet and velvety to taste while the latte had a subtle sweetness that took away from the bitterness of the coffee. A most enjoyable, mid-morning break.
On my last day in Hirafu, Tadashi from work organized for me to go on a NAC (Niseko Adventure Centre) rafting trip at a special SJ price.
Wearing a dry suit is not the most flattering piece of clothing one could wear. Once kitted out with helmet, paddle, boots, life jacket, we hopped on the bus and started our river rafting adventure.
Using a mixture of mostly Japanese and English commands we started down the river. Our guide, Tatsu, is from Hokkaido and wants to be a chef or work with food. He also teaches snowboarding in the winter.
The whole experience was pretty tame yet none the less fun, felt like being on an extended water ride at a theme park, there was nothing too extreme about the rapids and everyone got a little wet. I even had a translator, his English was good, but the parts he translated I could understand, I needed help with the more difficult sentences which I think were outside of his English capabilities as much as they were outside of my Japanese ability.
Continued to pack the last bits of my stuff before having a last curry and drinks with the people at the Castle.
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