Ogna

Ogna’s snow profile trends cold and grippy for Kanto. The elevation and interior lean pull in regular refreshes and keep the surface chalky between systems. Reset mornings deliver boot-top deep along the piste margins and in designated ungroomed strips; a breezy night often lays down wind buff that skis silky on the steeps. You’re not in a deep tree maze — the fun here is sustained fall line and how long the hill holds quality.

Start your day by riding to the upper ridge via the central quad, then recycle the higher pairs that fan across the spine. The black faces beneath the summit carry proper pitch — not a gimmick fall line that fizzles into a traverse, but honest steeps you can open up if you’re in control. After a storm, patrol typically flags soft-snow lanes; hit those early, then pivot to the ribs where the wind has sifted extra fluff against the berms and cat tracks.

Intermediates thrive because blues here are real lines, not just connectors. Work the longest top-to-bottoms for rhythm, then use the slightly steeper blue-black combos to level up speed management. On non-storm mornings, groomers ride like hero snow until late morning; when the sun pokes through, dust-on-crust softens toward butter and you can notch high-tempo arcs all the way back to base.

Trees exist mostly as fringe play. If you can still see the groomer — and you’re not breaking ropes — threading a few turns through low-angle birch is generally in the spirit of the place. There’s no gate network, and true sidecountry is not the move here: terrain traps lurk and exits can turn into long traverses. If you need a bigger freeride hit, plan a mission to Mt. T on a cold, stable cycle, then return to Ogna for clean miles and recovery carving.

Storm-day strategy is straightforward. Start high while visibility holds, then stair-step down as the day milks out. The upper ribs keep refilling between trains of riders, especially on southerly winds that load specific faces. If a night gust polishes a slope into chalk, that’s your cue for edge-hold drills — eurocarve turns, slarves off the banks, and smears across the wind-rolled pillows the locals know by feel.

Riders who like real skiing with zero faff. If your perfect day is clean steeps in the morning, buttery cruisers after lunch, and a quiet base where you can hear your edges sing, Ogna belongs on your Gunma short list. Strong intermediates will progress fast; advanced skiers and snowboarders get satisfying pitch without mega-resort chaos. If your trip is only gate-access trees and sidecountry, use Ogna as the carve-centric day between freeride strikes elsewhere.

Closest to the hill you’ll find pensions and small onsen inns scattered along the Katashina valley. Expect cedar interiors, warm ofuro baths, and hosts who get dawn patrol — they’ll slide breakfast earlier when the radar turns blue and point you to the right lot for a quick boot-up. Parking is easy and usually well-plowed even when it’s nuking.

For maximum flexibility, Numata and Minakami offer business hotels that are ruthlessly practical: late check-in, coin laundry, convenience stores within snowball distance, and highway access if you pivot to White World Oze Iwakura, Hodaigi, Marunuma, or Mt. T. It’s not glamorous, but it’s perfect if you’re playing the isobars.

If you want to celebrate a storm cycle, book a rural ryokan with a proper rotenburo. Soaking under a cold sky after a morning of trenching on the steeps is the move — legs reset, grin locked, and dinner heavy on mountain vegetables, river fish, and a little Gunma sake. Nightlife is low-key by design — think lot beers and early to bed.

On-mountain eats are the winter canon done right: katsu-curry with generous gravy, ramen that fogs your goggles, and karaage trays that crunch exactly where they should. Coffee is basic but hot, and service is brisk enough that lunch doesn’t cost you a run. Portions are sensible; prices are friendly.

Down the valley, Katashina leans hearty — hand-cut soba, set-meal shops with grilled trout and rice bowls, and kid-proof diners if you’ve got groms on the crew. Après is mellow and daylight-centric. Take your photos as alpenglow paints the ridge, share a couple of lot beers, then roll to an onsen and a big feed. Save any “big night” for Tokyo if you must — this valley is built for dawn patrol.

From Tokyo, drive the Kan-Etsu Expressway to Numata IC, then wind up the Katashina valley to Ogna. In good weather, plan ~3 hours from the northern suburbs; add buffer for holiday traffic or active snowfall. The final climb twists and can glaze quickly — proper winter tires are non-negotiable and carrying chains is smart when the forecast flashes deep blue.

Rail works with a bit of choreography: Jōetsu Shinkansen to Jōmō-Kōgen or Takasaki, local to Numata, then bus or taxi into Katashina. Buses thin midweek and late afternoon, so build your schedule around them rather than the other way round. If you’re flying in, Haneda is the efficient gateway; a rental car with decent snow tires turns Ogna into an easy anchor on a Gunma sampler.

• Lift hours: Typical winter day ~08:30–16:30. No night skiing — front-load your mileage and chase late-day chalk as temps dip.
• Lift access / gates: Central quad plus multiple pair chairs cover the ridge. There’s no gate network; ropes are firm and ducking can cost your pass.
• Snow & weather: Elevation and interior lean keep surfaces dry; expect wind buff smoothing exposed faces after gusty nights and dust-on-crust softening by late morning on clear days.
• Language & payments: Limited English, but the flow is intuitive. Ticket window usually handles cards; carry cash for small eateries and pensions.
• Became popular in recent years: No — steady favorite among Gunma regulars, overshadowed by bigger-name neighbors but loved for steeps and calm.
• Prices around the resort: Mid — lift ticket fair, cafeteria sensible, pensions good value midweek.
• Nearby pairings: Stitch Ogna with White World Oze Iwakura for steeper bowl shots, Hodaigi for long cruisers, Marunuma for high-altitude consistency, and Mt. T when a cold, stable cycle invites alpine freeride.