Skiing may not spread coronavirus but slopes still risky

I love skiing but yeah, standing in a lift queue with people who've been exercising and are breathing more heavily than normal and then riding a little gondola cabin that other people have been in. There's plenty of infection risk there. To say nothing of the transport and hotels and onsens.

The Guardian did a podcast about the Austrian ski resort that became the epicenter of the European outbreak. It said there were lots of chalet bars where people would down Jaeger shots and then conga to the next bar. It sounded like Marbella on ice.

Earlier this year, ski resorts in France, Italy and Austria were the sites of several superspreading events that helped seed COVID-19 outbreaks across the continent.

Does anyone here know anything about the skiing situation in japan?

It sounds like resorts will be open but will be practicing social distancing. This will mean limited ridership for lifts, no mixed groups on lifts, and (probably unenforcable) distancing in lift queues, restaurant queues etc. Presumably enclosed lifts like gondolas will get a quick spray before you get on. It would be a recipe for chaos if the usual number of punters turned up, but I think that is unlikely. No skiers from overseas too this year.

Some Japanese ski resorts stayed open well into April this year. They stayed open while hanami was shut down and Disneyland, baseball games etc. were all closed due to coronavirus risk. I read an article saying that Japan was the only place in the world where ski lifts were still running.

@Aly--the biggest resorts are hiring their seasonal staff now so it appears they plan to be operational.

TorafusuTorasan

thanks for the info!

i'm thinking that niseko will be almost devoid of the throngs of crowds from around asia and aust summer holidays...most of those chalets and bungalows that have gone up there will be empty this year, but means there will hopefully be some powpow still left after lunch instead of being fully tracked out by 9am...

If they really tried, they could enforce social distancing in the lines, buses and eateries. It'd take a bit of effort and they'd lose a little business with the limited number of people allowed in at one time, but they'd still be able to keep things safe, I think.

From what I've heard from a local travel agent, there are plenty of people planning to hit the slopes over the next few months. And the Go To deals make it very tempting. Now that the government is extending it out to GW, there'll be plenty of people organising ski trips. Not much beats the feeling of cruising through powder on slopes without having to jostle with loads of other people.

It's basically impossible to get the virus when doing outdoor activities. I bet Niseko will be amazing without all the crowds from down under. I can't wait to hit the slopes this year.

El RataDec. 4  09:41 pm JST

"It's basically impossible to get the virus when doing outdoor activities"

Well , at least one person here as brains... Others??? Repeating what other have said ad nauseam....

The litany of the fearful... Virtue signaling to the bitter end...