The Grand Hirafu ski area is the biggest resort in the Niseko United area and also includes the Hanazono ski area. The Hirafu village has the biggest selection of accommodation, restaurants and nightlife in the Niseko area and most visitors choose to stay here. As a result uploading can be a little slow on busy days or if wind closures limit the amount of lifts open. Hirafu offers a wide variety of terrain with a little something for everyone from groomers, open powder up high and excellent tree skiing on the lower mountain. At night time Hirafu is the place to be with lifts running until 9:00pm daily allowing access to 2/3 of the mountain’s vertical even after the day time lifts have closed. A massive lighting system and steady snowfalls often make for epic night time powder skiing for anyone who decides to skip dinner. Hanazono is home to the well known Strawberry Fields zone with countless powder mushrooms and outcroppings dotting the pitch. Hanazono also offers Niseko’s biggest and best maintained park. Grand Hirafu permits entry into the backcountry including access to the peak via a series of gates located on the ski area boundaries. Ski patrol controls access to these areas and will close the gates if snow stability is poor and avalanches are likely. Check out the Niseko Rules for details. If you do choose to enter these areas, please remember that this is backcountry terrain, there is no patrol, no avalanche control and no signage to tell you where to go and how to get home. Anyone entering the backcountry should carry all the essential rescue equipment (beacon, probe, shovel) and have appropriate knowledge in avalanche safety and route finding. Alternatively there are a number of backcountry guiding services available in the Niseko area that can safely take you out of bounds. Grand Hirafu is connected to the other resorts of the Niseko United area (Niseko Village and Annupurri) at the top of the mountain and via a shuttle bus system (transport is free with an All Mountain Lift Pass. Tickets can be purchased for either the entire United area or just Grand Hirafu.