Fast & Precarious

From late April to early November, the gondolas at Fujimi Panorama Resort transport hikers and mountain bikers up to higher ground close to the summit. In the wintertime when the area is covered with snow, skiers and snowboarders take over the scene.

My heart was filled with excitement as the door of the gondola lift closed and the cable car was slowly leaving the station, taking me, my friend Kent and our downhill bikes up the slope to the trailheads 1,780m above sea level. We had planned this trip for more than half-a-year, and it's happening. A few minutes from now, we would be riding the famous trails of Fujimi, in one of Japan's largest bike parks.

Nagano, the prefecture where Fujimi town is located, is well known for its many ski resorts. Fujimi is one of them. But unlike most of the rest, Fujimi is still full of life outside of the snow season. During the warmer months, the Fujimi Panorama Resort, a prominent ski area west of the small town doubles as a giant playground for mountain bikers, especially those addicted to the pull of gravity, the downhillers.

Kent and the other Singaporean friends who were seated on other gondolas had visited Fujimi before. But this was my first time. Although a few years earlier I did some downhill riding in Niseko of Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost main island and prefecture, I couldn't help but feel the delightful thrill inside me now.

From late April to early November, the gondolas at Fujimi Panorama Resort transport hikers and mountain bikers up to higher ground close to the summit. In the wintertime when the area is covered with snow, skiers and snowboarders take over the scene.

Back then, downhill biking was a new activity in Niseko so the trail was not so tricky. But in this part of Nagano, it is a well-established sport. The bike tracks were purpose-built and constantly maintained boasting a variety of fun features, from berms to jumps and drops. It's going to be even more fun.

Kent and the other riders brought their bikes from Singapore. I couldn't do so because I had been travelling to a few other places before meeting up with them in Fujimi, and lugging along a big bicycle bag would have been troublesome. Thankfully, at Fujimi Panorama Resort there is a bike shop that has full-suspension rigs for rent. I had booked one online months before the trip, not just the bike but a full package that also included a full-face helmet and other protective gear, a day pass for the gondola and a lunch coupon. It cost me ¥12,000 (3,528 baht), insurance excluded.

The package turned out to be a decent deal. I rented a Specialised Enduro bicycle with 27.5-inch wheels. It's newer and lighter than any of those I have at home. Fearing that the rented pair might stink, I brought along my own gloves. On the contrary, their gloves, shin/knee guards, and full-face helmet were all fresh and clean. I still used my gloves anyway, simply because I'm used to them.

From the gondola at a higher elevation, I could see the whole town of Fujimi and the Yatsugatake mountains on the other side of the valley where the town is located. Looking straight down I could see riders zooming down the open parts of the trails. They were fast. Japanese downhillers living in Thailand are fast, too. Some are familiar faces on the Thai podium. I wasn't that competitive. Luckily, my Singaporean friends weren't either. We rode in a group. Along the way, faster riders would wait for those lagging behind every once in a while to make sure everybody was all right. With the day pass, we could do as many runs we were capable of until 4pm when the gondola service stopped and my rented bike and gear had to be returned. We managed to do three or four runs that day. Unfortunately, I had only one day of riding at Fujimi, and that was clearly not enough. There were still trails I hadn't ridden. The Singaporeans stayed on a few more days. Riding was the major purpose of their trip.

At Fujimi bike park, downhill trails of different difficulty levels are available. They are marked with signs of different colours: green for beginners, blue for intermediate riders and black for advanced riders. The longest, a blue line, is 8km long. Being familiar with the rough DH trails in Chiang Mai, I have no problem riding the black lines at my usual speed. The supposedly easier green and blue lines, however, were more challenging for me, especially the well-groomed sections. Of course, they are easy when you ride at a leisurely pace. But if you let go of the brakes for too long, that can be a completely different story. Because of the smooth surface, the bike can shoot forward extremely fast. Despite all those berms, running through the numerous corners while trying to use as little braking as possible was not easy for me at all. They require a different kind of riding skill. In Thailand, we don't have smooth trails like these to practice. The closest I could think of is the one at Khao Phra in Suphan Buri's Doem Bang Nang Buat. But the smooth sections in Fujimi are way longer and boast numerous sharp turns and jumps. I wish I had more time to ride those flowy trails.

Unlike in Thailand where downhillers need to load their rigs on a pickup to get to the trailheads on the mountaintop, riders in some countries with ski resorts can make use of the gondolas that otherwise would be left idle when the snow season is over. In Fujimi, the gondola operates from 9am to 4pm. Each car can fit two bikes and two riders. Tickets for a single ride and three rides cost ¥1,500 and ¥3,900, respectively. If you plan to do more runs, a day pass, priced at ¥4,950, is more cost effective. Do keep in mind that the park is closed on Tuesdays. xxxxxx

Mountain biking, especially downhill mountain biking, is not just an ordinary sport but a special bond between like-minded people from all walks of lives, regardless of nationality. I first met these fun-loving SMC riders from Singapore years ago in Chiang Mai, which is regarded as one of the best downhill mountain bike destinations in the region. Since then, we have been good friends, and have been riding together on many occasions both in Thailand and Singapore. For this latest trip, we met in Japan. By the way, the SMC acronym stands for "Spend Money Club", which is basically what a lot of mountain bikers love to do since upgrading bike parts is another addiction apart from riding. Photo courtesy of The SMC

I had heard one could see Mount Fuji from the top of Fujimi Panorama Resort on clearer days. But that didn't happen while I was there. However, during my stay in Kawaguchigo, Yamanashi Prefecture, where I spent a night before continuing to Fujimi, this was what greeted me in the morning when I looked out the bedroom window of the ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) I stayed in. Mount Fuji is a sight that is both majestic and mysteriously powerful. Although this was not the first time I saw the legendary volcano, I couldn't help but be stunned by its bewitching aura. The Japanese castle in the other photo is located in Matsumoto, an hour or so by northward train from Fujimi. Dating back to the early 17th century, it's one of the country's most beautiful original castles. Since you're already in this part of Japan, it's not a bad idea to visit this grand historical architecture, too.

Fujimi town is not large. But being a ski resort, it offers a variety of tourist accommodation. My friends and I stayed in forest cabins like this one in the Fujimi Kogen ski area east of the town (the bike park is on another mountain on the west side). The cottage I slept in came with two bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen/dining room, a hot bath and a large patio in the back. If you are able to search in Japanese or have a friend who can, you will find more choices than what is available on English websites.

If you have been to Japan, you must have noticed beautiful manhole covers in virtually every city you visited, each place boasting unique designs. A small town surrounded by mountains like Fujimi is no exception. For those who are fans of Japanese manhole cover art, this is what the design in Fujimi looks like. xxxxxx