It wasn’t that good… but it was unreal!

It was the biggest single dump so far this season and ensured a soft base of over a meter up high.

Only two short runs were open – Shirakaba and Centre Course above the Alpen Quad lift, which was used as a transit lift to get to the Ace Pair.

One run down lasted about three or four minutes max, but the overwhelming feeling on the mountain was that it was great to dust off the cobwebs and get back into some fresh powder.

Along either side of the groomed runs there was boot-deep pow, which became chest deep after a tumble and struggle back to the packed runs.

Despite the main part of the mountain below the thermometer being closed, by the end of the day there were hundreds of tracks under the ropes and down through the wide, virgin slopes of powder to the bottom of the mountain.

Several people are known to have been accosted by hapless and very unhappy ski patrollers but there have been no reports of confiscated lift passes.

Rumours are circulating the mountain will close on Monday but it is believed Grand Hirafu are actually considering opening some runs below the thermometer then (details to come).