Hakuba is famous as a ski resort in the winter. In recent years, ski slopes have been making a bit of extra cash in the warmer months by hosting mountain bike races. This one used to be held every year during Golden Week at Iwatake, one of Hakuba’s most famous slopes. The action can get fast and furious, particularly since there’s generally melting snow that makes the slope muddy - one year I saw a number of spills and one spectacular flip-and-fall that, fortunately, did not result in a serious injury, though it took several minutes to determine that. Not for the inexperienced or incautious; if they see you being too reckless, they’ll pull you out of the lineup.
