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Are Ski Lift Accidents on the Rise? A Look at This Year’s Catastrophic Failures
When you get on a ski lift, the prospect of your chair falling off the line is a thing of nightmare fuel. But for those who’ve decided to ski or ride in North America this winter, catastrophic chairlift and gondola failures have seemingly surged […]
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When you get on a ski lift, the prospect of your chair falling off the line is a thing of nightmare fuel. But for those who’ve decided to ski or ride in North America this winter, catastrophic chairlift and gondola failures have seemingly surged at an alarming rate.
While lift accidents have historically been rare and isolated events, the 2024-25 season has seen several incidents make national headlines. And these failures haven’t been restricted to just one lift type, one company, or even one country.
So why have so many catastrophic lift failures happened in such a short period? In this piece, we’ll go through each of the major incidents this year, what exactly caused them, and whether there really has been an uptick in accidents this year, or whether we’ve all been victims of recency bias. Let’s jump right into it.
The detached chair at Montana Snowbowl on December 15, 2024. Source: KPAX | PJ Neary
Incident #1: Montana Snowbowl LaVelle Creek Chair
The first serious incident of the 2024-25 season happened at a resort that many of you have probably never heard of. In December 2024, Montana Snowbowl experienced a significant incident involving the LaVelle Creek double chairlift, a Riblet lift installed in 1984. On December 15, an empty chair collided with a lift operator during loading, causing it to swing excessively and subsequently dislodge from the haul rope, falling to the ground.
Fortunately, the chair was empty at the time and no injuries occurred. Lift service was temporarily halted for inspection, and after maintenance crews inspected the lift and ensured it was safe, the LaVelle chair was reopened later that same day.
But was the LaVelle lift’s failure an isolated incident? This event is part of a troubling pattern at Montana Snowbowl, where three separate chair detachment incidents have occurred in the past five years. In January 2020, a separate chair fell from that same double chairlift, necessitating a rope evacuation for the rest of the lift. More recently, in March 2023, a chair on the Snow Park double chairlift collided with a tower and broke apart, causing a child to fall, albeit with only very minor injuries.
All of these incidents occurred on Montana Snowbowl’s Riblet double chairs, and their age and construction seem to be causing ongoing operational challenges at the resort. We actually happened to be at Montana Snowbowl this past Monday; we saw a skier loading one of these Riblet chairs on the wrong side, and they had to stop the lift for approximately 30 seconds until the chair stabilized.
At a first glance, these recurring incidents raise questions about the maintenance practices and operational protocols at Montana Snowbowl in particular. That said, as we’ll discuss later in this piece, Montana Snowbowl is far from the only ski resort that’s had issues with Riblet chairlifts this past winter.
A cracked terminal sheave assembly, pictured above, caused the Winter Park Gondola to malfunction on December 21, 2024. Source: Liftblog
Incident #2: Winter Park Gondola
But if it were just the locally-oriented Montana Snowbowl that saw its chairs falling apart, this season would have continued with a very different narrative. Only six days after that incident, another catastrophic lift failure occurred at a much-better-known resort, Colorado’s Winter Park.
A critical mechanical failure occurred on The Gondola when a tower component broke, causing an immediate shutdown and leaving 174 skiers and riders stranded on the lift. The specific issue involved a cracked terminal sheave assembly, a critical part of the gondola system responsible for guiding and supporting the haul rope as it moves through the lift terminals. This crack likely developed due to metal fatigue, stress over repeated cycles, or undetected manufacturing defects.
Once the crack reached the point where it could no longer properly support the rope, the gondola system triggered an automatic safety shutdown—but thankfully, this shutdown also meant nobody was injured. That being said, given the situation of the failure, ski patrol had to conduct a complex rope evacuation, requiring each stranded passenger to be safely lowered to the ground using harnesses. The entire process took approximately five hours.
The resort conducted an internal review and replaced the failed sheave assembly before reopening the gondola before the busy Christmas holiday, and luckily, there have been no issues since. Given the relatively young age of the lift, it’s not out of the question that this part failed due to a manufacturing defect, but concerns remain about the load demand on this high-volume, out-of-base lift and whether other similar components could be at risk in other gondolas of the same design.
A chair on Heavenly’s Comet Express lift slid backward into another chair following a grip failure on December 23, 2024. Source: xamfed | Reddit
Incident #3: Heavenly Comet Express
But while neither of the first two incidents had anyone injured, a much more substantial failure occurred only two days later. At Lake Tahoe’s Heavenly resort, a serious chairlift collision occurred on December 23, 2024, when a chair on the Comet Express detachable quad lift slid backward into another chair. This circumstance resulted in a violent impact that sent multiple riders tumbling onto the snow below.
The failure at this Vail-owned mountain was traced to a detachable grip malfunction, a critical component that allows chairs to securely attach to and detach from the haul rope at the terminal. These grips rely on a precise clamping mechanism, and any failure—whether due to wear, improper tensioning, or a mechanical defect—can lead to a chair losing its grip and sliding uncontrolled. In this case, the grip failure caused the chair to slip down the cable at high speed, ultimately colliding with the chair behind it. The impact resulted in five skiers suffering injuries significant enough to require hospitalization, with some reportedly falling over 30 feet to the ground. Witnesses described a loud, jarring crash and chaotic moments as ski patrol rushed to secure the area and evacuate remaining riders.
This incident sent five people to the hospital, with some reportedly falling over 30 feet to the ground.
While the Comet Express is a detachable high-speed lift that might feel pretty modern on the surface, it was installed all the way back in 1988, making it one of the oldest detachable chairlifts still in operation in North America today. While the Comet lift has undergone modernizations over the years, its age meant that wear-related incidents could happen without proper maintenance. News of this accident was somewhat drowned out by a ski patrol strike going on at Vail-owned Park City, but the incident still raised public concerns about whether the detachable grips were nearing the end of their lifespan—and whether Heavenly’s owner, Vail Resorts, was doing enough to properly maintain other similar components across its aging lift fleet. As we’ll discuss later in this video, these concerns may have been well founded.
The snapped chairlift bail at Sun Valley on or around December 31, 2024. Source: Teton Gravity Research Forum
Incident #4: Sun Valley Lookout Express
But before we move out of 2024, we have to cover the fourth and final publicly-known chairlift failure of what was an objectively terrible December for U.S. ski lift incidents. At Idaho’s Sun Valley resort, the Lookout Express high-speed quad chairlift suffered a bail failure at the end of the Christmas holiday period, prompting an immediate shutdown of the lift. While the resort has not officially confirmed the date and details of the incident, an anecdotal forum discussion claims that the failure occurred on December 31 at the very beginning of the day—and that passengers were loading the lift at the time the bail snapped. Thankfully, there’s no evidence to suggest that anyone was injured.
That said, a fracture in a chairlift bail is highly unusual. These U-shaped bars are responsible for securing the chair that skiers and riders sit on to the haul rope, and accordingly, they’re designed to withstand repeated stress over thousands of cycles. However, given that Lookout Express was installed in 1994, it is now 30 years old, meaning that just like Heavenly’s Comet Express, it’s one of the older high-speed detachable lifts still in operation. Over time, metal fatigue, corrosion, or stress fractures can weaken the integrity of lift components, especially if they are not inspected or replaced at appropriate intervals. While Sun Valley has not publicly disclosed whether the broken bail was an original component or a replacement, the fact that it failed suggests that either the part was past its safe operational lifespan or that it had an undetected defect. Following the incident, the lift underwent a thorough inspection and necessary repairs before reopening only a few days later, though this failure raises broader concerns about the longevity of older detachable lifts and whether similar failures could occur at other resorts operating lifts of this vintage.
A chair detached from Mission Ridge’s Chair 4 lift (pictured above) on January 1, 2025.
Incident #5: Mission Ridge Chair 4
Unfortunately for those hoping for better chairlift luck in 2025, the next major U.S. lift failure happened less than 24 hours after the new year started.
On January 1, 2025, Chair 4 at Washington’s Mission Ridge suffered a mechanical failure that caused the haul rope to come out of alignment at a tower, leading to two empty chairs detaching from the cable. The incident occurred on the “light side” of the lift (the side without passengers), meaning no skiers or snowboarders were directly in the affected chairs when they fell. However, the lift was at capacity at the time, and several riders were left stranded in the air as ski patrol initiated a rope evacuation. Notably, Chair 4 is a Riblet double, utilizing the same lift design as the Montana Snowbowl chairlift that failed just weeks earlier.
So what caused the failure at Mission Ridge? The haul rope misalignment suggests that excessive wear and tear may have played a role, and a situation like this likely could have been prevented with better maintenance protocols. However, the pattern of failures on Riblet double chairlifts raises a larger question. Could there be inherent design flaws in these older chairs that make them more prone to detachment in high-stress situations? In this case, the force of the haul rope displacement was enough to shake these carriers loose—but a different chairlift design might have maintained its grip under the same circumstances.
Chair 4 reopened the following day after maintenance crews confirmed it was safe to operate—but as we’ll discuss later in this piece, perhaps they should have been keeping a closer eye on it.
A chair on Attitash’s Flying Bear lift detached from the cable on February 2, 2025, plummeting 20 feet to the ground and sending an occupant to the hospital. Source: Fluffhead_Phan | Reddit
Incident #6: Attitash Flying Bear Lift
After five incidents over the course of less than three weeks, the North American ski world went nearly a month without another catastrophic accident. Unfortunately, some of the concerns that arose from the December Heavenly incident would come to fruition on February 2, 2025, when a catastrophic incident occurred at another Vail-owned resort, Attitash. On this date, a chair on the resort’s Flying Bear detachable quad lift detached from the haul rope and plummeted 20 feet to the snow below, with a skier still seated. The skier who fell was injured but survived, later being hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
The incident was traced to a severely worn grip assembly, the critical mechanism responsible for securely attaching the chair to the moving haul rope—and a very similar component to the one that failed earlier that year at Heavenly. Unlike fixed-grip chairs, which are permanently attached to a haul rope, detachable grips rely on spring-loaded clamps that repeatedly engage and disengage as the chair enters and exits terminals. Over time, constant tension and metal fatigue can wear down these components, reducing their ability to maintain a firm grip on the rope. Investigators later revealed that the grips on Flying Bear were found to be heavily worn, suggesting they had not been replaced at appropriate intervals.
A closeup of the detached chair carrier and broken grip following the accident. Source: Fluffhead_Phan | Reddit
The Flying Bear incident could not have come at a worse time for Attitash’s owner. Vail Resorts was already under fire for aggressive cost-cutting measures across its portfolio, with reports of stagnant revenue growth, corporate layoffs, and wage disputes with employees that culminated in the high-profile December ski patrol strike at Park City. Some industry insiders have speculated that budget constraints could be leading to deferred maintenance at Vail-owned resorts, though the company has vehemently denied any connection between financial challenges and lift safety. Still, with multiple serious lift failures this season, it’s becoming harder for Vail to avoid scrutiny over whether its cost-cutting measures have come at the expense of mountain operations and skier safety.
A chair detached from the Honey Pot Hoist double chairlift at Mount Bohemia on February 7, 2025; this was the third Riblet double chairlift to experience such an incident this season. Source: Conor Smith | Facebook
Incident #7: Mount Bohemia Honey Pot Hoist Double Chair
The next two incidents weren’t as high profile, but notably, they were the third and fourth to involve Riblet double chairs this season. Just five days after the Attitash incident on February 7, 2025, a chair fell from the double lift at Mount Bohemia, Michigan. The chair detached from the rope at the end of the line following what was apparently a “bad unload” by snowboarders, causing the chair to swing and hit a lift tower. Nobody was riding the specific chair when it fell, and after the lift was stopped for approximately 20 minutes, it resumed operation for the remainder of the day.
Incident #8: Mission Ridge Chair 4 (Again)
Just a day later on February 8, 2025, a chair fell from the Chair 4 lift at Mission Ridge again. This time, the circumstances were quite similar to both the Mount Bohemia and Montana Snowbowl incidents: an empty chair detached from the haul rope after excessive swinging caused it to hit a lift tower. Luckily, there were no guests or staff in the vicinity, and no injuries were reported. Following a thorough inspection by the lift maintenance team that confirmed there was no damage to the haul rope, Chair 4 remained operational for the rest of the day.
Fortunately, all of this season’s Riblet double chair detachments have involved empty chairs, avoiding any injuries so far. However, the sheer number of these failures raises serious concerns about their safety—or, at the very least, the operational protocols used to maintain and operate them. As we discussed in the Montana Snowbowl section, similar incidents in past seasons have resulted in injuries when fully loaded chairs detached, proving that this isn’t just a theoretical risk. If excessive chair swing can cause these chairs to fall off the cable, resorts need to be taking proactive steps to prevent these situations from occurring in the first place—especially when passengers are on board.
On February 10, 2025, a gondola cabin detached from the cable at Kicking Horse after a hanger arm failure. Source: Brandon Shaw
Incident #9: Kicking Horse Golden Eagle Gondola
But just a few days ago, the ski world was reminded that catastrophic lift failures were not exclusive to Vail Resorts, Riblet double chairs, or the United States. On March 10, 2025, a gondola cabin fell off the line at Western Canada’s Kicking Horse resort. The Golden Eagle Express, a 25-year-old gondola and the only lift providing access to over two-thirds of the resort’s terrain, suffered a catastrophic hanger arm failure, causing a cabin with eight passengers to detach and fall to the ground. Fortunately, the cabin was only a few feet from the ground, and there were no serious injuries reported among the occupants. However, the resort did have to spend hours rope evacuating other guests on the lift, and they ordered a full mountain closure following the incident to clean up the debris.
It’s hard to understate the importance of the Golden Eagle gondola in Kicking Horse’s lift fleet; this is a year-round, day-and-night lift and one of the longest and tallest gondolas in North America. Apparently, the lift was especially heavily loaded on the morning powder day of the incident. This is not the first time Kicking Horse’s gondola has had mechanical issues—prolonged stoppages and electrical problems have occurred in the past, with one incident in 2016 requiring helicopter-assisted evacuations.
This Kicking Horse gondola hanger arm pictured above failed, plummeting the rest of the cabin to the ground. Source: Liftblog
While Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR), Kicking Horse’s parent company, is not a publicly traded entity like Vail, it has a reputation for reinvesting very little into lift infrastructure. Over the past decade, RCR has replaced almost no lifts at its resorts, despite many of them aging beyond their expected lifespan. Its most infamous lift failure occurred at Mont-Sainte-Anne, where the L’Étoile Filante gondola experienced three significant failures between 2020 and 2022. After the third failure, the Quebec provincial government ordered the closure of the gondola for what was essentially the entire 2022-23 winter season. Now that catastrophic component failures have occurred on both of the gondolas RCR owns, several concerns have resurfaced about whether the company is deferring critical lift maintenance to cut costs, even as these incidents continue to happen and put skiers and riders at risk.
Given that the Golden Eagle Express is the only lift providing access to Kicking Horse’s upper terrain, this failure raises the real possibility that the resort will be forced to close the majority of its terrain for the rest of the season. This is much like what happened at Mont-Sainte-Anne a few years back—but to an even greater extent because of the sheer importance of this singular lift. If the hanger arm issue is found to be systemic, RCR may have no choice but to conduct an extensive inspection or full component replacement before the lift can safely reopen—something that could take weeks or even months. Given RCR’s history, it’s unclear whether the resort will be able to get the gondola operational again before the season ends, potentially leaving skiers and riders with only the lower-mountain terrain—which, at the time of this recording, is all that’s open today.
On February 10, 2025, a tragic wind-related incident occurred at Red Lodge, Montana when a rider was fatally ejected from the Triple Chair (pictured).
Incident #10: Red Lodge Triple Chair
But while the Kicking Horse incident happened mere days ago, it unfortunately wasn’t the last serious lift malfunction of the season so far. Just a few hours later also on March 10, a tragic accident occurred at Red Lodge Mountain in Montana, when 37-year-old snowboarder Jeff Zinne fell from the resort’s Triple Chair lift. Zinne was later airlifted to a hospital in Billings for treatment, but sadly, he passed away from his injuries on Wednesday morning.
This time around, it doesn’t seem that there was any sort of mechanical issue with the lift. According to Liftblog, the incident may have been wind related, though the exact cause remains unclear. An internal investigation is still underway, and full details have yet to be released. However, one glaring concern is that this 40-year-old lift lacks safety bars, raising questions about passenger security in high winds—and whether the resort should have been operating the lift in such extreme conditions in the first place. Especially with a fatality now involved, this incident calls into serious question whether chairlift safety laws are out of date.
Comparing this season to the two before it, the evidence suggests that this year has indeed been especially bad for major North American lift incidents.
Has the 2024-25 Season Been A Lift Safety Outlier?
All these incidents raise an important question: has the 2024-25 season been an outlier for serious chairlift failures, or are we just experiencing a case of recency bias? Comparing this season to the two before it, the evidence suggests that this year has indeed been especially bad.
To play devil’s advocate, lift failures happen nearly every season, and many of the incidents in 2022-23 and 2023-24 occurred at smaller, locally-oriented resorts that received less national attention. This could mean that the increase in awareness this year is partially due to greater media coverage rather than a surge in actual failures.
That said, media attention alone doesn’t explain the sharp rise in both the number of people affected and the severity of casualties this season. On top of the Red Lodge fatality, the Heavenly chair collision on Comet Express hospitalized five skiers, while the Flying Bear detachment at Attitash incident hospitalized another—far exceeding the injury counts of previous years. In fact, before the Heavenly incident, the last major mechanical failure to cause hospitalization-level injuries was at Camelback, Pennsylvania in March 2021—and following that incident, the resort decided to fully replace the chairlift rather than ever operating it again. The last widely reported wind-related operational failure of this magnitude arguably took place at Willamette Pass, Oregon, in early 2023. And the last fatality to come from a mechanical or operational failure in North America occurred in 2016, at Granby Ranch, Colorado.
Final Thoughts
So make no mistake about it, lift accidents remain relatively rare in the grand scheme of skiing and riding. However, the sheer number of catastrophic lift failures this year calls into serious question the state of maintenance and investment in North America’s aging ski infrastructure. While some of these incidents could be categorized as freak accidents, the majority of this year’s failures show clear signs of deferred maintenance, aging infrastructure, or outright mechanical neglect.
The pattern of failure also points to a deeper issue—many of this year’s failures have occurred at older lifts or at resorts owned by companies with a history of delaying lift investments. The Flying Bear lift at Attitash was later found to have worn-down grips, the Golden Eagle Express at Kicking Horse is perennially overworked and has had previous issues, the Comet Express at Heavenly is over 35 years old at this point, and the Riblet double chairlifts have widely-known issues with excess force. These incidents suggest that many resorts, particularly those owned by large corporations like Vail Resorts and Resorts of Canadian Rockies (RCR), are pushing the limits on how long they can operate aging infrastructure without making significant investments in safety upgrades—and perhaps even more disappointingly, routine maintenance.
While lift accidents remain relatively rare in the grand scheme of skiing, the escalating number of serious failures this season should be a wake-up call for the industry. Without proactive maintenance and timely lift replacements, we could be heading toward even more dangerous incidents in the coming years. It’s clear that resorts can no longer afford to defer maintenance on aging infrastructure—otherwise, more skiers and riders will find themselves victims of increasingly unreliable and hazardous lift systems across the continent.
If you’d like to support Jeff Zinne’s family in this difficult time, consider donating to their GoFundMe here.
Ikon Pass Debuts for 2025-26 with A-Basin Unlimited on Full Pass; Base Plus Pass Discontinued
Earlier today, Alterra released the Ikon Pass product suite for the 2025-26 season. Adults can purchase a full Ikon Pass, which comes with unlimited access to 18 resorts and no holiday blackout dates, for $1,329—an increase of 6% from last year. An Ikon Base Pass, […]
Mountain
Epic Passes Debut for 2025-26 With Higher Prices; Verbier 4 Vallées Joins Local Pass
On Tuesday, Vail Resorts announced its suite of Epic Pass products for the 2025-26 winter season. Access will remain similar to last year, meaning Epic’s terms will likely continue to undercut its main competitor, the Ikon Pass, although prices have increased across all levels of […]
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2025-26 Indy Pass Debuts With Wild 250-Resort Guarantee
The Indy Pass is guaranteeing at least 250 alpine and cross-country partners for the upcoming 2025-26 season—and will offer purchasers their money back if it cannot achieve this guarantee by this December. The Indy Pass just dropped some major updates for the 2025-26 […]
Mountain
The Indy Pass is guaranteeing at least 250 alpine and cross-country partners for the upcoming 2025-26 season—and will offer purchasers their money back if it cannot achieve this guarantee by this December.
The Indy Pass just dropped some major updates for the 2025-26 season, including a streamlined renewal process, a promise of even more resorts, and details on pricing.
For renewing pass holders, rates increase only slightly from last year. The adult renewal rate starts at $299 for the Indy Base Pass and $419 for the Indy Plus Pass. For the first time this year, Indy renewers can opt into the “Easy Renew” program, which guarantees a pass before inventory is released to the public. Renewers will just need to go through a simple opt-in process when logging in, payment plans remain interest-free. Pass holders must use Easy Renew to secure the full discounted renewal rate.
Starting March 1, sales open to the general public. Prospective purchases can secure their place in line for the pass by joining the Indy Pass waitlist, with waitlist-level adult rates going for $349 for the Base Pass and $469 for the Plus Pass. If any passes remain after the waitlist deadline on February 28, 2025, general sales will open at $369 for the Base Pass and $489 for the Plus Pass.
As with last year, Indy Passes will be limited in quantity. Those who cannot secure a pass during the early March period can sign up for a waitlist to buy a pass later in the season.
This year, Indy has instituted what it calls a “250 Resort Guarantee.” If the pass does not feature over 250 pass partners by December 1, 2025, pass holders may request a refund for their purchase between that date and December 10, 2025. Additionally, Indy says that if your “favorite” 2024-25 resort doesn’t return, purchasers can refund an unused pass before November 1.
As of February 25, Indy says that it doesn’t expect any of its current pass partners to drop of for the 2025-26 season. If this remains true, the pass product will offer at least 230 resorts next winter. While Indy includes cross-country ski areas as part of its resort roster, it’s pretty much certain that over 180 of these mountains will be downhill alpine ski resorts.
Indy Pass 101
The Indy Pass is a budget alternative to the better-known Epic and Ikon season pass products. Unlike its more expensive counterparts, Indy only offers two days at each full partner resort. However, the list of partners is lengthy, with at least 181 independent downhill ski resorts across the East Coast, Midwest, Rockies, West Coast, Japan, and Europe. Indy also features eight “Allied” ski resorts; access to these mountains is not fully included on its passes, but is significantly discounted.
Indy has released their pass prices for the 2025-26 season, with discounts for those who enroll in the Easy Renew program.
Our Take
The Indy Pass remains one of the best values in skiing—if you use it right. With prices staying nearly flat (just a $20 increase for renewers and no price increase for new pass holders) and over 180 downhill alpine partners, Indy continues to deliver a ton of ski days for a fraction of the cost of Epic and Ikon. That said, there are a few key caveats to consider.
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Not a True Season Pass
The two-day limit per resort means Indy isn’t a replacement for a home mountain pass, but it’s a solid fit for skiers and riders looking to stack weekend trips or embark on a winter road trip. -
Few True Destination Resorts
Unlike Epic and Ikon, Indy resorts tend to be smaller and more under-the-radar, which means fewer crowds and shorter lift lines. But if you’re looking for massive terrain, options over 2,000 acres in North America are scarce—outside of Oregon’s Mount Hood Meadows and British Columbia’s Big White, Indy doesn’t have much in the way of true destination resorts. -
Severe Blackout Restrictions on Base Pass
The Indy Base Pass comes with severely restrictive blackout dates across several partner mountains, including some resorts that prohibit access on all weekends and holidays. The Indy Plus Pass has no blackouts, but for non-renewing pass holders, this upgrade is likely to only be a few hundred dollars less than the Mountain Collective Pass, which also comes with a two-day limit for its partners but features many of the same destination-grade partners as Ikon. -
250 “Resorts”—But What Kind?
The 250 Resort Guarantee sounds massive, but we’re not sure how many of those will be downhill resorts vs. cross-country areas yet. Also, it’s entirely possible that some of these new resorts will be overseas, making them less practical for Indy’s largely North American audience. While we’re expecting expansion, it’s unclear if we’ll see any large new additions, especially after Powder Mountain’s departure a few years back. -
Easy Renew Caveats
If you’ve had an Indy Pass before and have the means to renew, Easy Renew is a no-brainer, letting you lock in the lowest price ($299 Base, $419 Plus) before the public sale. But if you forget or opt not to enroll in Easy Renew, you’ll have to pay close to full price for the pass.
Indy’s niche remains clear: affordable access to a huge quantity of independent ski areas. If you don’t mind smaller hills and short stays at each individual mountains, it’s an excellent deal. But if you’re chasing huge vertical, a destination-grade resort experience, or minimal blackout dates (on the Base Pass), you may want to weigh the Epic, Ikon, or Mountain Collective Passes instead.
For more information on the Indy Pass, check out our breakdown of Indy vs. Epic, Ikon, and Mountain Collective in video form below.
Mountain Review: Le Massif de Charlevoix
MOUNTAIN SCORE #1 East Coast 66 #50 Overall WRITTEN REVIEW MOUNTAIN STATS CATEGORY BREAKDOWN See our criteria 6 Snow: 5 Resiliency: 4 Size: 6 Terrain Diversity: 7 Challenge: 8 Lifts: 7 Crowd Flow: 6 Facilities: 7 Navigation: 10 Mountain Aesthetic: GOOD TO KNOW […]
MountainMOUNTAIN SCORE
66
CATEGORY BREAKDOWN
6
Snow:
5
Resiliency:
4
Size:
6
Terrain Diversity:
7
Challenge:
8
Lifts:
7
Crowd Flow:
6
Facilities:
7
Navigation:
10
Mountain Aesthetic:
GOOD TO KNOW
1-Day Ticket: $121-$166 CAD ($84-$116 USD)
Pass Affiliation: Mountain Collective
On-site Lodging: Yes
Après-ski: Limited
Nearest Cities: Quebec (1 hr), Montreal (3.5 hrs)
Recommended Ability Level:
+ Pros
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Extraordinary footprint overlooking St. Lawrence River
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Competitive vertical drop
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Exceptional glade terrain
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Reasonable crowds
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High-speed lifts
– Cons
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Much more difficult to reach than other Northeast ski resorts
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Lower-mountain terrain reliability
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Limited lodging
MOUNTAIN STATS
Skiable Footprint: 566 acres
Total Footprint: 1,834 acres
Lift-Serviced Terrain: 72%
Top Elevation: 2,644 ft
Vertical Drop: 2,526 ft
Lifts: 12
Trails: 53
Beginner: 15%
Intermediate: 30%
Advanced/Expert: 55%
Mountain Review
When you drive up to Quebec’s Le Massif, you know it’s something truly special. Boasting spectacular views, distinctive terrain, and one of the biggest footprints in the region, Le Massif de Charlevoix is possibly the East’s closest thing to a true North American destination experience.
Despite snow totals that pale to those of most western resorts, Le Massif’s one-of-a-kind topography makes for an experience that some might call travel-worthy in its own right. So how does Le Massif stack up as an overall package?
Le Massif is one of the most stunning ski resorts we’ve ever visited—and you can see it in all of its glory as soon as you unload your car.
Mountain Aesthetic
The first thing that stands out about Le Massif is its looks. With spectacular views overlooking the Saint Lawrence River, we’d argue Le Massif is one of the most beautiful ski resorts in the entirety of North America, if not the whole world. This isn’t something that any other resort East of the Mississippi can come close to embodying. Not only does a trip to Le Massif provide the surreal experience of seemingly skiing or riding into a body of water, but unlike certain other resorts with nearby lakes, the continuous movement of the river provides a one-of-a-kind backdrop that’s hard to truly appreciate unless you see it for yourself.
Aside from the tucked-away bunny hill by the Club Med, nowhere at the resort feels built-up or developed, and most guests will find their ski or ride experience to feel isolated and naturalistic. The D chair feels plucked straight out of an isolated terrain pod out West, with beautiful snowy alpine scenery and wide open, otherworldly glades that sometimes feel like your own private resort, with massive river views stretching out beyond you. For the adventurous, the 15 minute hike to the top of the unique hors-piste zone will give you a 2,500-foot-high panorama of the whole resort that’s truly breathtaking.
It’s also worth noting that Le Massif is a rare upside-down ski resort, with the main base area actually being at the top of the mountain, rather than the bottom. This means that you get to appreciate the amazing views in all their glory as soon as you strap on your skis or board.
Le Massif boasts a modestly-sized footprint for the East Coast on paper, but the resort also includes a sizable unpatrolled “hors-piste” sidecountry area.
Size and Terrain Layout
With a 406-acre skiable footprint within the official bounds of the resort, Le Massif de Charlevoix is a modestly-sized resort for the East Coast on paper. However, the resort calls home to an impressive 2,526-foot vertical drop, which is up there with the best on the East Coast. The resort also boasts a sizable ”hors-piste” area to the skiers’ left of the official boundary, with over 160 skiable acres of unpatrolled terrain available to explore. If inclusive of this off-piste terrain area, Le Massif offers a skiable footprint over 560 acres in size, putting it on the upper end of mountains east of the Mississippi.
Beginner Terrain
Beginner terrain at Le Massif isn’t exactly an outstanding experience, although there are some positives. The gondola, B chair, and D chair all service green-rated runs, but they are very limited in nature, with only one to two routes in most places, and they can get crowded. But while Le Massif’s easier runs are limited in quantity, the resort does offer top-to-bottom green terrain, making for the longest possible vertical descent on a beginner slope east of the Mississippi. For those who don’t want runs that long, guests can load back up the resort at mid-mountain via the D chair or gondola mid-station.
While Le Massif’s easier terrain is limited, the resort does offer the longest top-to-bottom beginner-level ski route on the East Coast.
Le Massif does have a few options for those who are truly first timers. At the base of the gondola, guests will find a well-sheltered bunny hill area. This zone overlooks the Club Med resort, which is an ideal location for those with the means looking for a ski-in, ski-out luxury beginner experience. This location is also highly sheltered, keeping beginners safe from higher speed traffic. But due to Le Massif’s inverted layout, most guests will begin their day near the summit—far from this lower beginner zone—making this learning area impractical for all but those staying at the Club Med.
However, near the summit lodge is a secondary bunny hill that’s even more sheltered. This high-elevation zone offers spectacular views and excellent snow preservation for a beginner zone. It also features a miniature progression terrain park for beginner and intermediate park enthusiasts looking to practice small jumps. This all being said, this zone comes with a significant drawback for less experienced skiers and riders: it’s served solely by a poma lift, a surface lift that many beginners find challenging and frustrating. At least skiers and riders in this zone can take comfort knowing that the surface lift is keeping them safe from the high winds which frequently occur at this high resort elevation.
Le Massif offers a decent selection of intermediate terrain, with the best slopes arguably accessible off Chair D.
Intermediate Terrain
Blues at Le Massif are comparable in design to the intermediate trails one would find at many destination resorts. Groomer skiing isn’t quite the expansive experience that one might find at some western resorts, but grooming operations are consistent and widespread enough across the resort’s sizable footprint. The blue trails off Chair D are probably the best at the resort, as they sit in a high-up terrain pod that preserves good snow and faces less south than the rest of the mountain. Notably, some low-angle blue bump runs exist at Le Massif, a rarity among East Coast resorts. These runs are the perfect place for intermediates to experiment in ungroomed terrain with limited consequences for mistakes. Massif’s blue groomers are often empty and rip fast with lots of natural berms, which can be a lot of fun for those looking to ski or ride a bit more aggressively on lower-consequence terrain. In addition, some of the groomed black diamonds are plenty approachable for most upper-intermediate visitors.
TRAIL MAP
Advanced Terrain
Advanced terrain at Le Massif is among the best in the region, especially if you like glades. Unlike many resorts elsewhere in Quebec and Northern Vermont, unmarked glades at Le Massif are by and large too dense to ski without local knowledge. However, marked woods runs are widely present across the resort’s footprint. These glades are cut to every level of desired density, with certain woods trails offering such a unique East Coast experience that they feel like you’re skiing in a different region entirely. Glades at Le Massif range from Colorado’s “glades are where there’s a tree sometimes” to New Hampshire’s “better have your pole plants on lock” level of technicality, but each are cut with an attention to detail that makes every run ski with flow and a good fall line that takes advantage of the natural movements of the terrain. You could spend all day trying different lines through the trees of a single terrain pod without ever getting bored.
Outside the glades, Le Massif’s fully cut trails also run the gamut of fairly steep groomers to nice mid-angle bump runs that should give advanced skiers a complete and satisfying experience. Black bump runs frequently sustain a long thigh-burning fall line, making for excellent endurance terrain.
Le Massif offers excellent advanced-level glade terrain, some of which is widely-spaced enough to offer the resort’s signature river views.
Expert Terrain
While not the toughest ski resort in the East, Le Massif is still a great choice for experts when conditions allow. Double-black-diamond runs all have pitches that are deserving of the rating, and skiers below expert level should take extreme caution when entering double-black-rated zones due to the exposure. Tree-defined trails of this level offer a combination of steep and protracted fall lines, making for some of the best cardio-busting ski runs one can find east of the Mississippi.
A particular highlight are the single and double black glades off Chair D, whose high elevation preserves natural snow extremely well even when it’s been a while since a storm, and each command a sustained gladed vertical almost all the way back down to the lift. Many of the glades off Chair B, such as La Derive and La Coursive, while tighter than the glades off Chair D, boast deceptively large footprints and fly under many visitors’ radar despite their central location.
Le Massif offers some particularly long and demanding bump runs, putting a strain on one’s endurance.
Hors-Piste Terrain
But despite the quality of Le Massif’s inbounds lift served terrain, none of it can compare to the true expert’s wet dream — the “hors piste” terrain to the skiers’ left of the official mountain.
This zone is unpatrolled and requires some mild hiking to reach — no matter which gate you choose — so extreme caution is advised before entering this zone. However, this zone is maintained by the resort and features strong signage, so for most savvy visitors this terrain should be considered more inbounds than the lift-accessed backcountry at other resorts.
These zones, particularly the steep chutes marked Secteur 1 & 2 on the map, are some of the East Coast’s most extreme terrain offerings, boasting incredibly steep pitches including paths with airs over icefalls and between steep trees. Due to the nature of their access, difficulty, and sheer size, each of these zones can preserve snow for days after a storm with favorable weather, and on a powder day, they can easily offer fresh laps until your legs give out. For most expert visitors, the short 15-minute hike will likely be more than worth it, given how unmissable of an experience these zones provide.
Le Massif’s unpatrolled sidecountry “hors piste” terrain offers unique glades with little-touched snow.
Lower Mountain Elevation and Aspect
The one shortcoming of expert terrain at Le Massif is the mid and lower mountain’s elevation and aspect, particularly on the lookers’ left side under Chair C. This terrain, comprising the bulk of Le Massif’s double-black patrolled offerings and very nicely sitting in its own isolated terrain pod, faces south and gets brutally sun-cooked when it hasn’t snowed. The iconic La Charlevoix trail, which is so wide and feature-riddled that it’s better considered a freeride zone than a trail, is particularly weather susceptible and difficult to access due to its location, with either a high traverse or sidestep (depending on which gate is open) above Chair C required to get there, and faces a very southerly aspect on a ridge with almost no trees to shelter its snow.
Still though, Le Massif does have an accommodation for the issue of its near-sea-level elevation in lower-mountain areas. A convenient mid-load station on Chair C picks up skiers and riders halfway up the resort, allowing guests in this terrain pod to skip the long runout through slushy snow which often plagues the bottom third of the resort.
RECOMMENDED SKIS FOR LE MASSIF DE CHARLEVOIX
NOTE: We may receive a small affiliate commission if you click on the below links. All products listed below are unisex.
Recommended all-mountain ski
Recommended carving ski
Recommended glade ski
Recommended expert/touring ski
Snow Quality and Resiliency
Speaking of conditions, despite its quite northerly location, Le Massif’s annual snowfall falls short of most western destinations and even some East Coast competitors. In addition, much of the terrain faces south, and many lower elevation zones are vulnerable to melt-outs when it hasn’t recently snowed.
However, Le Massif’s tall footprint means snow preservation up high is still quite good for the region, particularly in expert zones that take far longer to ski out than one would expect at a resort of this caliber. These zones are easy to lap thanks to an intuitive lift layout, meaning it’s easy for savvy guests to chase good conditions somewhere at the resort as long as the weather isn’t truly terrible. In addition, Le Massif’s northern location right on the St. Lawrence River means it can catch major storms that miss everywhere else in the east.
Snowmaking exists in most key resort areas, and grooming is employed to keep even the most vulnerable lower-mountain areas skiable. However, since the resort bottoms out near-sea level and faces south, spring-like conditions and bare spots are commonplace across the bottom third of the resort throughout the entire winter.
Le Massif’s lower mountain areas face south and sit almost at sea level, making for so-so conditions throughout the winter season.
Lifts
Le Massif has an impressive lift system for the East. Almost every lift at the resort is modern and high speed, with few seeing significant lift lines outside of peak periods. The main drawback is the variability of low elevation terrain making for a sluggish runout for those looking to lap top-to-bottom on the B chair and gondola, but this is avoidable with the mid-load stations on the C chair and gondola. In addition, the summit poma is a somewhat difficult lift for the beginners who are served by this terrain pod, but the tradeoff is wind-shelter for the most wind-exposed zone of the resort.
It’s worth reiterating that the hors-piste sections of Le Massif, which comprise over 160 skiable acres, are not directly lift served and require some hiking to reach.
Le Massif’s combination of fast lifts and modest crowds makes for quick laps versus other Northeast ski resorts.
Crowd Flow
For a major East Coast destination resort, Le Massif rarely sees serious crowding comparable to major resorts south of the border. An expansive and modern lift fleet placed sensibly to the fall lines makes it easy to lap most terrain zones, with minimal traversing required when every lift is running. The resort limits lift ticket sales to ensure that crowds are never too terrible.
Lines can sometimes build up at the gondola base and summit poma, but on the average day most guests will rarely be waiting longer than 5 minutes for a lift, with midweek visitors regularly skiing straight on to the chair even during midwinter months.
Le Massif’s biggest crowd flow issue arguably has to do with its lower mountain. Several trails converge into the same lower-mountain runs near the bottom, which leads to congestion, especially on the green runs down there. This can be particularly annoying on weekends or holidays.
Le Massif offers strong signage across its footprint, a lot of which happens to be in quite picturesque places.
Navigation
But at least Le Massif’s chokepoints are fairly straightforward to get acquainted with thanks to a generally-easy-to-figure-out mountain layout. Signage is abundant and thorough across the resort’s footprint, and all resort areas filter down to the main base aside from a few trails around the base of the gondola. From the main base, Chair B takes you straight up to the summit lodge, so it’s never difficult to find your way back to your car despite the resort’s inverted layout — as long as you aren’t caught at the base when the resort closes. Even in the hors-piste zone, signage is present at every major junction area, making it hard to get lost despite this area’s extreme isolation.
However, Le Massif occasionally requires some traversing to get between terrain zones, particularly getting to the lookers’ left terrain when the C chair isn’t running. In addition, the resort’s 3-dimensionality makes the sizes of some areas difficult to interpret from the map, leading to some runs feeling way longer than they might appear on paper.
RECOMMENDED SNOWBOARDS FOR LE MASSIF DE CHARLEVOIX
NOTE: We may receive a small affiliate commission if you click on the below links. All products listed below are unisex.
Recommended intermediate board
Recommended advanced board
Recommended expert board
Recommended touring board
On-Mountain Facilities
The lodges at Le Massif aren’t anything truly upscale, but they’re clean and placed conveniently. The resort offers two main lodges — one at the summit, and one at the base — and thanks to the mountain’s layout, it’s never too difficult to find somewhere to stop in outside of the hors-piste.
The summit lodge boasts incredible views and fewer crowds than the base lodge, making it the best option for most visitors to stop for a meal. Plus, with the resort’s inverted layout, this summit lodge will be most visitors’ first stop. Both lodges are clean and serve their purpose, with satisfactory lodge food that, as with most Quebec resorts, is a great deal for those coming from the US. The base lodge also features a creperie, which is a must-visit. Guests can also stop in at the fancier Camp Boule restaurant at the top of Chair D.
Le Massif offers two main lodges—one at the summit and one at the base—as well as a fancier restaurant at the top of Chair D.
Getting There and Parking
Le Massif is likely the most northern resort that will ever be on the radar of a typical East Coast skier. It’s a very long drive from most US metro areas, with the resort sitting approximately 7 hours from Boston and a whopping 9 hours from New York. It’s even a pretty long commitment for those located in Montreal, with the drive from that city taking about three-and-a-half hours.
Those who are willing to fly will find the resort easily accessible from Quebec City, but at that point, many vacationers will probably just prefer to go out west.
Parking is mainly located at the top and is plenty expansive for the low crowds typical of a Quebec resort, and smaller lots are also available at the base area for those staying in the nearby town of Le Massif.
Le Massif is a very long drive from most major Northeast cities.
Lodging and Après-Ski
Le Massif’s remote location means there’s little onsite lodging aside from the extremely upscale Club-Med. However the nearby town of Mont-Sainte-Anne, sitting a convenient 20-30 minutes from the resort, features surprisingly affordable lodging options, as well as plenty of great local restaurants to stop in for a bite. It’s hardly a party town for those looking for nightlife, but for those willing to drive, Quebec City is a short trip from the resort with a much larger social scene.
Le Massif isn’t perfect, but its positive traits make it by far the best overall ski resort we’ve ever visited in the East.
Verdict
So Le Massif de Charlevoix isn’t the biggest or most consistent ski resort snow-wise in the East. But this river-adjacent destination offers a magical experience unlike anything else within thousands of miles of it. From the low crowds and untracked expert lines to its truly otherworldly aesthetics, Le Massif is unlikely to disappoint those willing to put in the drive to get there.
The real problem for Le Massif is its remoteness. Yes, many folks will find it a lot more unique than the best resorts in Vermont, Maine, and other parts of Quebec, but it’s not as good as a typical destination ski resort in Colorado or Utah. Ultimately, besides those who live in Quebec City or northern New Hampshire or Maine, Le Massif might not be quite as appealing of a choice as hopping on a plane and going somewhere bigger and more snow-sure.
Pricing
While more expensive than most other resorts in Quebec, Le Massif is a solid deal for those used to US destination single day prices. Adult tickets range from $121-$166 CAD, or around $84-$116 USD with today’s exchange rates. This is well short of the over $200 USD price tag of many competing resorts stateside, with both half-day tickets and 4-day bundles available for those looking for a deal. And, for families with younger children, guests 6 and under ski free.
Le Massif is also a member of the Mountain Collective Pass, with two days of access any time during the winter season.
How to Ski: 7 Must-Know Tips for Beginners
If you’ve never put on a pair of skis before, entering the winter sports world can be daunting. Skiing and snowboarding bring a feeling of exhilaration unlike any other winter activity, but unfortunately, the barrier to entry can feel quite high for those just […]
Mountain
If you’ve never put on a pair of skis before, entering the winter sports world can be daunting. Skiing and snowboarding bring a feeling of exhilaration unlike any other winter activity, but unfortunately, the barrier to entry can feel quite high for those just starting—especially adults.
But luckily, it doesn’t have to be that way. So what can you do to make your first day on the ski slopes as seamless as possible? Well, in this video, we’ll break down the fundamentals to ensure you have a successful first day on the slopes, as well as the key decisions you’ll have to make along the way, and how to approach them. Let’s jump in.
Making sure you’re in shape, like this skier here, will help you progress as a skier or rider, and lessen the risk for serious injury.
Arrive in Shape
In order to prepare for your first day of winter sports, the first way to set yourself up for success is something you can start doing right now: staying in shape. Skiing and snowboarding are first and foremost strenuous, full-body physical activities, and you’ll get more out of your experience if your body is in good physical condition at the time of your visit. Having strong and flexible muscles will help you progress faster throughout day one—and in the process, will likely increase the chances you enjoy your time on the slopes.
If you’re watching this video and it’s already close to the winter season, we do recognize that during this time of year it’s easy to fall into winter hibernation mode. Don’t fret if you haven’t been exercising lately, but for the best experience, do give yourself a few weeks to do some leg and cardio exercises, some of which we’ve linked in the description below. Being in shape will also help you stay resilient against on-slope injuries.
One of the first decisions you’ll have to make is between skiing and snowboarding.
Skiing or Snowboarding: Which One Should You Try?
The next question you might be asking is: out of skiing and snowboarding, which one should I try? Of course, answering this question comes down to personal preference, but here are a few rules of thumb. Some argue that skiing is a bit easier to learn at the beginning but harder to master down the road, while snowboarding is harder to learn up front, but easier to progress in. One major consideration is that it is much easier to traverse on flat terrain on skis than on a snowboard. On skis, you can propel yourself forward by skating and pushing off on your poles. On a snowboard, you’ll have to release one foot from its binding to push along with. One last consideration: if you’re traveling with other friends and family, it may be more fun, and you might learn more, if you participate in the same discipline as them.
Gear such as helmets and goggles will not only make your day on the slopes more enjoyable, but they can save you from major injury as well.
Gear
Once you’ve figured out whether you’re skiing or snowboarding, the next thing you’ll want to figure out is gear. Unless you can borrow from a friend or family member, you will almost certainly be renting some gear for your first outing. If you’re not experienced with winter weather, you’ll probably have to buy some articles of clothing as well.
Typically, you’ll rent 1) boots, 2) skis/poles or a snowboard, and 3) a helmet. For your first outing, you will also need the following: a winter coat, snow pants, insulated top and bottom base layers, goggles, and waterproof gloves. If you’re skiing out west, you’ll definitely also want sunscreen for your face, which should be the only exposed area of your body. But under most circumstances, you’ll want to cover up part or all of your face too to shield it from the cold; a balaclava or neck gaiter like the one shown here should get the job done—just make sure that you get one that covers the forehead so it doesn’t roll off your face in the middle of your ski day. But before buying most or all of the above, check with your ski shop, as some more locally-oriented shops also rent winter coats and snow pants.
Some resorts and rental shops still offer helmets as optional equipment, but we cannot stress enough how important wearing one is. Even on the easiest slopes, helmets can be life-saving contraptions, and while you might save a few bucks by skimping on one, the investment might be the best one you make on your entire trip.
If you’re snowboarding for the first time, you may want to invest into some protective padded shorts and knee pads for your added comfort. One of the things you’ll quickly realize is that you’ll be spending more time falling than actually going down the hill, and if you don’t want to be achy and miserable at the end of the day, these knee and butt pads will do absolute wonders. Trust us, there’s an exponentially higher chance you’ll want to snowboard for the second time if you wear these padded pieces of gear on your first visit.
Technically, you can also get started on the slopes without goggles, and use sunglasses with a retaining strap instead. However, we’d highly advise against this too—if it’s snowing hard, very windy, or very sunny, you will be much more comfortable wearing goggles over any other eye protection. Snow, being white, reflects ultraviolet light very efficiently—both into your eyes and onto your skin. So even if the ground doesn’t look too bright on your drive up to the mountain, you’ll quickly realize that tinted lenses are a must-have on any ski day, even if it’s overcast. If you’re looking to buy any of these items before your trip, you can check out our recommendations in the links below.
Unless you can borrow from a friend that has similar sized feet, you’ll need to rent a few things from a ski shop or the resort itself. 
Rent the Right Equipment
The process of securing your ski or snowboard rentals may look complicated and stressful at first, but there are a few ways you can set yourself up for the smoothest experience possible. The first way is easy with a bit of forethought: rather than waiting until the day of, book your rental equipment online in advance. Not only can you save money, but you can also save time in many rental shops by skipping the walk-in line. Make sure you rent the right size ski or snowboard equipment for your height, weight, and ability level. In today’s world, the best shops replace their rental skis, boards, bindings, boots, and poles as often as once per year. Plus, the equipment gets checked nightly, so you can rest knowing it’s kept in proper working condition. Even so, it’s always worth it to make sure the ski or snowboard equipment you rent is in good condition and fits properly.
There are a few ways to rent equipment. The most common options include either renting directly with the ski resort or renting from a nearby independent shop. In many cases, independent ski and snowboard shops offer better deals on rentals than the resorts themselves. If you didn’t book your equipment in advance, renting from these local shops can also allow you to avoid ski resort rental lines during peak times.
However, renting from the resorts typically takes less effort, and it’s often easy to pair lesson bookings with equipment rentals in the same transaction. Bundle deals at some resorts mean that the cost savings from renting locally can be negligible, especially for first timers. In addition, many resorts offer free day and overnight storage services for rental equipment—this benefit is difficult to come by at independent shops, which are nearly always located off the resort premises.
Some rental places, both local and resort-owned, allow you to drop your gear off outside the rental shop in the snow. This service is a great added convenience.
Ski and snowboard instructors are trained to make sure your learning experience is as enjoyable as possible.
Take a Lesson
You may have a friend, significant other, or relative who is excited to show you how to ski or ride, but even if they are expert on the slopes, we strongly recommend taking a lesson with a certified instructor for your first time out on the snow. There’s a difference between knowing how to ski and knowing how to teach skiing, and you’ll set yourself up for much greater success and enjoyment in the long term, not to mention managing your risk of injury, learning from a skilled teacher.
If you are fortunate enough to live within driving distance of a ski resort, likely the most cost-effective outing will be to make a day trip to take a lesson there—but if you happen to already be locked into a destination trip, you’ll have plenty of options as well. But if you have a choice between a destination or a local hill for your first day, you’ll probably want to go with the latter; at most resorts, learning zones are located at the bottom of the mountain, meaning that most beginners visiting a premier destination resort will not have access to most of the full mountain experience that they will be paying top dollar to travel to. The good news is that many of these massive mountains offer special beginner lift tickets that cost a fraction of the multi-hundred regular ticket prices.
Group lessons are much cheaper than private lessons, though private lessons can provide more tailored experiences.
Private vs. Group: What Kind of Lesson Is Right for You?
But before you actually book your lesson, you’ll have to make a big decision—should you opt for a private lesson, or should you go for a group lesson with strangers?
There are important distinctions between the two, but it’s not exactly a clear-cut decision on which to go for, even on your first day. Private lessons allow for more personalized instruction, more one-on-one attention, and a lesson that can be tailored to the individual’s needs, goals, and skill level. At many resorts, private lessons can be scheduled at any time. On the other hand, group lessons cost less than private lessons. They can also be more fun and social than private lessons.
If you’re planning to book a private lesson, you’ll almost certainly want to do so at a smaller, more local resort. Private lesson prices at most destination mountains are completely absurd, costing over $1,000 for a full-day lesson in several cases. A handful of destination ski resorts do offer much more reasonable one-on-one lessons for true first-timers, but outside of those exceptions, the group lessons will be the only financially palatable way to go for most individuals. It’s also worth noting that if you book a group lesson on an off-peak weekday, there’s a chance that nobody else will have signed up, and you’ll de facto get private instruction for the group lesson price.
The Day Of: How to Ensure the Best Possible Experience
Okay, so you’ve planned your trip out—and the big day has arrived. But while planning your trip in advance and finding the right type of instruction will put you in really good shape, there are still a few things to keep in mind to ensure you have the best possible experience on the slopes.
Even on sunny days, the temperature on ski slopes can get very cold. Make sure you have comfortable and properly sized clothes for the slopes, or your day could end early.
Dress Appropriately—And Ensure Adequate Equipment
The mountain will be cold. Since you’ll have your gear picked out already, be sure to pair it with warm, comfortable clothing that you can move in easily. Additionally, before leaving the lodge, you’ll want to make sure that your equipment is well-maintained, properly-sized and fitted. The last thing you’ll want to do is have to leave the slopes early or cut time out of your lesson to go change because you’re underdressed or uncomfortable.
Arrive Early
If you’re taking a lesson on your first day—which you definitely should—be sure to arrive early. At essentially every ski resort, you are expected to be on the slopes when the lesson time starts. As a result, it’s important to arrive early at your lesson with plenty of time to spare.
We recommend you leave yourself a substantial buffer to get to the lesson area if you’re not staying on-site—especially if your lesson is on a weekend or holiday. At several resorts, it can take quite awhile to get from the parking lots to the actual resort terrain; treks of half-an-hour aren’t even out of the ordinary, and at some resorts, the time-to-slopes can be even longer than that. In addition, finding the ski school zone may not be easy if you’ve never been to the resort before, so be sure to allot some time to find your way around the base area
In many cases, it’s also helpful to meet your instructor before the lesson starts. Arriving early can allow you to get to know the instructor before getting on the slopes, explain what you may be looking to work on, and—in the event you find a compatibility issue—ask for a different instructor.
It’s important to stay fed and hydrated on the slopes, as these are sports after all, and you’ll be burning more calories than you realize.
Stay Nourished on the Slopes
Skiing and snowboarding are not easy sports, and ensuring you’re well-nourished and hydrated is key to ensuring a productive lesson. To minimize breaks, we recommend you stash some snacks in your pocket, such as granola bars or trail mix, so you can eat on the chairlift if you get hungry. If you’re concerned about getting thirsty, several manufacturers offer hydration packs that allow you to conveniently drink water while skiing.
That being said, don’t be afraid to speak up if you get hungry or thirsty and want to stop in for a break—especially if you’re on a private lesson! Most ski resorts have conveniently-placed lodges, and it should be fairly easy for your instructor to plan breaks, especially if you communicate your needs well in advance. If you’re in a group lesson, most instructors will plan adequate rest and breaks throughout the program; however, don’t be afraid to speak up if you feel misaligned with the instructor’s plans.
Post-Slopes Activities
Finally, if you’re a first-time skier or rider, the excitement of skiing extends well beyond the slopes. Assuming there is one, make sure you leave some energy to explore your resort’s ski town or village. Ski resorts often boast a vibrant local culture steeped in long-standing tradition, where every shop, café, and restaurant has its own story. Taking time to stroll through the town, meet the locals, and soak in the atmosphere are must-dos to really get a sense of what the winter sports culture is like. Even if you’re not much of a partier, don’t skip out on après-ski either; these activities can include everything from cozy fireside gatherings to lively musical events, and they offer a fantastic way to unwind after a day of skiing or riding. By making sure to experience everything the resort has to offer, you not only enhance your trip but give yourself the opportunity to see what parts of the winter vacation experience you enjoy most. Who knows—even if skiing and riding aren’t for you, the town and activity vibes may be so much fun that you’ll turn into a regular visitor!
Final Thoughts
So while planning for your first day on the ski slopes certainly won’t be a piece of cake, there are a number of ways you can set yourself up to have an amazing first day on the slopes. Planning ahead by preparing your body for strenuous mountain activity, assembling the necessary winter gear, and booking a lesson will put you numerous steps ahead of the average first-timer.
Need help selecting a resort for your first day? Check out the best destinations for beginner skiers and riders here. When you get back, let us know in the comments below how it went! And, as always, we also invite our experienced watchers to offer additional tips that we may missed for getting new skiers and riders off to a great start.
Mountain Review: Bridger Bowl
MOUNTAIN SCORE #7 in the Northern Rockies 66 #46 Overall WRITTEN REVIEW MOUNTAIN STATS VIDEO REVIEW CATEGORY BREAKDOWN See our criteria 8 Snow: 6 Resiliency: 6 Size: 6 Terrain Diversity: 10 Challenge: 3 Lifts: 7 Crowd Flow: 7 Facilities: 6 Navigation: 7 Mountain […]
MountainMOUNTAIN SCORE
66
CATEGORY BREAKDOWN
8
Snow:
6
Resiliency:
6
Size:
6
Terrain Diversity:
10
Challenge:
3
Lifts:
7
Crowd Flow:
7
Facilities:
6
Navigation:
7
Mountain Aesthetic:
GOOD TO KNOW
1-Day Ticket: $82-$97
Pass Affiliation: None
On-site Lodging: No
Après-Ski: Limited
Nearest Cities: Bozeman (30 mins)
Recommended Ability Level:
+ Pros
-
World-class expert terrain
-
Family-friendly atmosphere
-
Local feel
-
Lift ticket value
– Cons
-
Slow lifts
-
Modest size compared to fly-to destinations
-
Avalanche beacon required for some terrain zones
MOUNTAIN STATS
Skiable Footprint: 1,640 acres
Total Footprint: 2,000 acres
Lift-Serviced Terrain: 83%
Top Elevation: 8,792 ft
Vertical Drop: 2,702 ft
Lifts: 8
Trails: 75
Beginner: 22%
Intermediate: 40%
Advanced/Expert: 38%
VIDEO
Mountain Review
Dreaming of a local ski hill with world-class terrain? Bridger Bowl might be the hidden gem you’ve been looking for. With less than 2,000 skiable acres and no-frills infrastructure, this Montana resort may not seem like a world-killer on the surface. However, Bridger Bowl’s terrain makes for one of the most memorable experiences one can have at a ski resort—provided one is proficient enough to handle it.
Bridger Bowl offers some of the most memorable terrain one can find at any ski resort.
Size and Terrain Layout
With 1,640 skiable acres, Bridger Bowl is generously sized for a local ski hill, although it is quite a bit smaller than most destination ski resorts. The resort starts out with one base area and widens out as it gets higher in elevation. Bridger Bowl also gets progressively steeper as guests proceed up the mountain, with the lower mountain almost exclusively serving beginner terrain, mid-mountain areas specializing in intermediate and advanced trails, and upper mountain areas home to an abundance of steep chutes and cliffs. In fact, several of Bridger Bowl’s upper mountain areas are so perilous that the resort requires an avalanche beacon to access them.
Beginner Terrain
Bridger Bowl is essentially the town hill for Bozeman, Montana, and luckily for those learning, it offers a reasonably strong experience for beginners. The lower-mountain Virginia City and Sunnyside chairs almost exclusively serve easier green runs, while the mid-mountain Alpine lift offers a handful of green trails as well, with the upper part of this terrain zone hosting some unique open glade areas for this ability level. Although all guests coming from mid- and upper-mountain areas need to funnel through the beginner zones to get back to the base, there’s a wide enough variety of trails that no one run ends up attracting all the traffic. For skiers and riders who are just learning, the Snowflake triple chair and a handful of magic carpets provide access to a small bunny hill near the base of the ski area.
TRAIL MAP
Intermediate Terrain
Bridger Bowl has some solid intermediate terrain as well. The Alpine, Powder Park, and Pierre’s Knob lifts serve groomed blue-rated cruisers, while the Alpine lift offers access to some nice mellower glade terrain as well. The mid-station of the Bridger lift also serves some blues, but this area is mainly used for race training.
Freestyle Terrain
Bridger Bowl isn’t exactly a destination for park rats, but it does have two terrain parks in its lower mountain that will keep freestyle enthusiasts reasonably satisfied. Features range in size from small to large and include boxes, rails, jumps, and jibs.
Advanced Terrain
The Bridger lift is the place to be for single-black-level trails. Past the mid-station, this lift does not offer any intermediate or lower ways down. This chair serves a series of advanced-level bowls and chutes that mogul up quickly, making for some particularly demanding runs. The Pierre’s Knob and Powder Park lifts serve some shorter advanced-level trails as well, and these can be nice for trying out mogul terrain for the first time.
While Bridger Bowl offers enough terrain to satisfy guests of all levels, the resort caters most to confident experts.
Expert Terrain
But while Bridger Bowl does have a good variety of terrain for all ability levels, the resort’s expert terrain is where it really starts becoming worth it to travel out of the way for. The “lower tier” of Bridger’s expert runs are marked with a double-black-diamond symbol. These chutes mainly exist off the Bridger lift via the High Traverse, and they involve particularly steep, high-consequence fall lines with very little room for error. Some of these chutes are lined by rocks, making for dramatic backdrops.
Ridge Terrain
But where you really want to be at Bridger Bowl if you are a confident expert is on its Ridge Terrain. Denoted with a purple shade on the trail map, these terrain zones have no official trails, are fair game for all sorts of unmarked obstacles such as cliffs and chutes, and involve such highly-exposed terrain that an avalanche beacon is required to access it. It’s worth noting that the name “Ridge Terrain” is a bit misleading; in addition to the primarily-hike-only ridge itself, this zone also encompasses the Schlasman’s area, a fully lift-served freeride zone at the far skiers’ right of the resort. Since Schlasman’s is fully part of this restricted area, guests will need a working avalanche transceiver to ride it, making it the only lift in the United States to have such a requirement. But there is good reason for this—Schlasman’s provides access to what might be one of, if not the, most unhinged lift-served skiable footprints in the world. There is genuinely crazy terrain off Schlasman’s, with no warning markings within the area, mandatory straightlining or cliffs depending on where you end up, and very little guidance on how to avoid—or find—these obstacles if you don’t know what you’re doing. There are several regular expert-level routes down Schlasman’s that don’t involve this level of extreme-caliber terrain, but if you aren’t familiar with the area, it’s best to find an in-the-know guide or partner to avoid any unwanted hazards.
RECOMMENDED SKIS FOR BRIDGER BOWL
NOTE: We may receive a small affiliate commission if you click on the below links. All products listed below are unisex.
Recommended all-mountain ski
Recommended carving ski
Recommended glade ski
Recommended expert/touring ski
If you’re looking for a level of extreme terrain that’s even more bonkers than Schlasman’s, a hike up the ridge itself may be the way to go. The Bridger Bowl Ridge hikes aren’t the longest in the world, but they are quite steep—especially as you get further away from Schlasman’s—so you’ll want to make sure you’re in good cardio shape to do them. But once you get to the top of these hikes, especially if you choose the one from the top of the Bridger lift to the C and D Routes, you will be facing terrain where you are highly likely to get cliffed out if you don’t know where you’re going, and you’ll need to be able to handle extremely steep, narrow, and tight chutes at a bare minimum to get down. Several seemingly okay-looking routes involve mandatory cliffs once you make your way down, some of which are paired with mandatory straightlines before or after depending on the snowpack. Ski patrol will not “close” any runs if the hike is open, so it’s up to you to use your best judgment on which lines are sendable. If you are not supremely confident in being able to make tough turns in any situation, the ridge hike may not be for you. For both Schlasman’s and the ridge, Bridger Bowl does have a photograph-based pamphlet to the terrain with unofficial route names, but this is by no means a substitute for experience in this area, and if you do not have such experience, you are—as we mentioned—best off finding an experienced partner or hiring a guide. One interesting quirk about Bridger Bowl—as you are hiking up the ridge from the top of the Bridger lift, you’ll notice a surface lift neighboring the hike path. However, this lift is reserved for ski patrol only, so you’ll just have to watch patrollers pass you by as you earn your turns the old fashioned way.
Lifts
Bridger Bowl may be a world-killer when it comes to extreme terrain, but the same isn’t necessarily true when it comes to resort infrastructure. Now, everything at Bridger is well-maintained and in good working order, but all of the resort’s lifts are slow, with Schlasman’s being a double, Sunnyside a quad, and the rest being triple chairs.
The Schlasman’s lift, which provides access to Bridger Bowl’s ridge terrain, is the only ski lift in North America which requires guests to have an avalanche transceiver to even ride it.
On-Mountain Facilities
Bridger Bowl also has a number of convenient places to stop in for a break, although as with the lifts, they’re more functional than fancy. The Deer Park Chalet and Alpine Cabin offer grab-and-go cafeteria food close to the bases of the mid-mountain lifts, although the Alpine Cabin can be a bit tough to find depending on where you come from. Food at the lodges is pretty average, but it’s more reasonably-priced than what you’d typically find at a destination ski resort, especially at the base lodge.
Snow and Resiliency
Bridger Bowl also lags slightly behind some of its destination competitors in terms of its snow totals, although its accumulation numbers are generally still quite respectable overall. With annual snow totals that typically range between 200-300 inches per season, the resort generally enjoys a reliable snow base, although some mid and lower-mountain areas experience thin cover during low seasons. Bridger Bowl has a lower summit elevation than most U.S. Rockies destinations, topping out at just 8,800 feet, and combined with its primarily-east-facing terrain, the resort is prone to sun bake if it’s clear out with no snow in the past few days. If natural snow doesn’t come, snowmaking operations are extremely limited, with the man-made snow capabilities that do exist concentrated in lower-mountain areas. Luckily, strong grooming operations keep Bridger Bowl’s beginner, intermediate, and even a handful of advanced runs in a baseline level of good shape throughout the winter season.
While snow is generally high-quality, Bridger Bowl doesn’t receive quite the same accumulation as some competitive resorts in the Northern Rockies.
Mountain Aesthetic
When you get to Bridger Bowl, it looks pretty unassuming due to its small base area and mellow lower-mountain terrain. But thanks in large part to its lack of buildup and distinctive ridge, one will appreciate the Bridger Bowl feel more the higher one gets. The resort isn’t big enough to feel truly isolating—you’ll be looking down onto the more family-friendly slopes from even the most remote ridge areas—but its combination of a local feel and jagged terrain is really hard to come by at the better-known destination resorts.
Navigation
But despite its modest size, Bridger Bowl does have a few issues when it comes to getting around. On top of the almost-complete lack of signage in the Ridge Terrain areas that‘s not exactly an accident, getting to and from the Schlasman’s area isn’t exactly easy either. Once you go through the access gate near the top of the Pierre’s lift, it’s easy to miss the turn to get to Schlasman’s—and accidentally end up back at Pierre’s instead—if you’re not staying to the skiers’ right past this gate. Leaving Schlasman’s isn’t exactly the most fun experience either, with some flat terrain required to get back to other resort areas. However, when navigating the family-friendly resort areas, things are a lot more straightforward. One nice touch is the Deer Park magic carpet from the base of the Pierre’s Knob lift to the base of the Bridger lift, which allows guests to get to both the Bridger lift and the Deer Park Chalet without a lengthy sidestep or a run all the way down to the bottom of the resort.
RECOMMENDED SNOWBOARDS FOR BRIDGER BOWL
NOTE: We may receive a small affiliate commission if you click on the below links. All products listed below are unisex.
Recommended intermediate board
Recommended advanced board
Recommended expert board
Recommended touring board
Crowd Flow
One might argue that a big contributor to Bridger Bowl’s locally focused clientele is the resort’s total absence from all multi-resort pass products, including Epic, Ikon, and even Indy. However, the resort still can get quite busy on weekends and holidays, especially at the beginner and intermediate-focused lifts, with Bozeman locals making their way to the mountain for some conveniently-located turns. As a result, those hoping to visit Bridger Bowl to get away from the crowds during a peak time may be disappointed.
Getting There
As its town hill, Bridger Bowl is located quite conveniently for those traveling by way of Bozeman to get there. The resort is about a half-hour drive from the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, with most practical lodging options significantly closer than there.
Beneath the ridge terrain, Bridger Bowl offers plenty of family-friendly slopes and even some freestyle terrain.
Lodging
As a state-owned ski area rather than a true resort, Bridger Bowl lacks on-site lodging. However, there are plenty of options in the nearby town of Bozeman. Accommodations range from the dirt cheap but social shared-room Treasure State Hostel to the high-end Kimpton 5-star hotel, with a range of hotel, Airbnb, and vacation home rental options in between. It’s worth noting that Bridger Bowl has somewhat limited parking, and if it’s a busy weekend, you’ll want to get up there early to secure a spot. If it’s a powder day, you might want to leave town around 8. If you decide you don’t want to drive or can’t get a spot, there are free shuttle buses that leave from MSU and the Gallatin County fairgrounds.
Après-Ski
Bridger Bowl itself is about the skiing and riding rather than a party scene, and the resort is pretty low key after the slopes close. However, a bar and grill in the Jim Bridger base lodge has enjoyable happy hour vibes and offers a good chance to connect with some of the locals and inhabit some of their mind space. Less than half an hour away, Bozeman offers many more options for après, including a huge variety of bars and restaurants. Bozeman is a college town, so you can expect at least some sort of scene every night.
Bridger Bowl is a relatively small, local ski resort which manages to offer world-class terrain for expert skiers and riders.
Verdict
So Bridger Bowl is a family-friendly local ski hill for those in the Bozeman area that also happens to have some of the best in-bounds extreme skiing in the world. If beginner through advanced slopes are your thing, Bridger won’t really offer enough to beat out true fly-to ski destinations such as Big Sky and Whitefish—but if you’re looking for the hardest in-bounds ski terrain North America can offer, the resort puts up one heck of a fight for that title.
Pricing
One of the best parts about Bridger Bowl is that despite its world-class extremes, its locally-run, non-profit roots extend over to its pricing. One-day adult rates top out at just $97 if you buy at the window and top out at just $82 if you buy online. Even with a $10 reloadable card charge, this is quite reasonable by today’s standards for any 1,600-acre ski resort, let alone one that offers some of the most insane skiable terrain on the continent. If you’ve missed the Epic and Ikon Pass deadlines, this pricing structure can make Bridger a nice bargain alternative to the destinations.
How the American Opioid Epidemic Shaped Vail Resorts’ Rise
The American opioid epidemic is among the most devastating public health issues in recent history. But what you might not know is that it also had a huge impact on the state of the North American ski industry. Between 1999 and 2020, over half a […]
MountainThe American opioid epidemic is among the most devastating public health issues in recent history. But what you might not know is that it also had a huge impact on the state of the North American ski industry.
Between 1999 and 2020, over half a million people died from drug overdoses from prescribed and illicitly obtained opioids. But also, during that same time, a ski resort conglomerate that is very well known today more than 9x-ed its resort portfolio. And one of the most shocking facets of it all is that these two facts aren’t entirely unrelated.
So what exactly unfolded, and how did the opioid crisis end up helping turn Vail Resorts into the largest ski resort conglomerate in history?
In 1996, the Sackler-owned Purdue Pharma released the pain medication OxyContin, and it exploded in popularity. The Sackler family became incredibly wealthy, with disposable income to invest across a variety of industries.
Purdue Pharma and the Sackler Family
So before getting into Vail Resorts’ involvement, we have to give a bit of background into the opioid crisis and its original ties to the ski industry. In the mid-1990s, a company called Purdue Pharma—which had been under Sackler family ownership for the last fifty years—re-incorporated with a business model focused almost exclusively on pain management medication. In 1996, the company introduced an extended duration release of the pain-relief compound Oxycodone, and they branded it as OxyContin. Although this type of drug had been in limited use for decades, Purdue Pharma lobbied the FDA to approve OxyContin without conducting any long-term assessments or studies of its addictive properties. It quickly became one of most profitable drugs in history, garnering an estimated $35 billion for Purdue Pharma. According to one pharmaceutical analytics company, 80% of Purdue Pharma’s sales came from OxyContin alone.
The unfathomable success of Purdue Pharma’s pain medications made the Sacklers among the richest families in the world, with a reported worth of $13 billion at the height of their wealth. With that wealth, they invested in hundreds of cultural institutions over the years, which many now view as laundering the reputation of a family that was actively nurturing and profiting off of opioid addiction across the United States.
As part of a larger strategy to diversify their wealth and protect their assets, the Sackler family set their sights on a significant investment—the North American ski industry.
Peak Resorts originally grew by scooping up Midwest hills like Boston Mills (shown above).
Peak Resorts
So how exactly did the Sackler family dip their toes into the icy waters of the ski industry? By becoming involved in Peak Resorts.
Peak Resorts was a big player in the ski industry, owning and operating several popular ski resorts across the Midwest and Northeastern United States. The company was founded in 1977 by Timothy Boyd, a veteran of the ski industry, who had a vision to create a strong regional presence of ski areas across the U.S.. Headquartered in Wildwood, Missouri, Peak Resorts started modestly but quickly grew by strategically acquiring smaller, independently owned ski resorts that catered to urban skiers in major metropolitan areas, particularly those within driving distance of ski destinations.
Initially, Peak Resorts focused on acquiring properties in the Midwest, a region where Boyd saw a largely untapped market. The company’s first acquisitions included resorts such as Hidden Valley in Missouri, Snow Creek in Kansas City, and Paoli Peaks in Indiana. By focusing on mid-sized ski areas, Peak Resorts capitalized on providing affordable, accessible skiing options for local communities, which made the company competitive despite lacking the vertical terrain and deep snowpacks of larger resorts in the Rockies.
Prior to the 2007-08 season, Peak Resorts made its biggest move to date with the purchase of Mount Snow in southern Vermont. Easily the largest ski area in its portfolio, Mount Snow was known for its accessibility to skiers and riders in the Boston and New York City metro areas, as well as an extensive footprint size, strong lift infrastructure, and outstanding terrain parks. Soon after, Peak Resorts acquired Attitash and Wildcat in New Hampshire. Both resorts were well-regarded destinations known for their good value, proximity to Boston, and stunning views of the White Mountains.
With investment from Peak Resorts, Mount Snow received significant upgrades in 2011. The resort installed a detachable high-speed six-pack bubble chairlift—the first in all of North America—capable of quickly transporting riders to the summit while shielding them from the elements. The mountain also expanded its snowmaking operations and opened the Carinthia Base Lodge, a $22 million facility with three full-service restaurants at the base of a 100-acre terrain park.
The Sacklers became significantly invested into Peak Resorts shortly after it became a publicly-traded company, providing key funds to invest into New York’s Hunter Mountain.
So where did the Sacklers come into play? Peak Resorts became publicly traded on the NASDAQ in 2014, raising funds through an initial public offering that helped bolster its aggressive acquisition strategy. The Sackler family jumped at the opportunity, buying its first Peak Resorts stock in 2015 and increasing its stake in the years after that.
The Sackler family’s involvement was part of a major capital injection that Peak Resorts utilized to keep growing aggressively. Around the time of the Sackler family’s initial involvement with the company, Peak Resorts expanded into New York with the acquisition of Hunter Mountain, handing it ownership of one of the largest ski areas within a three-hour drive of New York City. The now-Sackler-backed company invested heavily into Hunter, and in 2018, the mountain finalized the largest ski resort development in the Eastern U.S. in recent years, with a 33% expansion to the mountain’s skiable footprint. The project—known as Hunter North—included a new high-speed six-pack, 5 new groomed runs, and 4 glade trails. The expansion also added a new 250-vehicle parking lot, which helped significantly with a resort that had struggled with crowd management and traffic flow over the years. Under Sackler influence, Peak Resorts also introduced the Peak Pass, a budget competitor to the Epic and M.A.X. passes at the time that offered access to all seven of Peak’s Northeast ski resorts.
At its zenith, Peak Resorts owned and operated 17 ski areas across the Midwest and Northeast. With a market cap of nearly $100 million in January 2017, Peak Resorts was a prominent name in the regional ski industry.
Variable weather across Peak Resorts’ ski resort portfolio hurt the company’s ability to consistently turn a profit—and the Sackler family’s cash injections helped keep it stable.
But even at its peak, Peak Resorts’ financial position was not exactly stable. This was in large part due to the capital-intensive nature of ski resort operations.
Operating over a dozen ski resorts required significant investment in snowmaking, grooming, and infrastructure to remain competitive, particularly in regions where natural snowfall was unreliable—of which the company had significant exposure. Peak Resorts’ financial success was often tied to weather conditions, with warm winters or limited snowfall directly impacting profitability. As a result, the company occasionally struggled to maintain consistent financial growth after it went public, experiencing periods of revenue contraction and constrained cash flow. Another challenge was keeping pace with the competition, particularly from larger conglomerates like Vail Resorts and Intrawest, which both possessed stronger financial footing and national reach. The Sackler family’s involvement in the business was key to maintaining cash flow.
In 2018, Peak Resorts acquired three more resorts in Pennsylvania; Liberty Mountain, Roundtop, and Whitetail. The purchase was made possible by an infusion of $76 million from two members of the Sackler family—and notably, this investment also gave them a controlling interest in Peak Resorts. With a controlling stake in Peak Resorts, the family became a significant force in the ski industry. However, their name and ownership stake would change rapidly in just the coming months of that transaction, with scrutiny over their ill-gotten gains finally reaching its climax.
The sudden rise in prescription and non-prescription painkiller use led to an exponential increase in overdose deaths between the late 1990s and the late 2010s. Purdue Pharma played a significant role in making the rise in prescription painkillers happen.
The Opioid Crisis and the Push for Prescription Painkillers
So what exactly did the Sacklers do that got them so much scrutiny—and found them right at the center of one of the most devastating addiction crises in United States history?
Traditionally, extended-release opioids like Oxycodone were used only for acute pain during medical procedures. But starting in the late 1990s, Purdue Pharma and other companies pushed for doctors to prescribe their drugs for chronic pain, ignoring and sometimes obscuring information about the addictive nature of these drugs.
They incentivized their salesforce to push opioids for even the smallest treatments, holding contests to reward the company’s top sales earners. In some cases, they even paid doctors directly to promote more aggressive pain treatment with their addictive offerings. Pushing these painkillers resulted in a chemical dependence for hundreds of thousands of patients, often forcing them to obtain illegal pain-relieving drugs like heroin and synthetic fentanyl.
The sudden rise in use of prescription and nonprescription opioids led to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to finally declare the opioid crisis a public health emergency in 2017.
Soon after that emergency declaration, states attorneys general and the U.S. Department of Justice held Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family responsible for the crisis, and they were soon subject to over one thousand lawsuits in all 50 states. But as their troubles were mounting—all while still at the helm of Peak Resorts—the Sacklers received a financial windfall from an unlikely source.
Vail Resorts was on a roll in the mid-2010s, gradually acquiring resorts across the West Coast, Midwest, and Northeast.
The Explosive Growth of Vail Resorts
In late 2018, the lawsuits against Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family were in full swing. But on the other hand, Vail Resorts was on a roll from a growth perspective.
Known for its flagship Colorado properties like Vail and Beaver Creek, Vail Resorts had already been a reasonably dominant force in the ski industry throughout much of the 20th century. But in the new millennium, they adopted a much more aggressive acquisition strategy, purchasing ski areas across North America to establish itself as the leading conglomerate in the winter sports world. A key component of this strategy was the introduction of the Epic Pass, a season pass granting access to all Vail-owned resorts, which incentivized skiers to remain loyal to Vail’s growing network of properties. Many people thought Vail was crazy when they introduced such a product at such a low price point, but the pass exploded in popularity.
Between 2008 and 2018, Vail Resorts’ market cap increased by over 350%, driven in large part by its Epic Pass strategy. Source: macrotrends.net
Recognizing the need to expand its geographic footprint beyond its original Rocky Mountain stronghold to increase pass sales, Vail Resorts turned its focus to the Midwest and Northeast markets. These regions, while lacking the scale and snowfall of the Rockies, were more densely populated and offered proximity to millions of potential customers. To achieve a national presence and promote greater value for Epic Pass holders, Vail Resorts began looking into the acquisition of resorts in these areas, and following a series of smaller-scale acquisitions between 2012 and 2018, including Afton Alps, Mount Brighton, Wilmot, Stowe, Okemo, and Mount Sunapee, Peak Resorts was the perfect target. Bringing in ski areas like Mount Snow, Attitash, Wildcat, and Hunter could make the Epic Pass even more attractive to East Coast skiers who previously had somewhat limited options within the pass network.
In light of these factors, Vail’s executives approached Peak Resorts with a preliminary offer in late 2018. By this time, the Sackler family was facing thousands of lawsuits, and their misdeeds were becoming front-page news.
As Purdue Pharma faced mounting lawsuits and increasing scrutiny over its role in the opioid crisis, the Sacklers found themselves under immense public and legal pressure. They began liquidating assets, attempting to shield themselves from legal consequences and preserve their wealth amid escalating financial settlements and reputational damage. For them, an exit from Peak Resorts was driven just as much by liquid necessity as business strategy.
For Peak Resorts as a whole, this shift on the part of the Sacklers represented an opportunity. Despite the company’s financial position, mounting operational costs, and stiff competition, it found one willing and very eager buyer. Vail Resorts saw their opportunity and seized it.
Vail Resorts’ acquisition of Peak Resorts gave it a new stronghold in the Northeast and lower Midwest.
Vail Resorts Purchases Peak Resorts
Vail Resorts’ generous acquisition price furnished the Sacklers with a windfall of about $87 million.
In July 2019, Vail Resorts finalized a deal to purchase all 17 resorts in the Peak Resorts portfolio. But even though Peak Resorts was only worth around $120 million, or $5 per share, at the time of the acquisition, Vail paid a total of $264 million for the resorts at $11 per share. They justified the high purchase price as a means of attracting customers from major metropolitan areas in the Northeast and Midwest who did not want to put up the travel or lodging expenses required at one of their Rocky Mountain resorts. The sale ultimately furnished an estimated $87 million to the Sacklers based on their 40% ownership stake in Peak Resorts. This resulted in a significant profit for the Sackler family, as Peak Resorts’ stock price was never higher than $9 following its IPO, and for much of its time as a public company, the stock traded between $4-$6 per share.
Obviously, the acquisition of Peak Resorts came with some controversy. Their association with the Sackler family and their involvement in the opioid crisis raised ethical questions and concerns among skiers and riders. Many critics argued that Vail’s acquisition directly benefited the family that perpetrated and profited off of a national tragedy—especially given the valuation price of the acquisition. For their part, Vail Resorts did not directly address the Sackler family’s previous ownership of Peak Resorts, focusing instead on the strategic benefits and enhancements the acquisition brought to their guests.
According to a 2019 dispatch in Powder Magazine, residents close to Attitash and Wildcat welcomed a change in ownership and a dissociation from the Sackler name. New Hampshire, in particular, had been hit hard by the crisis, seeing three times the number of overdose deaths compared to the national average. Some residents anticipated greater investment in the resorts’ snowmaking, lift infrastructure, and amenities under Vail’s ownership. Others, however, expressed concern and frustration over Vail’s incursion, fearing that it would diminish the affordability and local character of these two resorts.
So, in the five-and-a-half years since the sale, how has Vail Resorts’ ownership actually changed these ski areas?
Vail Resorts has made significant investments into formers Peak-owned properties, with new lifts at Mount Snow (pictured), Attitash, Hunter, Jack Frost, Big Boulder, Boston Mills, and Brandywine.
Changes to the Former Peak Resorts Properties
The most immediate impact from the ownership change was that 17 new resorts were added to Vail Resorts’ Epic Pass. As Vail Resorts noted in their sale announcement, skiers and riders in major metropolitan areas like New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Cleveland, and St. Louis could maximize the value of their season passes. Instead of orienting their season pass purchase around a big trip out west, Epic Pass holders could enjoy quick trips to more local resorts. Vail Resorts also continues to offer the Northeast Value Pass, which is somewhat of a spiritual successor to the Peak Pass and offers access to just its Northeast resorts at a discounted rate from the regular Epic Pass products.
Thus far, investment in former Peak Resorts-owned mountains has been somewhat limited compared to Vail’s bigger destinations. But even Mount Snow, which is the largest former Peak Resorts-owned mountain and still the second largest ski area in Vail’s East Coast portfolio, features just 601 skiable acres, about a third of the size of most of Vail’s Rocky Mountain resorts. As a result, these ski areas are far less likely to become capital priorities than Vail Resorts’ other properties.
That being said, Vail Resorts has made some substantial improvements over the last five years. In 2022, Mount Snow upgraded the fixed-grip Sunbrook chair to a high-speed detachable quad, bringing high-speed lift service to a key intermediate terrain area and finally retiring what might have been the least desirable chairlift at the resort. Mount Snow also replaced two aging triples with a high-speed six-pack in that same year, providing a fourth high-speed lift route out from the main base area.
On Attitash, investment from Vail Resorts enabled the construction of the Mountaineer high-speed quad, which replaced the agonizingly long Summit triple chair, as well as the replacement of two aging beginner-oriented double lifts with a fixed-grip quad. These upgrades were completed between 2022 and 2023. Some of the more regional ski resorts, including Jack Frost, Big Boulder, Boston Mills, and Brandywine received new fixed-grip chairlifts that replaced decades-old counterparts during that timeframe as well.
Also, it is worth noting just how much of a lifeline Vail Resorts was for many of these mountains from a financial security standpoint. With the variable winters in many parts of the Northeast and Midwest, it’s unclear how many of these mountains would have been able to survive on their own. Vail’s diverse set of resorts across more reliable regions, including Colorado, Utah, and parts of the West Coast, allowed the company to stay reasonably financially stable even if the regions of the former Peak mountains experienced terrible winters.
For Peak Resorts properties, the two biggest downsides of Vail Resorts ownership have arguably been a significant uptick in crowds and dramatic lift ticket price increases.
But as many of those who’ve visited Vail-owned properties in recent years well know, those upgrades have come at a cost. As with all Vail Resorts mountains around the world, these areas significantly raised their one-day lift ticket prices. Mount Snow saw the most dramatic increase, with one-day weekend lift tickets ballooning from $118 in the 2019-20 season to over $185 this season. Attitash and Wildcat have also raised their lift ticket prices by over 60% in the last five years, with weekend rates going up from $89 to $144. Thankfully, resort-goers can still access these resorts for reasonable prices with an Epic Day Pass product, but these go off sale in early December each year, resulting in a significant access tax for those who don’t plan well in advance.
Finally, the popularity of Vail Resorts’ Epic Pass products has resulted in significant crowding at many previously Peak-owned resorts. Mountains like Hunter and Mount Snow have seen increasingly unacceptable waits during peak times, in some cases to the point where the mountains feel more like amusement parks than actual winter getaways. The problem has started to level out over the past year or two—and lift investments at the worst chokepoints seem to have helped—but there’s no doubt that many of these mountains feel more corporate than they used to.
Vail Resorts’ purchase of Peak Resorts clearly cemented it as the largest ski resort company in North America, but the acquisition and its ties to the Sacklers has raised questions about corporate responsibility. Source: Vail Resorts
Final Thoughts
So by acquiring Peak Resorts during a critical period of its growth, Vail Resorts was able to cement itself as not just a national brand with a presence in nearly every major four-season U.S. metropolitan area, but also the largest ski resort conglomerate by number of resorts owned in North American history. The deal allowed Vail Resorts to greatly expand Epic Pass access and take over operations of some of the most competitive mountain offerings in several parts of the Northeast and Midwest.
But however many changes these 17 resorts have seen under Vail Resorts ownership, they pale in comparison to the heartache and suffering caused by the opioid epidemic. Purdue Pharma is still in the process of bankruptcy and a complete rebrand. As of this article’s publication, the U.S. Department of Justice just reached a financial settlement with the Sacklers for their role in perpetrating the crisis, but it still needs court approvals and the family is likely to face more lawsuits in the coming months.
The controversy surrounding the Sackler family and Peak Resorts sheds light on broader questions of corporate responsibility within the ski industry, let alone other sectors. For some, Vail’s decision to acquire Peak Resorts despite the Sackler connection represented a purely financial decision driven by a pursuit of market dominance. But others argue that such decisions overlook the social impact of corporate growth, especially when funded by profits linked to widespread human suffering. As Vail Resorts continues to shape the ski industry, questions surrounding corporate ethics, social responsibility, and public perception have already influenced the legacy it leaves behind—and will undoubtedly continue to do so.
Our hearts go out to those affected by this crisis, and we hope the ongoing court cases bring some measure of solace and justice to the individuals and families impacted by opioid addiction. We’ve linked to some charities and organizations that are working to help those affected below.
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Facing Addiction with NCADD: https://ncaddnational.org/
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Shatterproof: https://www.shatterproof.org/
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Partnership to End Addiction: https://drugfree.org/
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Herren Project: https://herrenproject.org/
The Best Ski Gear January 25 Edit
Get ready for your next snowy adventure with our top ski gear picks for January 2025! We’ve pulled together a list of must-have ski essentials to make sure you’re set for all your winter fun. From cutting-edge skis to handy accessories, this guide has everything […]
Ski BootGet ready for your next snowy adventure with our top ski gear picks for January 2025! We’ve pulled together a list of must-have ski essentials to make sure you’re set for all your winter fun.
From cutting-edge skis to handy accessories, this guide has everything you need to level up your ski game and hit the slopes in style!
Oakley Flight Deck Goggles – £182
When skiing, visibility is everything, and Oakley’s Flight Deck Goggles deliver perfection. Inspired by fighter pilot visors, these goggles offer an unmatched field of vision, ensuring you spot every bump and curve on the slopes. The Prizm
lens options heighten contrast and colour, adapting to varied lighting conditions. Add Ridgelock Technology for swift lens changes and triple-layer face foam for supreme comfort, and you’ve got goggles that are both practical and premium.
Shop Oakley Flight Deck Goggles
Gogglesoc – £12.99
Protect your goggles from scratches and scuffs with Gogglesoc. These stretchy, eco-friendly microfiber covers fit snugly over most goggle sizes, safeguarding them in transit and storage. Choose from a range of designs, including the new ‘Save Our Snow’ collection that donates proceeds to Protect our Winters (POW), a non-profit organisation dedicated to fighting climate change.
Shop Gogglesoc now
POC Obex Spin Helmet – £200
Safety meets style with the POC Obex Spin Helmet. The adjustable ventilation system ensures optimal temperature control while the integrated SPIN technology provides superior protection against rotational forces during impact. With an ultra-lightweight design and customizable fit, this helmet offers both comfort
Keeping your goggles scratch-free has never been easier—or more stylish. The Gogglesoc is a simple, eco-friendly sleeve made from recycled plastic bottles, designed to protect your lenses when not in use. Available in a variety of fun designs, it’s a small but essential addition to your ski bag.
Columbia Snowtrot Mid Snow Boots – £100.00
Stay warm, dry, and stylish both on and off the slopes with the Snowtrot Mid Snow Boots by Columbia. Featuring 200g insulation and a fleece interior, these boots ensure cosy comfort even in the coldest conditions. Their rugged outsole offers outstanding grip on slippery terrain, making them perfect for après-ski walks or everyday winter wear.
Shop Columbia Snowtrot Mid Snow Boots
Scott SEA 98 – £575.00
For those who ski anywhere and everywhere, the Scott SEA 98 skis are a dream come true. These versatile freeride skis feature a full poplar wood core and Spin Tech Rocker for playful turns and effortless manoeuvrability. Whether you’re carving powder or navigating tricky trails, the SEA 98 will keep you gliding smoothly.
Halti Planker W DX Ski Jacket – £290.00
Stay warm and sustainable with the Halti Planker Jacket. Made from 100% recycled polyester, this women’s ski jacket features DrymaxX waterproofing and lightweight insulation to tackle any weather. The tailored hood and fleeced back will keep you snug while adding a sophisticated touch to your ski outfit.
Spyder Tripoint Jacket – £450.00
Looking for premium performance and comfort? The Spyder EXO Shield Tripoint Jacket combines 4-way stretch and PrimaLoft Black ECO insulation for unparalleled warmth and flexibility. With a plethora of performance-designed features like underarm vents, waterproof zippers, and a removable helmet-compatible hood, this jacket is a standout on the slopes.
Fischer RC4 MV Pro BOA Boots – £780.00
For freeriders who value precision, the Fischer RC4 MV Pro BOA boots offer a perfect balance of stability and confidence. Featuring the advanced BOA fit system for effortless adjustments and a CARBONFUSED cuff for stiffness, these boots excel in both uphill flexibility and downhill power.
K2 Mindbender 90C Skis – £475.00
If you’re after versatility, the K2 Mindbender 90C skis have you covered. Designed with K2’s unique Spectral Braid technology, these skis deliver effortless control and a lively ride, making them ideal for all-mountain adventures, especially for lighter skiers.
Bloc Fifty-Five Goggles – £85.00
These goggles take adaptability to the next level. With magnetic lens technology, Bloc Fifty-Five goggles allow for quick lens changes, perfect for tackling varying light conditions on the slopes. Dual-vented with UV protection and helmet compatibility, they’re both functional and durable.
Therm-ic Thin Ultra Heated Liner – £240.00
Cold hands ruin adventures, but not anymore. These Thin Ultra Heated Liners fit perfectly under your gloves and provide adjustable warmth with up to 7.5 hours of battery life. Breathable and touchscreen-compatible, they’re essential for all-day comfort.
Shop Therm-ic Thin Ultra Heated Liner
Oakley MOD 5 Helmet (£220.00)
Safety meets sophistication in the Oakley MOD 5 Helmet. Designed with MIPS for impact protection and Skull Matrix technology for a secure fit, this helmet ensures you’re protected without sacrificing comfort or style. Customised ventilation zones reduce fogging and overheating, making it a top pick for all-day wear. Ideal for advanced skiers who demand the best in both functionality and bold design.
K2 Fatty Skis (£250.00)
Looking for a fun, adrenaline-fuelled ride? The K2 Fatty Skis are all about shredding with style. At just 88cm long, they’re built for park tricks, big mountain adventures, and all the slopes could throw at you. These are not just skis; they’re a call to adventure. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just learning to play, you’ll never be bored.
Stöckli Laser WRT (£1,669.00)
For those who thrive on precision and speed, the Stöckli Laser WRT is a dream. Combining the slalom agility of a race ski with the power of a giant slalom model, it’s tailored to competitive skiers. Its carbon inserts provide explosive acceleration and smooth control across any piste. If on-piste performance is your goal, this ski will become your go-to weapon of choice.
Explore the full Stöckli collection.
UYN Natyon 3.0 Ski Socks (£34.90)
Comfort starts with the right socks, and these innovative ski socks are designed for high performance. Developed with Zerocuff technology for optimal support and Cool Air Flow technology for breathability, they maintain the perfect foot temperature while skiing. The Shockwave system ensures shock absorption, so your feet stay happy on even the toughest runs.
Goldbergh Bea Jacket (£679.00)
Turn heads both on and off the slopes with the Goldbergh Bea Jacket. Combining style and functionality, it features RDS-certified down, a detachable snow catcher, a fixed hood, and multiple pockets. Designed with a quilted recycled outer fabric, it’s both sustainable and ultra-stylish. Perfect for those who want luxury without compromising performance.
PROTEST Noon 1/4 Zip Active Top (£40.00)
Protest’s star-patterned mid-layer combines recycled materials with a stretchy slim fit, making it ideal for layering. With a cosy 1/4 zip collar and stylish design, it’s perfect for apres-ski moments or braving the slopes on frosty mornings.
Therm-ic Antibacterial Boot Dryer (£79.00)
Nothing ruins a great day of skiing like damp, smelly boots. The Therm-ic boot dryer prevents bacteria and odour using UV technology while leaving your footwear fresh, warm, and ready for the next adventure. This quiet, compact device adjusts to fit any boot size and is a must-have for frequent skiers.
Pit Vipers Sunglasses – The Copacabana (£89.69)
Channel your inner ‘90s vibe with Pit Vipers sunglasses. Built to be almost indestructible, they offer unmatched sun and wind protection. Adjustable for optimum fit, these military-designed shades are perfect for anyone seeking maximum style and durability.
Black Crows Dorsa 22 Backpack (£139.00)
Functionality and flair merge in the Black Crows Dorsa 22 Backpack. Specifically designed for mountain use, it features a snug 3D back, front gear pockets, and a full U-shaped opening. Perfectly compact yet roomy for all your essentials, this backpack will be your best mate for days spent in alpine terrain.
Explore these top picks and more over at Ski Exchange, and make this ski season your best one yet!
We regularly showcase the latest gear on our YouTube channel. Dive into our Gear Playlist for in-depth reviews. For the latest snow forecasts, updates on top skiing destinations, and comprehensive gear evaluations, tune in to our podcast, “The Whiteout.” You can find it on Apple, Spotify, Podcasts, or by searching “The Whiteout” in your favourite podcast directory.
The post The Best Ski Gear January 25 Edit appeared first on InTheSnow.
Best New Ski Boots 24/25
Find the Perfect Fit for Your Best Winter Yet We’ve rounded up the best ski boots for 2024/25 to help you hit the slopes with confidence and comfort. Whether you’re an advanced skier seeking precision or a casual enthusiast in need of all-day comfort, we’ve […]
Ski BootFind the Perfect Fit for Your Best Winter Yet
We’ve rounded up the best ski boots for 2024/25 to help you hit the slopes with confidence and comfort. Whether you’re an advanced skier seeking precision or a casual enthusiast in need of all-day comfort, we’ve got you covered.
From the high-performance Fischer RC4 MV 110 to the eco-conscious Scarpa Gea RS, our guide showcases a variety of top-rated boots for every skill level and style. Discover boots with game-changing features like BOA® Fit Systems, thermoformable liners, GripWalk® soles, and more!
Fischer RC4 MV 110 Men
RRP £460
RC4 110 MV BOA is a high performance boot for advanced skiers. BOA® Fit System provides perfect fit for a majority of foot shapes, plus the iFZ Performance liner and the VACUUM shell make for easy fitting and great downhill performance. A GripWalk® sole adds security and convenience across all ski day conditions.Key Features
- Precision Fit: The RC4 MV 110 offers an anatomically contoured liner that ensures a snug fit, allowing for precise control over your movements.
- Optimal Flex: With a flex rating of 110, these boots strike the perfect balance between rigidity and comfort, making them versatile for various skiing conditions.
- High-Performance Materials: Constructed with high-quality materials, these boots are designed to withstand the rigours of intense skiing sessions while providing excellent durability.
- Adjustable Stance: The adjustable stance feature allows for customisation, enabling you to fine-tune your position for optimal performance on the slopes.
- Thermoformable Liners: Enjoy a personalised fit with thermoformable liners that mould to the shape of your foot, enhancing comfort and reducing pressure points.
Fischer RC4 95 MV 95 Woman
RRP £460
The RC4 95 MV BOA is a performance boot that offers customizable VACUUM shell for ladies looking for a comfortable fit. New BOA® H+i1 Fit System wraps the shell to every foot shape and the women’s specific iFZ Performance liner to guarantee top performance at a soft 95 flex. The RC4 MV boots have developed with help of FISCHER Scan-Fit® data, providing an optimal fit for most female skiers.- Dual Radius System: Offers versatile turning capabilities for dynamic and precise manoeuvring.
- Titanal Layer: Ensures optimal stability and edge grip, providing confidence on various terrains.
- Free Milled Titanium: Adds durability while maintaining a lightweight feel.
- Air Carbon TI 0.5: Incorporates carbon stringers to improve performance without adding unnecessary weight.
- Women’s Specific Design: Tailored to offer a balanced and responsive experience for female skiers.
The Men’s On-Piste Ski Boots VIZION 4B PRO 120 MV GW by Rossignol offer something truly innovative —the perfect balance of comfort and high performance. If you’re searching for ski boots that are easy to put on and provide exceptional downhill control, these might just be what you need.
Pros:
- Revolutionary Step-In Technology: The Step-In design makes slipping into these boots as effortless as putting on a pair of slippers—no more struggling with traditional designs.
- Comfort Meets Performance: The spine mechanism and bi-injected spoiler ensure a snug fit and full downhill performance while maintaining ease of use.
- Custom Fit and Warmth: Featuring a pre-shaped, seamless liner and Thinsulate® insulation, these boots promise warmth and eliminate pressure points right out of the box.
- GripWalk Soles: Excellent traction and a more natural walking motion make these boots great for all-day use.
Cons:
- Price Point: At £500, these boots are on the premium side, which may not be ideal for casual skiers or those on a budget.
- Limited Flex Option: With a 120 flex index, it’s perfect for advanced skiers but might feel stiff for intermediates.
Head Edge 110 Ski Boot
£410
The Head Edge 110 Ski Boot is your key to unlocking exceptional performance and comfort on the mountain. Designed for avid skiers who seek a blend of power and control, this boot offers a superior fit and responsiveness that adapts to your every move.
It includes a Perfect Fit 3D Custom liner for a personalised fit, ensuring every skier enjoys a snug feel without compromising on comfort. The boot’s flex rating of 110 provides the ideal balance between stiffness and flexibility, offering advanced skiers the control they need without feeling restricted. Its Hi-Top Tech design allows for seamless energy transfer from leg to ski, while the Duo Flex technology ensures a dynamic rebound for effortless turns. The GripWalk soles not only enhance walking comfort but also ensure a secure grip on icy surfaces, making transitions from lodge to lift a breeze.
Key Features:
- Customizable Fit: The boot comes with an advanced fitting system that allows for custom adjustments to ensure maximum comfort and support tailored to your foot’s shape.
- Flex Technology: With a flex index of 110, these boots provide a perfect balance of stiffness and flexibility, offering control and power while ensuring ease of movement.
- Heat Retention Liner: The boot features a thermal liner that retains heat, keeping your feet warm and comfortable even on the coldest days on the slopes.
- Lightweight Design: Despite its robust build, the Head Edge 110 is remarkably lightweight, reducing fatigue and allowing for prolonged periods of skiing without discomfort.
- Durable Shell Construction: Built with high-quality materials, the shell of the boot is designed to withstand the rigours of skiing, ensuring long-lasting durability.
Salomon Shift Alpha BOA 130 Hybrid Ski Boots
£700.00
The new Salomon Shift Alpha BOA 130 Hybrid Ski Boots are essential this season for those seeking the ultimate touring hybrid. Featuring the BOA closure, eco-friendly materials, and bold colors, these boots offer performance and style. A top pick for serious touring skiers!
For avid skiers looking for the perfect blend of power and precision, the Salomon SHIFT ALPHA BOA 130 Hybrid Ski Boots could be a game-changer. Designed for performance and comfort, these boots provide a dynamic skiing experience.
Key Features
- FreeSpine Technology: Connects the cuff and shell for more power and control on challenging terrains, maximizing performance whether ascending or descending.
- BOA® Fit System and ExoBelt®: Achieve a perfect fit with the BOA® Fit System and ExoBelt®, allowing micro-adjustments for precision even in cold conditions.
- Flex Rating: With a flex rating from 100 to 130 for women and 110 to 140 for men, these boots are for advanced skiers, providing support for confident carving on any slope.
- Last Width: Ideal for narrow feet, the ≤99 mm last width offers a snug fit for reactive performance, perfect for skiers seeking more responsive boots.
Lange Shadow Ski Boots
£490.00
The Lange Shadow 120 MV GW ski boots deliver unmatched power and control with minimal effort, thanks to the new Suspension Blade and Dual Pivot technology. Offering a smooth, energy-efficient flex and a 120-rated flex for advanced skiers, these boots ensure all-day comfort and superior performance across the mountain.
Key Features:
- Assisted Performance System: Delivers up to 26% increased power transfer.
- Dual Pivot & Suspension Blade Technology: Enhances control with reduced skier effort.
- Thermoformable Liner: Custom fits to your foot for pressure-free comfort.
- GripWalk® Soles: Provide excellent traction and natural walking motion.
- 120 Flex Rating: Perfect for advanced or expert skiers.
Dalbella Cabrio MV 95 W
£410.00
The Dalbello Cabrio MV 95 W IF boot offers a perfect fit with its 101mm wide last, ideal for any terrain. Its innovative three-piece design ensures progressive power transmission and excellent support. The Cabrio MV 95 W IF boasts Dalbello’s cutting-edge Cabrio construction, featuring a three-piece design of shaft, cuff, and external kinetic tongue, ensuring smooth power transmission and optimal flex. The Instant Fit (IF) PRO liner offers a snug fit, enhancing heel hold and power transfer thanks to its reinforced PuRE technology outer layer.
Key Features:
- Progressive Power Transmission for a consistent and responsive skiing experience.
- Customizable Forward Lean between 12° and 14°, allowing you to tailor your stance to your style.
- Ergonomic Tongue Profile for optimized fitting and enhanced rebound.
- Efficient Closure System with Dynalink and Dynalock function, simplifying the process of getting in and out of your boots.
- 101 mm Wide Last for a maximum fit that accommodates a variety of foot shapes.
Roxa R/FIT MV 120
£445.00
The R/FIT MV 120 GW 24/25 ski boots by Roxa are a must-have for high-performance skiers seeking power and precision on the slopes. With a robust 120 flex and a 100-102 mm BioFit last, these boots are tailored for strong, aggressive skiers who demand excellent performance across varied terrains.
Key Features:
- Architecture: The two-piece overlap design delivers superior control and responsiveness.
- Cuff: Fixed for stability and consistent support on challenging runs.
- Material: Constructed with durable PU+ for longevity and resilience.
- Buckles: Equipped with four aluminium buckles for secure fastening and easy adjustments.
- Liner: The 4D Biofit Liner provides an exceptional fit, enhancing comfort and support throughout the day.
- Sole: Gripwalk soles ensure optimal traction and safety when walking on slippery surfaces.
Performance and Comfort:
The R/FIT MV 120 GW 24/25 offers a seamless blend of comfort and performance. The BioFit last accommodates a range of foot shapes without compromising on precision, making it easier to tackle steep slopes and varied snow conditions. The liner moulds to your foot for personalised comfort, while the Gripwalk soles make navigating icy surfaces safer and more confident.
Atomic Hawx Prime 105 S BOA W GW
£520.00
The Atomic Hawx Prime 105 S BOA W GW ski boots are a game-changer for all-mountain women skiers who seek both performance and comfort. Let’s break down why these boots should be on your radar:
Fit and Comfort
Sporting a mid-volume 100mm last, the Hawx Prime 105 S BOA W is tailored for women who desire a medium fit. The BOA® Fit System ensures the boots wrap perfectly around your foot, allowing for micro-adjustments to achieve a snug, precise fit. The Mimic Gold liner, pre-shaped around the ankle and heel, is customizable through heat-moldable technology, ensuring the boots feel tailor-made. With a design that accommodates the unique shapes of women’s calves, and an Adaptive Fit System Cuff spoiler for added customization, these boots are a standout in comfort.
Performance
Boasting a 105 flex rating, these boots are well-suited for advanced to expert skiers eager to tackle various terrains. The innovative Prolite construction starts with a slim profile and strengthens key areas for robust downhill performance. Expert skiing is a breeze with their ability to adjust forward lean and flex independently using the Power Shift 2.0 feature.
Technology
One of the key highlights is the Memory Fit technology, which allows the shell and cuff to be shaped to your foot through in-store heat fitting. Additionally, the Cantable GripWalk pads provide enhanced traction while maintaining the power transfer of a standard alpine sole, ideal for those varying piste conditions.
K2 BFC 120 BOA
£527.00
The BFC 120 Boa Ski Boots are a game-changer in the world of skiing equipment, and here’s why they deserve a spot in your gear collection.
Design and Comfort:
The BFC (Built For Comfort) 120 Boa stands out with its focus on providing exceptional comfort without compromising on performance. The boot features an intuitive design that snugly fits various foot shapes, offering skiers an enjoyable experience on the slopes. The Boa System ensures easy entry and exit, making adjustments a breeze even with cold hands.
Performance Features:
This ski boot is designed for intermediate to advanced skiers who seek both precision and power. Its stiff flex provides the support needed for aggressive skiing, while the responsive shell delivers excellent energy transfer—perfect for carving down the mountain with confidence.
Customisation and Fit:
One of the highlights of the BFC 120 Boa is its customisable fit. The heat-mouldable liners allow you to tailor the interior to your foot, enhancing both comfort and performance. The Boa closure system ensures a secure fit that can be fine-tuned on the fly, offering superior heel hold and reducing pressure points.
Community Feedback:
Ski enthusiasts rave about the BFC 120 Boa’s blend of comfort and performance. Many appreciate the ease of use provided by the Boa system and the ability to adjust the fit on the go. The community loves how these boots can handle a full day on the slopes without causing discomfort.
Scarpa Gea RS Ski Touring Boots
£670
For the perfect blend of functionality and precision in your touring boots, look no further than the SCARPA Gea RS. These boots are a game-changer for women who demand performance and sustainability in their gear.
Design and Build
The Gea RS impresses right out of the box with its robust build and advanced features. The new Grilamid® BIO cuff, crafted from renewable materials, not only enhances support but also aligns with sustainable practices—a major win for eco-conscious skiers. The boot’s Carbon Core Shell incorporates over-injected carbon inserts, delivering exceptional torsional and longitudinal stiffness. This means you can expect a direct transmission of power to your skis, resulting in greater precision and control.
Performance
These boots excel in various conditions. With a climb rating of 3/5, they’re great for uphill adventures, while a downhill rating of 5/5 ensures you’re set for exhilarating descents. The Speed Lock MLT ski-walk mechanism with Friction Free Technology makes transitioning between hiking and skiing seamless, a feature that every skier will appreciate on demanding tours.
Fit and Comfort
The Gea RS boasts a new last with a precise fit in the heel and medial areas, while offering more room in the metatarsal zone. This thoughtful design ensures a snug fit that enhances performance without compromising comfort. The Vibram Cayman PRO sole further supports stability, making these boots adept at handling varied terrain.
The Best New Skis for 2024/25
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