Vail

Skiing and the Mountains

• Vail is the largest single mountain in North America with 5,289 acres and 34 strategically placed lifts
• On an average day at Vail, there are only two skiers per acre…. on a busy day, a whopping four per acre
• There's plenty of skiing for all types of skier, a snowboard park with sculpted features such as half pipes, jumps and even a 50mph mini bobsled ride
• Most resorts are lucky to have one bowl. Vail isn't most resorts. At Vail, they’re blessed with not one, but seven natural bowls. And, while the soft, dry, fluffy powder stretches over 6 miles wide, the legendary Back Bowls represent just one-third of Vail's total terrain
• A must for any intermediate to advanced skier is Vail’s legendary Blue Sky Basin, nestled more than 2 miles into the wilderness, in the centre of the ski universe. Here you can explore 645 acres of natural, gladed terrain, away from the sites and sounds of civilization. Three high-speed lifts service the type of terrain typically reserved for those who choose to hike or helicopter in
• Service, both on and off the lifts, is a way of life here. Traffic lights inform you of busy runs and you'll find a sniffle station (free tissues) at the bottom of each lift
• If you ski Shangri La and Poppy Fields make sure you stop for a drink at the very special Elk Restaurant
• A great deal of thought has gone into planning for the needs of children. Special play and adventure areas around the mountain include an Indian tepee village, Fort Whippersnapper cowboy fort and ski-through Dragon's Breath Mine