Although many North American ski mountains have essentially the same rating system for trail difficulty (see the chart from Signs of the Mountain below), there is far less standardising in Europe and Japan where resorts have their own systems. It should be mentioned that the conditions of a trail can greatly affect its difficulty. A dark run covered in death biscuits will be significantly more challenging than one recently groomed.
Generally speaking, ski resorts evaluate technical difficulties more than physical effort. The degree of difficulty is judged by the steepest part of the slope, its width, sharpest curves and other parameters. This lets a lot of people enjoy paths at their level of ability without having to fight for mountain space.
Green circles usually show paths free from impediments and with a flat profile. This approach also captures the degree of physical effort skiers will have to pay on the course.
A few resorts rated as 3-stars have lots of wonderful terrain but suffer from variable snowfall or are somewhat too crowded. For instance, Sun Peaks in Oregon offers fantastic terrain and grooming for a 4-star resort but is limited by its tiny size.
Though it suffers from congested conditions, a lack of on-mountain food options and a fluctuating temperature, Red Mountain in the interior of the Pacific Northwest is a 3-star resort with amazing terrain and loads of side-country alternatives. The future seems bright, though, since it is getting a new tram.
This approach works on a set of factors that taken together produce a final difficulty grade. Evaluating trails calls for some reasonable judgement since no trail will score the same in all criteria.
Small locals resort Montana Snowbowl boasts a significant vertical drop and somewhat unique steep terrain. Though the crowds are a tad big and the lift network is ancient, it's still a great throwback experience.
Serious elite skiers yearn for Kicking Horse, a love/hate venue with demanding and occasionally terrifying steeps. To access the greatest terrain, the resort is small with just two lifts and calls for lengthy walks. Additionally among the lowest average snowfall of any resort on our list is this one.
Black diamond paths demand great ability to negotiate the spectacular slopes of a mountain. For skiers, these steep, demanding paths could have tricky moguls and glades or even cliffs to provide an adrenaline-fueled trip.
Often with very steep slopes, small paths, strong gusts, slippery patches and other deadly hazards, this trail level is only for experienced skiers. Skiers should ideally be strong in carving, running dynamic turns, quickly altering their weight and speed to keep control over changing terrain.
Tamarack's ascent in the rankings this year is a reflection of their great offerings for core skiers like outstanding terrain, good snowfall and a town that reminds one of another bygone era. But it also reminds you to be careful when comparing trail ratings if you ski at one resort but not another as the difficulty criteria are different.
Many of us begin our search for a ski location with the court of public opinion—firing up Google and skimming reviews until we come upon someplace that seems interesting. Especially in relation to new tasks, this tried-based approach can assist control expectations and minimise poor performance.
Although Vail Resort is crowded and costly, it scored high in all areas, including length and variety of slopes, skier and snowboarder feedback, and the quality of the apres-ski scene. Ultimately, its lack of really steep terrain causes it to rank less than other five-star ski locations. Conversely, Big Sky provides a bucket-list experience combining lift-served expert slopes with hike-to backcountry choices from Lone Peak and checks all the boxes for serious skiers.
