Where to Ski And Snowboard - Vail announces new Epic passes

Vail announces new Epic passes

11th March 2010, by Chris Gill

Vail Resorts has confirmed that it will offer the Epic Pass lift ticket in 2011, its third season, and will also introduce new passes – the Epic-7-Pack and Keystone / Arapahoe Basin pass.

The Epic Pass covers six resorts: Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Vail and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado, plus Heavenly in California. It is essentially a season ski pass, offering unlimited and unrestricted access to the above resorts. Its key attraction for British visitors is the price tag: $599 – a good saving on the cost of a daily or individual area pass, when used for a week or more.

The new Epic-7-Pack will give skiers and boarders a 7-day unlimited access to any one of the six Colorado resorts, at any time during the season, for a price of $449 – said to be a 35% saving on the cost of a single day’s ticket (window price).

If you wish to ski only one area, then you can save on the standard 7-day pass – which covers Keystone and Arapahoe Basin as well, plus three days at Vail and Beaver Creek. The 2009/10 price for that pass is $462 online (and much higher if you buy at the ticket office in resort). So, this could be a favourable option for novices unlikely to venture further afield. Also be aware, though, that prices can be substantially cheaper if you buy US tickets in advance in the UK or online, so you need to compare.

Also new for 2010/11 will be a Keystone / Arapahoe Basin lift pass. This provides unlimited and unrestricted access to the two resorts for $359.

To secure your pass at the current prices, you’ll need to pay a deposit of $49 before 31 May 2010. The balance is then paid by September. Another point to note is that both passes are non-refundable. Anyone purchasing a pass, though, becomes a ‘member’ and will receive offers and promotions on lodging, ski rentals and summer activities.

Winter 2010/11 passes will be on sale from 15 March.

www.epicpass.com