Too Many Resorts Have Earned Our Top Rating for Challenge. It’s Time for a Splitter.
The below changes come as part of a series of Mountain Score recalibrations implemented today. To see the full list of adjustments, click here.
Ten resorts—nearly 30% of the resorts we’ve reviewed—currently earn a perfect 10 for challenge in our scoring system (and several other mountains we’re currently reviewing could easily boast this rating too once all is said and done). All of these mountains offer world-class extremes, but this category is substantially more competitive than we originally envisioned.
As a result, we’ve effectively split the 10/10 challenge category into two. From now on, true 10/10 resorts must not only boast some of the most extreme terrain in the world, but also have it readily available across multiple mountain areas. Mountains that only offer truly extreme terrain in select out-of-the-way resort areas will now just receive a 9 for challenge.
Of the ten resorts currently receiving a 10 for challenge, six will retain the highest score, while four will lose the honor. Perilous lift-accessed terrain across major areas earns Alpine Meadows, Kirkwood, Jackson Hole, Squaw Valley, Snowbird, and Whistler the right to retain their 10/10s in this category. Arapahoe Basin, Big Sky, Telluride, and Whiteface, all of which only offer extremes that must be reached through hikes or inconvenient lifts, drop to 9/10s.
The challenge score’s 3/10 and 4/10, which were effectively the same and didn’t actually split any resorts, will be combined into a new 3/10 score; all other category thresholds above that will effectively drop by a point. 0-2 for challenge, none of which are currently in use, will remain the same for now. This means that most resorts currently earning a 9 or below for challenge will now receive one less point in this category.
However, we’ve made another small tweak to the challenge logic, weighting demanding endurance terrain higher. Two mountains will chiefly benefit from this change: Alta, which will retain a 9 for challenge thanks to its large quantity of accessible expert lines, and Deer Valley, which will retain a 7 for challenge thanks to its collection of advanced mogul runs and expert chutes.
With this endurance change, it’s worth noting that we originally considered dropping Alpine Meadows and Kirkwood down from a 10/10 to a 9/10 for challenge due to their short vertical drops. But in the end, we decided that this deficiency was better reflected in the overall terrain sphere. As a result, we’ve also deducted a point for terrain diversity from both of these resorts, with each dropping from an 8 to a 7 in the category.
We want to make it clear that with these tweaks, we’re not asserting that any resorts have become any less difficult since we last rated them. Every resort we’ve ranked boasts its share of challenges, and it’s always important to get acquainted with terrain ratings before attempting anything too technical. All resorts rated 9 or above still contain dangerously extreme terrain that shouldn’t be skied, even by experts, without exercising extreme caution.
There’s no running around the fact that this re-calibration was unfavorable for many peaks. With these new thresholds, 27 resorts drop a point for challenge, two drop a point for terrain diversity, while six retain the same overall score. However, we believe that the changes better reflect the information you’ll need when planning a major ski vacation. Below, we’ve listed out our new challenge score thresholds as well as the old ones for reference.
New Challenge Ratings
10
The mountain has an abundance of terrain in all categories for all ability levels.
9
The mountain offers multiple options in all terrain categories you'd typically find at a ski resort.
8
The mountain offers at least some options in all terrain categories you'd typically find at a ski resort.
7
The mountain offers terrain in most categories for a range of ability levels, but may fall short in one or two areas.
6
The mountain offers terrain in many categories but either falls short or lacks terrain in a few others.
5
The mountain offers terrain of varying lengths, gradients, and widths but lacks terrain in multiple categories.
4
The mountain offers similar terrain of moderately different lengths, gradients, and widths.
3
The mountain offers similar terrain of slightly different lengths, gradients, or widths.
2
The mountain consists of runs that are similar to one another but vary slightly by difficulty.
1
The mountain only consists of runs that provide nearly identical terrain experiences.
0
The mountain has no terrain.
Old Challenge Ratings
10
The resort boasts some of the most challenging runs in the world. The most challenging terrain should not be attempted, even by experts, without using extreme caution.
9
The mountain boasts extremely demanding terrain with sustained pitches, cliffs, drop-ins, and/or tight turns.
8
The mountain offers a range of very steep, ungroomed terrain with features like cliffs, drop-ins, or tight turns.
7
The mountain offers a range of steep, difficult terrain, with expert features like cliffs in some places.
6
The mountain offers some fairly steep groomed and ungroomed runs.
5
The mountain offers some steep runs but very little ungroomed terrain.
4
The mountain offers mostly groomed terrrain with some short, steep pitches.
3
The mountain offers groomed terrain with moderate pitches.
2
The mountain offers mostly gently-sloped terrain.
1
None of the mountain's terrain is more difficult than a typical bunny hill.
0
The mountain is completely flat.
