Photo courtesy of Telluride Mountain Resort and Mountain Collective
Season pass prices go up every week now that the 2016-17 ski season is in plain view, and those looking to do a little powder globe-trotting have a number of options, from the Epic Pass and Rocky Mountain Super Pass to single-mountain season passes with benies, and the Mountain Collective, an international alliance of 14 independent ski destinations, going into its fifth season, offering the Mountain Collective Pass: two days of riding at partner resorts and half off additional days at each resort with no blackout dates. Blackout dates have long been the bane of unsuspecting pass purchasers and this is a way around that hassle.
The Mountain Collective includes Alta Snowbird, Aspen Snowmass, Jackson Hole, Ski Banff-Lake Louise-Sunshine Village, Mammoth Mountain, Ski Queenstown-Coronet Peak-The Remarkables, Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows, Stowe Mountain Resort, Sun Valley, Taos, Thredbo, Whistler Blackcomb – and now Telluride Ski Resort and Revelstoke Mountain Resort. Passholders also receive two days at each Global Affiliate Destination, Chamonix (France), Hakuba Valley (Japan) and Valle Nevado (Chile). Pricing for kids aged 12 and under is $99 USD for the 2016-17 season, making the Mountain Collective Pass an affordable option for families.
Telluride Ski Resort boasts unparalleled historic and uncrowded terrain tucked away in the highest concentration of 13,000 and 14,000 foot peaks in North America, with the highest lift topping out at 12,570 feet above sea level accessing more than 2,000 acres of terrain and 147 trails.
Revelstoke Mountain Resort is located in the legendary region of British Columbia between the Selkirks and the Monashees, where enthusiasts from around the world flock to the powder, alpine terrain and the authentic mountain community, home to the most vert in North America (5,620 feet). Revelstoke is currently made up of 3,121 acres of inbound terrain and half a million acres accessible via cat, heli or human power.
“We believe that the Resorts in the Collective offer the very best ski experience on the planet and we are confident those who visit us will not be disappointed,” said Graham Rennie, President of Revelstoke Mountain Resort.
The Mountain Collective pass is on sale until tonight (9/30/16) at $409, when it goes up to $419.
Passes also include a complimentary one-year Protect Our Winters membership, whose mission is to unite the winter sports community on the issue of climate change.
Whistler Blackcomb, recently acquired by Vail Resorts, will continue to honor the Mountain Collective Pass for the full 2016-17 winter season, but it doesn’t look like, at this time, that they will be honoring any Epic Pass products.
“Last season Whistler Blackcomb celebrated its 50th anniversary and this season we turn our attention to what lies ahead,” said Dave Brownlie, President and CEO of Whistler Blackcomb. “We’re committed to ensuring our guests have the best experience possible and this year we continue to work toward that goal with major improvements to the learning areas and enhancements to the Roundhouse Lodge and GLC patios.”
Whistler Blackcomb’s official opening day is set for November 24, 2016, but with good early season conditions the resort can open early. Below is a summary of what guests can expect to see at Whistler Blackcomb this coming season. Whistler Blackcomb has also added 32 new low-energy snow guns in the Olympic Zone to ensure an early opening and to guarantee the best possible surface throughout the season. Whistler Blackcomb has one of the most extensive snowmaking systems in North America, with a total of 315 snow guns in its snowmaking fleet and three snowmaking reservoirs with a total holding capacity of 55 million gallons.
Photo courtesy of Whistler Blackcomb and Mountain Collective
Also of note, Whistler Blackcomb is producing four-part documentary series exploring climate change, backcountry access, the state of the industry, and the risks of losing kids to technology. The series has been created by Switchback Entertainment and produced with the support of TELUS. More information about The Big Picture documentary series is available at whistlerblackcomb.com/BigPicture.