Ski Resort Highlight: Revelstoke Mountain Resort

Revelstoke Mountain Resort offers 500,000 acres of skiing. That is half a million acres of some of the best snow in the world for any skier or boarder willing and ready. Revelstoke offers each of these 500,000 acres straight from the base village via cat-skiing, heli-skiing or on the lifts. This makes it the only ski resort to offer all three of these options directly from the base. Revelstoke also has the longest lift-served vertical in North America; you can ski a massive 5,620 feet in one run. That is a heck of a lot to lay claim to.

Located in the Selkirk and Monashee mountain ranges, 3.5 miles Southeast of the small Canadian town of Revelstoke, a two-hour drive form the Kelowna airport, and 350 miles form Vancouver, Revelstoke Mountain Resort has become somewhat of a Mecca for the ski and snowboard industry. It has a vertical drop of 5,620 feet, a lift-served elevation of 7,300 feet, a summit elevation of 8,058, and currently offers 3,031 skiable acres with about 7,000 more in the future. Offering the fourth highest descent in the world, 52 runs, five bowls (two accessed by lift and three by cat), four lifts, and huge amounts cat and heli skiing, the terrain here in seems endless.

Big storms roll in around December and January, bringing some of Revelstoke’s average annual snowfall of around 600 inches. So on a powder day, follow the locals up the Stoke Quad to the favorite Kill the Banker or to the wide-open bowl of Vertigo. If you want to cruise some rollers, Critical Path offers plenty of thigh burning groomed. Revelstoke’s not-to-be-missed run is Snow Rodeo, 5,580 vertical feet of alpine, glades, and groomed trail. Revy’s longest run is 9.5 miles, so for some real cruising, don’t miss the Last Spike.

Revy presents some pretty stellar amenities as well. The Mid-Mountain Lodge and the newly finished Nelsen Lodge have plenty lodging, dining options, and après locales. Or head into downtown Revelstoke for more lodging and some nightlife.

And the resort isn’t even done yet. Opened in the 2007-2008 season, Revelstoke Mountain Resort will offer 20 more lifts and 100 more runs when development is complete. For now 500,000 acres of cat, heli and lift skiing is more than enough.

You can find Revelstoke Lift Tickets on Liftopia.com

By Katherine Matteson