Lifts & Terrain
Red Mountain Ski and Snowboard TerrainThe terrain at
Red Mountain Resort is great for families, and there is beginner terrain and groomers for intermediates. However the highlight of the terrain is the amazing fall line tree skiing that is powderhound bliss on a powder day. It’s easy to see why Red is an award-winner when it comes to the tree skiing. The terrain features an infinite number of lines through trees that are ideal for advanced and expert skiers. Over the 100 plus years that Red Mountain has been a ski resort, they have achieved the perfect degree of glading.
The other stand-out feature of Red Mountain is the lack of crowds. There is no traffic on a non-powder day, also known as a “pedestrian day”, and fresh roys can still be found at lunch time. And after a dump of snow, fresh powder lines can still be found after a couple of days.
The resort has two mountains. The smaller is Red Mountain which can be skied about 270 degrees around the peak. The larger mountain is Granite which is skiable around the full 360 degrees, and can be loosely divided into three faces. The front face that rises up from the base has terrain for all ability levels, whilst the Paradise side has lots of green runs, blue cruisers and some black tree runs. The north side is predominantly expert territory except for the beginner trail that winds around the base of the resort boundary. To aid in orientation to the terrain, it may be helpful to partake in a complimentary tour. The mountain hosts can orient you to the lifts, point out the challenging nasty runs, and tell you about the history of the mountain. Tours depart daily from the base area at 9:00am and 12:00pm.
Lifts
As a result of the limited lift infrastructure, Red Mountain is not a place where you can clock up maximum vertical. The thighs will get plenty of rest on the painfully slow chairlifts. Even the new quad chair introduced in the 2007/08 season is a slow lift. Surprisingly no one really seems to care about the lifts as they just fit in with the general laid back culture of Rossland – why rush? The slow lifts are one of the possible reasons that the crowds stay away, but this is of huge benefit to powderhounds who aren’t in a hurry.
The other downside to the lifts is the associated ugly powerlines that scar the otherwise beautiful landscape.
Lift Tickets
Lift tickets are very inexpensive, so skiing and snowboarding at Red Mountain is very attractive for families and ski bums.
Red Resort Snow Conditions
Red Mountain doesn’t receive the same bountiful snow that Whitewater receives, only an hour away, and the elevation is relatively low at 2,075 metres at the summit and 1,185 metres at the base. Red still receives a respectable average of 7.5 metres (300 inches) of snow annually, but there are large standard deviations in this statistic. Some years they receive huge amounts of snow, and other seasons it’s a shocker. It comes down to a case of powderhound luck.
Beginner Ski and Snowboard Terrain
Even though only 15% of the terrain is rated as green, beginners can explore much of Granite Mountain. The magic carpet terrain near the Kindercare building could be the first step. To further work on the basics, Corky’s off the Silverlode chair would be the next step. Skiers shouldn’t take the Motherlode chair to get to the Paradise area until Stem-Christies are mastered. The trails back to the base are very long, and it would be absolutely exhausting for anyone to hold a snow-plow for that distance.
For the Intermediate
There is a stack of terrain for intermediates. The best playground is the area serviced by the Paradise chair where there are wide cruisers, and riders can practise their off-piste skills amongst some of the well spaced trees. A great racing run is the groomed run off the top of the Motherlode chair down Buffalo Ridge into the “dark blue” Main Run. Just don’t speed down too fast, otherwise the slow ride up on the antiquated lift will feel all the more protracted.
For the Family/Kids
Red Mountain is incredibly popular with families, possibly because there is a diversity of terrain for differing ability levels whilst also being easy on the pocket. The compact base area also makes it convenient to get between the day lodge, Kindercare and the magic carpet area. Many runs from both mountains and the terrain park converge here, so it’s easy to keep track of all family members.
Free-Riding at Red
The terrain park is located near the base area and includes various rails, boxes and tabletop jumps for riders of various ability levels. There is also a huge wall ride. In addition to the park, the natural terrain provides plenty of park type features, and there are lots of boulders on Granite Mountain off which to huck.
Advanced Ski and Snowboard Terrain
On Red Mountain, the popular Red Towers run under the chairlift is great for confident mogul riders who are happy to perform to an audience. Similarly the black runs under the Motherlode chair also form bumps very quickly, and are not for the shy skier or snowboarder. For a bit more privacy, the Paradise area in amongst the trees is a fantastic place to play. The tightness of the trees varies between runs, so pick a line that takes your fancy. For more great tree skiing, the War Eagle trees on Red Mountain are rated as double black but are very manageable. Here there is an abundance of potential lines, many of which follow the fall line, and you can drop down anywhere into Sally’s Alley or Dale’s Trail.
Expert Skiing and Snowboarding
Red Mountain has lots of fantastic expert ski and snowboard terrain. Either side of the Motherlode Chairlift are popular spots. On the skiers’ right are a series of runs such as Pale Face, with steep pitch, tight trees and lots of drop-offs. On the other side of the lift are various lines through the trees, as well as the 1st, 2nd and 3rd slide runs which are more open considering they are avalanche paths.
There is some expert terrain on Red Mountain, but the main treasure is to be found on the north side of Granite (Grey Basin) on runs such as Coolers. Most of this area is bliss for experts with steeps, chutes and tight trees. It has a backcountry feel to it and the terrain is gnarly, so take a buddy.
For the Powderhound
Essentially you can “strike gold” at Red Mountain on a powder day, but once the snow quality disappears, advanced and expert skiers may become a little bored with the terrain. In addition to the in-bounds terrain, there are also stacks of easily accessed backcountry runs on five different peaks. Mt Roberts is a popular choice, or you can ski off the back of Red Mountain down to the road and get someone to drive you back up. As with any backcountry skiing, only experienced tourers with appropriate safety equipment should venture out of bounds. You can organise a guide through the Snowsports School or partake in a tour with a company such as Rossland Mountain Adventures (RMA).