Ski resort
A
ski resort is a ski area with a village and/or accommodations and other amenities at the base of the mountain. Ski resorts often have other activities to engage in besides
skiing and
snowboarding, such as
snowmobiling,
sledding,
horse-drawn sleds,
dog-sledding,
ice-skating indoor
swimming and
hottubbing, game rooms, and local forms of entertainment. Ski resorts may be self-contained and entirely devoted to ski tourism (for example
Vail ski resort) or they may be near a village or town that had a significant existence before the ski resort was built, such as
Jackson Hole, Wyoming or
Park City, Utah.
A
ski area is a term that may refer to the part of a ski resort where the skiing trails are located, or it may be a separate area for skiing and snowboarding that does not have most of a resort's amenities other than those that are vital for snow sports. At a minimum, however, a
ski area has food, rental equipment, parking facilities and a lift system catering to the
sports of
skiing and
snowboarding. Normally located in high mountain areas (or at least on well-built-up hills) for optimum snow coverage, they have become ubiquitous in areas where skiing is a popular pastime. The runs or trails in these ski areas are usually marked and known as
pistes. Ski areas typically have one or more
chair lifts for moving skiers rapidly to the top of hills, and to interconnect the various pistes.
Rope tows can also be used on short slopes (usually beginner hills or
bunny slopes). Larger ski areas may use
gondolas or
aerial trams for transportation across longer distances within the ski area.
Though skiing is less dangerous than many popular sports (such as bicycling, golf, football and weightlifting) [
1] [
2], it is widely perceived as having higher risk, in part due to significant accident rates as recently as the 1970s. Nevertheless, ski areas usually have at least a basic
first aid facility, and some kind of
ski patrol service to ensure that injured skiers are rescued. The ski patrol is usually responsible for rule enforcement, marking hazards, closing individual runs (if a sufficient level of hazard exists), and removing (dismissing) dangerous participants from the area.
Ski resorts usually have hotels, bars and restaurants that offer
après-ski activities, including
cocktails,
dining and live music. Traditional ski resorts often have health spas with
saunas,
hot tubs,
masseuses, and
swimming pools.
A
mountain resort is a place to holiday or vacation located in the mountains. Common activities at a mountain resort include
skiing,
snowboarding, and
ice skating, as well as summer activities such as
hiking,
mountain biking,
golf and
tennis.
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List of ski areas*
Luxury resorts
