All of these head-to-head comparisons, along with those for the Ikon Pass and the Powder Alliance, can be seen at our season passes page. This calculation yields an impressive 83.0 for the Mountain Collective and 81.3 for the Epic Pass. We averaged the PAF across each of the pass's resorts, but we excluded the Eastern and Midwestern resorts, as their numbers and acreage would skew the numbers and the spirit of this measurement. What about the overall quality of the resorts included with each pass? There is one measurement that captures this better than anything else, of course: a resort's Pure Awesomeness Factor. But very few people are going to ski more than four or five of the resorts on either pass, so that angle isn't that relevant. 17 for the Epic Pass (not counting Vail's urban ski hills outside of Chicago, Minneapolis and Detroit), puts things on a draw at raw numbers. The Alta skier will buy the Mountain Collective and the Vail skier will buy the Epic Pass.įirst, the sheer scale of the Mountain Collective Pass, with 17 major resorts in North America vs. And again, if a skier simply loves Alta, or perhaps Vail, and plans to visit their favorite resort at least once in a season, then the pass decision is academic. But we'll first address the collection of resorts that each pass includes. With the different ways in which they're constructed from a cost standpoint, there's different plusses to both the Epic Pass and the Mountain Collective. Throw in two days at Alta on a quick weekend trip and the cost doesn't increase at all. With the Mountain Collective pass, that cost becomes $651. Skiing three days each at Jackson Hole and Aspen, renders a straight cost of $1,025, if buying lift tickets individually at each resort. It's even more advantageous, of course, for a skier to put together two (or more) trips to different ski areas. The Mountain Collective Pass would cut that cost to $664 ($489 + free day + free day + $87.50 + $87.50), but it brings added savings every day after that, piling another by $87.50 for each day skied at Jackson Hole. With a price so low on the pass, and most lift tickets costing well more than $100, skiers will more than break even on the pass after four days.įor instance, skiing Jackson Hole for four days, paying $160 for each day, will run a skier $700 ($175 + $175 + $175 + $175). The pass entitles its holders to two free lift tickets at each of the participating resorts, plus 50% off of all single-day passes after that. To quickly explain the Mountain Collective: This pass, for $489, gives a skier access to 17 mountains across North America, including two in the east, Sugarloaf and Sugarloaf. ZRankings has special package rates to Epic and Mountain Collective Ski Resorts! To make this comparison, we have to compare two different sets of data: the benefits and virtues of the included resorts, and the virtues of the pricing and structure of each pass. The more interesting question, the one what we will probe here, is which pass is better for destination skiers? These are skiers coming from metros like New York, Chicago or San Francisco who plan to take two to four ski trips for the winter, perhaps spread out across different states and areas. Even better for many is the Local's version of the Epic Pass, which can be had for $749 and comes with some manageable blackouts and restrictions at Vail, Beaver Creek and Park City. It's a great option at $999 for a full season pass to all of Vail Resorts' mountains with zero blackout dates. Anybody living near one of the many resorts owned by Vail Resorts and who plans to ski regularly will likely default to the Epic Pass. Note: we examine all major bundled season passes, including the Ikon Pass, and their included resorts, on our season passes page.įor some, geography will determine the right choice. For this, there have emerged two premier passes in North America: the Epic Pass and the Mountain Collective Pass. The best way for skiers to ensure they don't end up paying $1,000 for six days of lift tickets is to pick out a season pass and buy it early in the off-season.Ī number of season pass pricing wars have taken place during the last several decades, but the current pass situation is especially advantageous to consumers who plan to take multiple ski trips, in some form or another, during the course of a winter. For the intrepid, however, there exist a multitude of ways to hack this sport where the daily cost to participate-the lift ticket-can hit $200. Skiing has never been a cheap way to spend a day. Updated MaGrand Targhee finishes its initial season with the Mountain Collective
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