Ski resort

A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe a ski resort is a town or village in a ski area – a mountainous area, where there are ski trails and other supporting services such as hotels, restaurants, equipment rentals, and a ski lift system. In North America it is more common for ski areas to exist well away from towns, and the term ski resort is used for a destination resort, often purpose-built and self-contained, where skiing is the main activity.

Types

The ski industry has identified advancing generations of ski resorts:

The term ski station is also used, particularly in Europe, for a skiing facility which is not located in or near a town or village. A ski resort which is also open for summer activities is often referred to as a mountain resort.

Facilities and amenities

Ski areas have marked paths for skiing known as runs, trails or pistes. Ski areas typically have one or more chairlifts for moving skiers rapidly to the top of hills, and to interconnect the various trails. 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.

Fernie Alpine Resort

Fernie Alpine Resort is a ski resort, located on Lizard Range, near the town of Fernie, British Columbia in Canada. It is known particularly for its high annual snowfall, reportedly the highest of any resort in the Canadian Rockies, and for its powder skiing. The resort also operates a mountain bike park, guided hikes, treetop aerial park, and zip line in the summer months.

The resort has 10 lifts servicing 142 named runs plus 5 alpine bowls and tree skiing with a vertical drop of 1,082 meters (3,550 ft). The resort has over 10.1 square kilometres (2,500 acres) of skiable terrain. The average annual snowfall is 875 centimetres (28.71 ft).

Fernie Alpine Resort is owned by Resorts of the Canadian Rockies which also owns ski areas, Kimberley Alpine Resort, Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, Nakiska, Mont Sainte-Anne, and Stoneham.

History

Fernie Alpine Resort was originally called "Fernie Snow Valley" before being sold in 1997 to RCR (Resort of the Canadian Rockies). RCR saw some financial trouble under owner Charlie Locke, and after a period in bankruptcy protection, was bailed out by Alberta billionaire N. Murray Edwards.

Alpine

The term alpine refers to the Alps, a European mountain range, or to the Alpine states associated with the mountain range.

Alpine may also refer to:

Biology

Environmental sciences

Alpine climate, climate that is typical to higher altitudes

Places

Australia

New Zealand

United States