Arapahoe Basin is home to some of the most difficult runs in North America.
The Montezuma Bowl was connected to the resort by the Zuma lift in January of 2008. This move almost doubled the ski area’s terrain in one blow.Freeriders and advanced skiers benefited most from this expansion, since there are more expert glade and deep snow runs (Double Diamond XX) to be conquered in Montezuma Bowl than anything else. The Pallavicini trail off of the Pallavicini lift is one of the steepest and most challenging trails in North America. It’s named after Pallavinci Couloir on Grossglockner, Austria’s tallest peak, which is said to be shaped similarly. Sixty percent of the runs in Arapahoe Basin are either advanced or expert runs. Alpine skiers with enough experience and avalanche gear can also give the East-Wall area a go. There is no lift leading there and the extremely steep and hilly slopes are only fun if the snow is good. Conclusion: If you want to get the most out of Arapahoe Basin you need to be a really good skier. Freeriders won’t find many ski areas that can compete with A-Basin. The rating is just a formality: 5 out of 5 stars in the experts and freeriders category.