Great ski area in Alta, UT, Utah

by lindamura review

► added on 24th of August, 2007

Not far from the Salt Lake City International Airport, lays the beautiful Alta Ski at the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon. Getting there from the airport or from many other locations in Salt Lake Valley is pretty easy as there are plenty of ski buses to take you right to the base of Alta's lifts.

On its incredibly varied terrain, you'll definitely find runs that fit your skiing style. But the terrain is not its only strong point, the breathtaking alpine scenery, deep powder snow, pure and unspoiled skiing makes Alta a unique place in the world, a location that gives you the freedom to find yourself, both mind and body. It is the skiers’ favorite mostly because the quality and quantity of dry, light snow provides a unique skiing experience.

This magnificent place was discovered by Norwegian immigrants who came to Utah in the late 1800s. They found a place to remind them of Norway and of their favorite sport, skiing. But Alta was founded only in 1938 and since then it is considered the heaven for skiers. Here skiers coming from all over the world and especially Europe will find the same old world feel similar to many European resorts. Skiing was the first sport to be practiced and the tradition is preserved and protected so snowboarders should look somewhere else to practice it. But there are other activities like Cat Skiing in Grizzly Gulch to make up for the eventual loss.

There are convenient schedule times, a wide variety of awesome terrain and snow conditions for skiers of all levels to be able to enjoy a full day of skiing. The area is dedicated to providing a quality skiing experience for a reasonable price. Beginners will be satisfied skiing on gentle rolling slopes which are perfect if you are planning on skiing for the first time. You should start on Alta's rope tows which are free all day long, then continue with the Sunnyside lift, which is a detachable triple making it easy to get on and off the chair. The intermediate skiers have the Sugarloaf lift which also provides access to some advanced terrain. Advanced skiers can take on steep narrow chutes or tree covered slopes. There’s something for everybody, but it is advisable to ski within your ability and comfort zone.

Those with a limited budget will also be happy as there are many things you can do for free or with discounts. There’s the Beginner Pass valid for Albion, Sunnyside & Cecret lifts, but if you can wait until 3 p.m. you won’t have to pay anything due to the "Ski Free After 3" program, discounted rentals after 3 p.m. are also a good thing. You will ski for free on Sunnyside lift and you don’t have to worry about parking, the most convenient being at the Albion Base.

There’s another free program operating weekends and holidays. You will earn about the watershed, winter ecology and local mining history. Discounts are offered for groups of 20 or more, corporate entities and travel agents plus a combined ticket to ski both mountains.

Despise all these facilities, Alta is not a second hand skiing resort, on the contrary it is a top one offering quality skiing experience for a reasonable price.

Children will feel great here as there is the Alta Children's Centre, a safe and fun centre that will see to their every need they will have fun while the parents will be able to ski worry free knowing their child is well looked after.

It's the commitment to quality that keeps Alta one of the most modern, convenient and popular resorts in Utah and why skiers keep coming back.