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Latest in Epic Pass
Why a Lift Ticket Costs $356 at Vail and €76 in Austria - And Almost Nobody Pays the American Price
A lift ticket at Vail hit $356 US this season. In Austria, a day at Kitzbühel still costs around €76. At Perisher, which Vail bought in 2015, the window rate has roughly doubled against inflation in a decade - while just across the Tasman, where Vail owns nothing, prices stayed put. Same sport, same snow, wildly different outcomes depending on who owns the lift. We went through the SEC filings, the court records and the pass math to work out why. Full breakdown below, video included.
Michael Fulton
How Epic and Ikon Passes Transformed the Face of Skiing in North America
The introduction of Vail's Epic Pass in 2008 and Alterra's Ikon Pass in 2018 fundamentally transformed North American skiing from a day-ticket model to a season-pass dominated industry. While offering extraordinary value for frequent skiers, these passes have simultaneously made skiing more accessible for some while driving day ticket prices to record highs and creating significant challenges for mountain communities.
Michael Fulton
Vail Resorts CEO Envisions European Megapass Potential
Rob Katz, CEO of Vail Resorts, discusses the potential for introducing a megapass system to European ski resorts, similar to the successful Epic Pass model in North America.
Michael Fulton
Austria Just Got Even More Epic With 6 New Resorts On The Epic Pass
Vail Resorts has dramatically expanded the Epic Pass by adding six major Austrian ski resorts for the 2025/26 season. The strategic announcement brings Saalbach, Zell am See-Kaprun, Mayrhofen, Hintertux, and Silvretta Montafon into the network, transforming Austria from a single destination into a comprehensive multi-week skiing option with over 800 kilometres of pistes.
Michael Fulton
Mount Hotham Lift Tickets Now on Sale for 2025 Winter Season
Mount Hotham has officially launched ticket sales for the 2025 winter season. With prices starting from A$177 for adults, skiers and riders can now secure their Mt Hotham lift tickets online at competitive rates. Early booking discounts of up to 40% are available for those planning ahead, with multi-day passes offering the best value for longer stays.
Michael Fulton
Kirkwood vs Heavenly vs Northstar California - Epic Battle In Lake Tahoe
Planning a Lake Tahoe ski adventure with your Epic Pass? Discover how Heavenly, Kirkwood, and Northstar compare across 8 key categories. With over 10,000 combined skiable acres, similar snowfall patterns, and terrain for all abilities, we break down which of these world-class resorts deserves your attention. Find out which Tahoe giant stands above the rest for your next mountain escape.
Michael Fulton
Epic Pass - New Year, New Season, New Discounts
Michael Fulton
Latest News
More from the SnowStash desk
Four Dead After Avalanche Near Ski Portillo in Chile
A large avalanche struck near Laguna del Inca adjacent to Ski Portillo on Saturday afternoon, killing four people and injuring four others. The group were day visitors mountaineering in the backcountry after reportedly being warned about elevated avalanche risk by resort staff.
18 Oct 2026
Europe Ski Resorts Open Now: What Is Skiable in Mid-October 2026
Europe’s ski season is open, technically. After a record-warm summer, glaciers in Austria, Switzerland and Italy are running a few pistes apiece, Sölden, Stubai and Kitzsteinhorn started late, Titlis has pushed back to 24 October, and Zermatt reopens a few lifts on 14 October after more than two months shut. Finland’s Levi and Ruka are skiing on stored snow. Here is what is open, and what you actually get at each.
14 Oct 2026
Zermatt Plans World Cup Downhill Return on the Gornergrat for 2028
Zermatt is having another crack at a World Cup downhill, and this time nobody has to cross a border. Around 13 million Swiss francs is going into rebuilding the Gornergrat piste, including a jump fed by a roughly 300-metre in-run across the roof of the Gornergrat Railway gallery, with the Matterhorn lined up behind it for the TV cameras. First men’s race is pencilled in for March 2028, pending FIS homologation.
14 Oct 2026
Mt. Rose Begins Snowmaking for the 2026-27 Season at Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe’s highest base elevation is paying off early: Mt. Rose has started making snow for 2026-27 after the first flurries and a cold snap. The Nevada resort is backing it with nearly US$2 million in upgrades, including a replacement snowmaking main line, a new PistenBully groomer and restraint bars on every lift. Opening day is yet to be confirmed, though Heavenly and Northstar are already eyeing 20 November.
13 Oct 2026
Utah Ski Resorts 2026-27: What’s New at Alta, Deer Valley, Powder Mountain and More
Utah is still building flat out. For 2026-27, Powder Mountain opens a steep new Skytrac chair into more than 1,000 acres of advanced terrain, Deer Valley adds 200 acres on Hail Peak, Sundance gets a new quad and Park City adds a gondola from its new parking structure. Snowmaking is expanding almost everywhere, Eagle Point stays closed after the Cottonwood Fire, and the 2034 Games are setting the pace. Here’s what’s new, resort by resort.
13 Oct 2026
Mt Hutt Invests NZ$12 Million in Base Area, Tripling Its Sun Deck
Mt Hutt is getting busier, and its base lodge is about to catch up. NZ$12 million goes into a heated sun deck roughly three times the current size (430 m² to 1,300 m²), plus a new toilet block, heated steps down to snow level, extra storage and a new food and beverage outlet. Building starts after the 2026 season, with everything due for winter 2027.
11 Oct 2026
Vermont Ski Resort Opening Dates 2026-27: Few Dates Set, Killington Waits on the Cold
Vermont's season is slow to take shape. Stratton is tentatively targeting 18 November and Sugarbush 21 November, while Pico has Friday 11 December on the calendar. Killington never sets a date and opens when the snowmaking allows, and Vail Resorts has yet to name days for Stowe, Okemo and Mount Snow. The forecasts disagree about snow, and the main El Niño worry for the Green Mountains is warmth.
9 Oct 2026
Crans-Montana 2027 World Championships President Resigns Ahead of Fraud Hearing
Less than four months out from the Crans-Montana 2027 World Championships, the man running the organising committee has stepped down. Claude-Alain Schmidhalter resigned as Swiss-Ski vice president and OC president after being indicted over a business dispute unrelated to skiing. He denies the allegations and faces court on October 27. Interim leaders are in place for the February 1-14 event.
9 Oct 2026