
Ski resorts in the World by
country

view of a typical resort and
lifts
A
ski area is a developed recreational facility,
usually on a
mountain or large
hill, containing
ski trails and
vital supporting services. It is common for a
ski area to
have food, rental equipment, parking facilities and a
ski lift system catering to the sports of
skiing and
snowboarding.
Normally located in high mountain areas (or at least on
well-built-up hills) for adequate snow coverage, they have become
ubiquitous in areas where skiing is a popular pastime. The paths
are usually marked and known as runs, trails or
pistes. Ski areas typically have one or more
chair lifts for moving skiers rapidly to the top
of hills, and to interconnect the various pistes.
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.
A
ski resort is a ski area plus amenities to make
it a
destination resort. This
includes accommodations and other amenities adjacent to the ski
area. Some ski resorts offer lodging options on the slopes
themselves, with ski-in and ski-out access allowing guests to ski
right up to the door. Ski resorts often have other activities, such
as
snowmobiling,
sledding,
horse-drawn sleds,
dog-sledding,
ice-skating, indoor or outdoor
swimming, and
hottubbing, game rooms, and local forms of
entertainment, such as clubs, cinema, theatre and cabarets.
Ski
resorts may be self-contained and entirely devoted to ski tourism,
(for example Vail
ski resort)
or they may be near a village or town that had a significant
existence before the ski resort was built, such as Jackson
Hole
, Wyoming, Aspen, Colorado
, or Park City, Utah
.
Though skiing is less dangerous than many popular sports (such as
bicycling, golf, football, swimming, and weightlifting),it is
widely perceived as being high risk, in part due to significant
accident rates as recently as the 1970s. Nevertheless, ski areas
usually have at least a basic
first aid
facility, and some kind of
ski patrol
service to ensure that injured skiers are rescued. The ski patrol
is usually responsible for rule enforcement, marking hazards,
closing individual runs (if a sufficient level of hazard exists),
and removing (dismissing) dangerous participants from the
area.
A
mountain resort is a place to holiday or vacation
located in mountains. Common activities include
skiing,
snowboarding, and
ice skating, as well as summer
activities such as
hiking,
mountain biking,
golf,
and
tennis.
See also
References