The Best Way to Learn the Mountain

 

Ski season is almost here, which means it’s time for a little Breck 101. Today’s lesson: Learning the mountain. Whether this is your first year visiting Breckenridge Ski Resort, or you’ve been coming for several years, the expansive terrain across Breck’s five peaks might have you scratching your head about the best warm-up run for your family, the easiest way to get to from Peak 9 to Peak 8, or even how to get back to your condo at the end of the day. Sure, there are signs, and you can always ask a mountain employee for directions, but it’s so much easier to have the map in your head and cruise down the slopes to your favorite chair, your favorite run, or your favorite happy hour.

So what is the best way to learn the mountain? By following the lead of a pro, of course!

For Breck’s incredible staff of ski and snowboard instructors, the mountain is their office, and they spend every work day – and most of their days off – skiing and riding Breck, and putting that map to memory. Instructors know short cuts, they have secret stashes, and always know the fastest way to the nearest bathroom (hey, it’s important!). It’s their job to share all of this insider information with you!

By taking a lesson, you not only get tips for improving your skills, but you also get a guided tour of the mountain that’s tailored to your skill level. This is especially important because not all runs on the mountain are created equal – for example, some greens are a little harder than others. For that matter, not all mountains are created equally, either. You might be able to ski easier black diamonds at your home mountain, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you can ski all the black diamond runs at Breck. An instructor is able to assess your ability level and will take you to terrain that you can handle. You’ll figure out which runs are the best for practicing new skills and, once you’ve mastered those skills, which runs you should try next.

If your kids are in ski school, make sure you ask the instructor which runs you can safely ski together, so that your kids can show off their new skills in a comfortable environment. And after a few days of lessons, they might have their own secret stashes they can’t wait to share with you!

Breck offers a variety of group, semi-private, and private lesson packages for both adults and kids, so why not take a few days this season to start mapping your own ultimate mountain experience?

– Jess Hoover