Beginner to Extreme: Ski Resort Terrain Levels Explained

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 พ.ค. 2024
  • Across the hundreds of ski resorts across North America, and many other regions around the world-you’ll see the same three symbols: a green circle, a blue square, and a black diamond. So how did these symbols come to be in the first place?
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    0:00 Intro
    0:48 Rating System Origins
    2:05 Green Circle - Beginner Terrain
    3:57 Blue Square - Intermediate Terrain
    5:47 Black Diamond - Advanced Terrain
    8:08 Double Black Diamond - Expert Terrain
    9:25 EX/Triple Black Diamond - Extreme Terrain
    12:26 Orange Oval - Freestyle Terrain
    13:31 Final Thoughts
    Thanks to @skitnb for the Lone Peak footage at Big Sky in this video!

ความคิดเห็น • 633

  • @PeakRankings
    @PeakRankings  7 หลายเดือนก่อน +364

    Hey all, a quick correction on this video: around 1:48, we mentioned that the green/blue/black rating system has become a "widely recognized standard worldwide." We should have clarified that "worldwide" does not refer to every region, and that several areas in Europe, South America, and Asia abide by different standards.
    This system is really used in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand-and to a certain extent in Scandinavia, with greens and blues being easier than in other countries.
    Thanks for watching!

    • @lioevr
      @lioevr 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +95

      Don't be ashamed of making a mistake, but also don't try to talk it good. This is the worst excuse since "the several areas" have many more ski resorts than the US lmao. So its basically just a small part that uses the system yall talked about compared to the world...

    • @JCRger
      @JCRger 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +42

      Yeah, in Europe it s simply a question of the colour. (Green), blue, red and black.
      And to add: in Europe the slopes are almost always signed with that colour on posts aside the whole slope.

    • @70fu
      @70fu 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      A "green" Skii run on a certain mountain would be considered a pretty advanced run here in BC for snowboarding.

    • @007tobler
      @007tobler 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

      One thing you didn’t mention is that on a lot of black 3 diamonds you need to know how to repel with a rope

    • @growtocycle6992
      @growtocycle6992 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

      I'm from NZ.. what about red diamond, between black and blue?

  • @texan_2ocho965
    @texan_2ocho965 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1208

    Who else can’t wait for ski season to start???

    • @LoomerCuber
      @LoomerCuber 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +8

      First one for me.

    • @brunokaplan7258
      @brunokaplan7258 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

      Meeeee

    • @Hatchet1
      @Hatchet1 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      Yep sleeping giant and red lodge here I come.

    • @GustavManning
      @GustavManning 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Meeee

    • @RedFacePyro
      @RedFacePyro 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Same!

  • @JorgBarfurth
    @JorgBarfurth 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +845

    These are actually not the same worldwide.
    In most of Europe Blue (no specific shapes used) means about the same as Green Circle in America, Red corresponds to Blue Square (not just to Double Blue Square) while Black is similar to Black Diamond (but typically groomed.)
    A few European countries use Green for very easy. Some use Orange or Yellow for expert or off-piste (ungroomed) itineraries, corresponding to Double Black Diamond terrain.

    • @Der.Preusse
      @Der.Preusse 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +276

      Yeah stating this was worldwide is just good'ol US-defaultism

    • @matteocerbai
      @matteocerbai 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +15

      True usually all the runs in europe are groomed and the blue marking is used also for the begginner areas (only in some bigger and more international ski areas green is used), in some places i know (know from other people that i know not from my personal expience) that brownish colors are used for a middle ground betwenn red and black, black runs in europe are much steper than black diamonds in america and car reach 75%+ but they are still groomed

    • @moin9764
      @moin9764 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +7

      In some ski resort in europe, there are also diamond shapes used to indicate ungroomed runs

    • @PeakRankings
      @PeakRankings  7 หลายเดือนก่อน +92

      Thanks. We have pinned a comment outlining a correction here.

    • @Der.Preusse
      @Der.Preusse 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

      @@PeakRankings Much appreciated.

  • @CoreyGary
    @CoreyGary 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +266

    Here are some tips I gathered from skiing out West for a few years. If you typically ski alone and want to venture into double black/extreme terrain, wait at the Avy Gate for other people to ski in first. Don’t flag people down, but if someone else stops politely ask if you can ski with them on the particular run. Nine out of ten times people will be kind and receptive. More eyes on the variable terrain the better for everyone as long as you keep a safe distance from others. Plus, it’s often easier to execute a line if you see someone else do it first.
    Always know how to self rescue and self arrest. Go into avy gates with a charged phone or walkie talkie. Know where to stop above and to the side of a fall line. Make sure your boots are tight. Take your time. Don’t speed run if you aren’t confident in where you’re going, even if you’re a good skier. Traversing often makes skiing down extreme terrain easier, but don’t get cliffed out. Practice your kick turns on easier runs. Stay clear of tree wells. If you found a powder stache, that’s great. Make sure you know how to get back to the defined tracks because a powder Stache can appear before cliffs.
    Make sure your skis are the proper width and underfoot for extreme terrain (rentals might not cut it depending on the mountain). Use powder baskets on polls. Wear a helmet. If nothing I said here made sense, google is your friend and maybe find a ski instructor for your first time!

    • @sc100ott
      @sc100ott 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      Great tips! 👍🏼

    • @PebusGalacticus
      @PebusGalacticus 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      this is some of the worst advice I've ever seen. NEVER EVER go into avy terrain unless you are trained and have a beacon and rescue gear and know how to use them and you are with a partner. if you get caught in an avalanche and burried without an avy beacon your chances of survival are near 0. Additionally you shouldnt be going into avy terrain if you cant read terrain and know the avy forecast.

    • @jonasbrownell5591
      @jonasbrownell5591 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      Bro went off😛

    • @BrianForUtah
      @BrianForUtah 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      "powder stache"
      Favorite neologism of the year for me.

  • @markdisanzo3796
    @markdisanzo3796 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +191

    Also remember that the green/blue/black designations vary from hill to hill and are relative to that hill only. A black diamond in the east will likely be very different than a black at the western slopes.

    • @jvwMUSIC
      @jvwMUSIC 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +21

      Very different between small local slopes and actual resorts too. Even within the same state.

    • @chiefflats2949
      @chiefflats2949 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +22

      Yeah a double black at Breck is way different than a double black at Crested Butte. Waiting to drop into a Crested Butte double black is the only time I've ever been afraid to drop into a run. Shit was a fucking wall. My brother almost died cause he almost fell off an unmarked cliff. Crested Butte is a different fucking breed

    • @hudson5610
      @hudson5610 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

      yeah - that is one of the things that creates a great deal of danger in skiing. They could come up with a universal marking that uses some type of average slope % so you know what to expect when you get on a trail regardless of where you are. But this would make too much sense.

    • @erock5b
      @erock5b 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      ​@@jvwMUSICyeah. The one I would go to was smaller, and the black diamonds are close to a double black at a larger place I frequent. Conditions play a big part too. Powder makes it way easier and funner.

    • @hopsterbb2571
      @hopsterbb2571 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@hudson5610double black is double black…you better be ready for anything and everything….and if you aren’t sure, go with someone who’s done it…ski responsibly…and don’t fall on double blacks

  • @Wynton25
    @Wynton25 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +51

    2:57 I was thinking “that tree looks familiar 🤔” then I realized it was the same one i almost hit learning how to snowboard at Tahoe 😂

  • @mikekelly7862
    @mikekelly7862 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +36

    Wow, that Disney connection to the trail ratings is really interesting... Ive skied my whole life and never once asked myself where the system came from. Thanks for including that!

    • @zaphod4245
      @zaphod4245 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      Brings a whole new meaning to the way of descibing ski resorts in America as "Disneyland on snow"

  • @Nobody-dc8dp
    @Nobody-dc8dp 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +28

    I remember once my novice friends decided to try a black diamond trail that was like 6 feet wide and was almost straight down. We tried it on our snowboards and we ended up sliding on our butts the whole way down and that was when I decided the mellow runs are actually way more fun and chill, plus less chance for hurting yourself.

  • @robynsutherland4115
    @robynsutherland4115 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +74

    An under-rated trail sign in Canada is "easiest way down", which can frequently use green or perhaps skip green when snow or grooming is poor (especially in spring melt) to denote where snow conditions (and not only angle) are in fact the safest way to the base

    • @mrvwbug4423
      @mrvwbug4423 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

      I remember seeing that in Whistler, they do that for both their ski resort and for their bike park in summer.

    • @joeyenniss9099
      @joeyenniss9099 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      Those signs are all over snowbird regardless of the conditions lol

    • @Rhyno012345
      @Rhyno012345 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Yes! Most resorts I’ve been to have this. Although my last time out on my first run I followed the “easiest way down” sign and there were
      Definitely easier runs down than that so I guess use at your discretion haha

    • @talkingweevil3172
      @talkingweevil3172 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Ya the only problem with this tho is they often rate blue runs green so they can say it is the easiest way down however u have been to a few hills where they had it blue and it still had the easiest way down sign but it is rarer and usually only on harder chairs. Most of the hills I’ve been to tho don’t change they usually stay where they are but I could see bigger hills like kicking horse maybe doing that I didn’t really pay attention when I was there.

  • @teacherguy5084
    @teacherguy5084 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +11

    Rather than "beginner, intermediate, advanced," the colored symbols are often described as denoting "easier", "more difficult", "most difficult". This helps make clear that they are explanatory of RELATIVE difficulty among various runs for that particular resort and do not provide information related to other resorts. My daughter, raised skiing and riding Washington State, with some experience at resorts in Canadian and Oregon, found herself at a small resort in upstate New York during grad school and came away with the observation that a black run there was the same steepness as a steep green in the Pacific NW.

    • @daneg
      @daneg 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      aye. very true. tbf, a lot of resorts in southern VT/MA/NY are very liberal about labeling things Diamond and even Double Diamond that places like Killington, Stowe, etc. might label Square. Personally, I think DD needs more objective criteria relating to pitch, trail width, and technical skill as gauged by something more than comparing it to other runs on the same resort. but that's simply not how it is.

  • @sampitrone7879
    @sampitrone7879 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +62

    Content is evolving and I’m all for it, keep it guys I absolutely love the videos!

  • @SFS_Rocketry
    @SFS_Rocketry 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +35

    In Austria, Germany and Switzerland, we have a blue, red and a black circle. For trails there is a red diamond or for the hard ones a red diamond with black edges.

    • @Madmaxxu692
      @Madmaxxu692 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      Same in sweden

    • @Royal_tanker
      @Royal_tanker 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

      Yes. In France it is green for beginner/easy, blue for slightly difficult, red for hard and black for extremely hard. Some blacks can be easier than others

    • @MaxTheFireCat
      @MaxTheFireCat 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      ​Vive la France​@@Royal_tanker

    • @talkingweevil3172
      @talkingweevil3172 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      What abt colour blind people……..

    • @Royal_tanker
      @Royal_tanker 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@talkingweevil3172 not sure. I think they have shaped

  • @aidanmoore5412
    @aidanmoore5412 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    I love how you showed my home mountain Stowe so much

  • @augustinbelliard9812
    @augustinbelliard9812 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +23

    I grew up skiing in the Alps and after moving to the USA and skiing there a bit, I've found that I still prefer the European designation of trails. The green slopes there are your bunny hills/easier greens, the blues there are trails that are steeper than greens but are still groomed and don't have bumps. Reds are trails that are steeper than blues but still groomed with the introductions of some bumps; this is what I find blues to be like at least on the east coast. Then blacks are ungroomed, steeper terrain which is equivalent to black diamonds here and then there are expert blacks which are your double blacks and above.
    In addition, I've found that resorts in the Alps at least all have trail markers along the way with the color or grade of the run and number markers every so often. This helps a lot not get lost when conditions are bad and I think I've only seen something similar once at Hunter mountain (which you featured earlier in the video =) ). I wish more resorts did that.

    • @pnkdrmz
      @pnkdrmz 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      black runs in europe are nearly always groomed and ungroomed ones are usually specifically marked as mogul/ungroomed, at least everywhere i've skied so far

    • @shmonyx
      @shmonyx 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      The majority of resorts i've skied in the Alps have groomed black runs.

    • @lorenz07
      @lorenz07 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      In Austria every slope is groomed. What's not groomed are the routes that are marked with a red diamond. In Switzerland It would be a yellow

  • @TheShreddingHand
    @TheShreddingHand 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    All your content is fantastic, love this channel! I’d be interested in a video going over the ski gear you use Sam, how you maintain it, and how often.

    • @PeakRankings
      @PeakRankings  7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Thank you! Great suggestion

  • @mbtravel7294
    @mbtravel7294 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +7

    Whenever i visit a new mountain i always start with the green and work my way up the levels so there are no surprises.

  • @benshappell6339
    @benshappell6339 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    Another great video, well done!

  • @sc100ott
    @sc100ott 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Great content! Keep up the good work!

  • @Tocsj
    @Tocsj 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Besides the incredibly informative video, the quality is amazing. Some of these shots, especially at the triple black diamond trails, were so crisp.

  • @wanderingnoble
    @wanderingnoble 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I've been skiing for 14 years and still found this video very helpful

  • @KillmonAlfonso
    @KillmonAlfonso 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I was genuinely enlightened by the content in the video.

  • @orans_
    @orans_ 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    Best channel on yt, hands down.

  • @bobbyjcfhvlichtenstein8253
    @bobbyjcfhvlichtenstein8253 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    I'm like 400miles from the nearest resort, and i still watch this with genuine interest lol

  • @cadenglick7783
    @cadenglick7783 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    I'm going snowboarding on my first snow-trip this coming January in Colorado. I'm super stoked, and hope to accomplish a blue square or two by the end of the trip. We'll see if I'm being overly ambitious LOL

  • @vacantile
    @vacantile 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I’ve only seen snow twice in my life but this video was very entertaining

  • @allyparker2636
    @allyparker2636 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    Always thought double black and EX marked trails were the same difficulty and have definitely treated them indiscriminately. Good to keep in mind for the future!

  • @peterw1469
    @peterw1469 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

    You should do one of these type of videos for mountain biking as well

  • @will3057
    @will3057 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +10

    How do you keep making these videos so entertaining. Keep up the amazing work and are you going to visit eroupe any time

    • @PeakRankings
      @PeakRankings  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      May visit Europe this season - TBD!

  • @Fano2311
    @Fano2311 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I would rate myself a blue square 🟦 snowboarder but it’s still so much fun! I love it

  • @couchpotatoinc
    @couchpotatoinc 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +8

    been snowboarding since like 9 but still thoroughly enjoyed this. I would add on to the end: terrain park features are usually individually marked with a size from S to XXL, some resorts also have XS. The sign at the entrance to a park will say "this park has S-L features", for example.

  • @Raizo_B.
    @Raizo_B. 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I've never been skiing, nor do I know if I will ever ski in the future, and still got this in my recommended for some reason. And you bet your bottom I'm going to watch the entire thing.

  • @katherinet-mb6so
    @katherinet-mb6so 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    OMG I LOVE BEAVER CREEK SO MUCH I KNEW THAT’S WHERE YOU WERE!!

  • @POP_CAST
    @POP_CAST 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I’ve never skied before and I might go skiiing in 2 weeks so thanks for this video😊🎉

  • @novy1198
    @novy1198 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    During my first time skiing 3 years ago, in two days of skiing with family i started from learning how to properly stand or walk with skies, to going down the really steep slope. I was scared as hell when i saw how high it really is close up, but after i did it my confidence sky rocket, ive been on that resort 2 times (now it will be my third) and no matter what i still love that, small, long, high slopes, after one year of pause everything feels like i learn it again but with a little more confidence, its great

    • @bdrokin
      @bdrokin 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Same I also scared sometimes on First time in Skiing in 5 days ago, I’m not a fan of skiing cause I’m terrible at it. So you figure out already

  • @techdeth
    @techdeth 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    In the 90s copper mountain had a blue called Bouncer that was my entire childhood. Crazy jumps in and out of the woods off the main run. Man I miss those days with my family.

  • @Goodbalisongflipper
    @Goodbalisongflipper 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I’m so excited to ride all the double blacks

  • @Tokax
    @Tokax 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Great explanation

  • @ljg3productions630
    @ljg3productions630 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    I’m just here to see the crazy expert terrain these guys shred.

  • @TvTToasted
    @TvTToasted 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Hey I recognise some of those trails from Briançon! What an awesome mountain

  • @David12scht
    @David12scht 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +37

    This is so interesting! It seems that American resorts are very different from European resorts in several ways. For one, basically all marked runs are groomed and cleared of obstacles in Europe. There are some ungroomed free terrain runs, but they are a rarity. Many of these double and triple black diamond runs seem like they would involve quite a bit of avalanche risk? I wonder if they are closed a lot of the time? Especially with the american approach to liabilty, it would seem many of these are a lawsuit waiting to happen (not saying that's right). In Europe, anything in a forest or dropping off a cliff or something like that would be considered off-piste, which is something many skiers consider something of a diviving line that many are hesistant to cross.

    • @evandonovan8410
      @evandonovan8410 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      It's mitigated by Ski Patrol. So if there's a high avalanche danger or not enough snow they'll close it off.

    • @snt03
      @snt03 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

      they set off bombs to set off any potential avalanches after it snows

    • @mack.attack
      @mack.attack 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

      Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming (and probably other major ski industry states) actually have laws specifically making ski areas not liable for injury or death resulting from "the inherent risks of skiing." If the avalanche risk is too high, they will close the terrain and possibly shell the slope with artillery to trigger avalanches or they'll just wait to open it. The ski areas in the Rockies and Sierra Nevada get so much snow that they kinda just have to be able to evaluate and mitigate avalanche risk. 🙂
      Also, if you are injured or require search and rescue because you entered closed terrain, you (or your family) will be required to pay for all costs associated with that and you may be prosecuted. If you are injured within a ski area on terrain that was open, you will not have to pay for ski patrol services (but you will have to pay for your medical bills because America 😂).

    • @mrvwbug4423
      @mrvwbug4423 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@mack.attack Different states treat SAR differently. Colorado law specifically prevents you from being charged for SAR services if you're outside a resort, though closed in bounds terrain may be different. Wyoming may bill you for SAR services outside a resort. Utah has mandatory minimum $10,000 rescue fee if you have to be SARd outside a resort.

  • @ezOqekuRitusohI
    @ezOqekuRitusohI 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +8

    I tried Blue once, and my life flashed before my eyes! I'll stick with Green, thank you very much.

    • @bartholemew4362
      @bartholemew4362 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      noob

    • @charlotte-carmen
      @charlotte-carmen 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

      ​@@bartholemew4362Bro don't be rude, I was terrified when I went on my first blue but I just got over it. My friend gave a tip if you're really stuck... shimmy your way down. If that sucks then roll your way down

    • @bartholemew4362
      @bartholemew4362 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      @@charlotte-carmen you noob too

    • @legendkyd2474
      @legendkyd2474 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@bartholemew4362I’m a proud newbie

    • @talkingweevil3172
      @talkingweevil3172 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Ya blue sometimes feels like a big jump from green, at my home hill the main face is all blue and I sometimes see people struggling to get down don’t worry there is nothing wrong with not doing blues. I know lots of people who can do black diamonds but just don’t want to.

  • @mike.471
    @mike.471 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Great video! Would it be possible to get the locations shown in the Double and Triple black section? I recognize some of them, but the others make me say I need to ski them ASAP!

    • @edbproductions
      @edbproductions 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I noticed jackson hole and vail for runs shown in the video. if you want to try and ski the steepest inbound run in north america you can head over to bigsky montana and try little couloir

  • @matfhju
    @matfhju 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Here in Norway we also have a red marcker. It is in betwean blue and black

  • @Gingerbread3232
    @Gingerbread3232 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I’ve done all of these, and I’m on a ski trip rn in Colorado doing ex’s, there so much fun

  • @guilhermefaleiros4892
    @guilhermefaleiros4892 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    As someone who has never seen snow, I think this is cool

  • @user-or6ln6kj3l
    @user-or6ln6kj3l 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Depends on the conditions also. Rode a bkue black run. But that day the trail was more of a black diamond. Came back 3 weeks later same trail with more snow the trail was significnatly easier to ride.

  • @sean7055
    @sean7055 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    In the canadian rockies we also have designated freeride terrain that requires a shovel beacon and probe to go into

    • @jameson1239
      @jameson1239 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Isn’t that just backcountry?

  • @vidpromjm
    @vidpromjm 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    Im a mug skier but ended up on the double black birds of prey at Beaver creek. I didnt realise it was meant to be expert till afterwards. Nice and steep but wide enough to make turns and snow was soft enough that you could hold an edge.
    OTOH some of the gladed blue runs there were well beyond my comfort level and the black tree runs would have killed me!

    • @misham6547
      @misham6547 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Yeah ratings are relative to the Resort and are not Standardized at all

    • @campbell9825
      @campbell9825 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Interestingly enough that run is used for racing whenever beaver creek hosts international competitions. It’s one of the only groomed double blacks I’ve ever seen on a resort, definitely a unique one, it can get pretty icy at times but otherwise it’s a fun one to bomb down

    • @vidpromjm
      @vidpromjm 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      @campbell9825 It was fun watching the world cup with some non skiing friends and casually telling them I've skied the same run that the race was on! Not sure they really believed me!

    • @vidpromjm
      @vidpromjm 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@misham6547 That's sort of the opposite of the point I was trying to make! Within the one resort some blacks were easy for me as they were wide and or groomed and or good conditions but other blacks icy, bumped, tight trees etc were way out of my comfort range.

  • @frag2
    @frag2 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    good video! well done

  • @monalisahota
    @monalisahota 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

    This was quite informative and accurate to my knowledge. I ski the intermediates or easy blues starting with the greens at the start of the season. I go to different resorts in East Coast, west coast and also in Europe. The ratings of terrains are definitely relative across resorts, so much that I can ski 'black' in a small ski area. However varies the blues and blacks are, the easy ones are always good for beginners in the USA.
    But to my surprise, I found the Stubai Glacier in Austria to be rated quite differently. I literally got stuck at one easy run as it was steep like a blue in the USA and very long. I hit it by mistake and it was my first day skiing in the season. I couldn't do it. I had to be helped down by another very kind and expert skiier and I fell a lot, which I never do even during the blues. (My legs were not in the best shape strength wise tbh but I never fall regardless). I did write to the resort to share my experience and ask if the trail was rated accurately and they said that it was an easy trail and marked as such. I cannot agree with that but I don't know enough about their rating system.
    How are the ratings different across the European resorts compared to the ones in USA?A video comparing ratings internationally would be great because I plan to skiing in different countries.

  • @jennifergaynor8233
    @jennifergaynor8233 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    As a person who’s completed a black diamond and is looking to do a double black diamond this is quite helpful👍

  • @jackbarnhart7394
    @jackbarnhart7394 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

    5:59 that's paradise at MRG!!! That is the one part of it to avoid if you like your skis, the rock is always exposed. It would probably be labeled as double black to extreme most places. 7:37 is a mandatory cliff! I love that bit!

  • @Monte6717.
    @Monte6717. 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I'm going a on a ski trip with my class tomorrow im so hyped

  • @Puzzoozoo
    @Puzzoozoo 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    Europe has blue runs for advanced beginners and low intermediates, and red for intermediate runs.

  • @Spyguy1819_
    @Spyguy1819_ 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Pretty accurate. Black diamonds in my experience have just been steeper but i've been to the same sight many times becuase it makes me feel comftorble

  • @xsparky0168
    @xsparky0168 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

    the highest ive done was double black, some were hard some were easy, glad to know that im actually not as good as i thought id be, would be down to try something harder, its a shame that quebec can only offer so much
    respect the difficulties & stay safe

  • @coolbrotherf127
    @coolbrotherf127 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Snow sports are so fun, but I live pretty far away from any good places to do it regularly. I do try to go at least once a year and always have blast even though I'm pretty nooby.

  • @Mojytowjy
    @Mojytowjy 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I have never been skiing in my life but I watched the whole video

  • @JunkEdits2
    @JunkEdits2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Well this video sure helped me. I went on Eldora’s hardest blue my first day ever skiing. My second day I successfully went down a black diamond!

  • @picklenik9658
    @picklenik9658 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I git convinced i to doing a double black in Marmot Basin with some buds, tv and there were times where I was worried for my life. Mind you, I only ski a couple times a year and most of those are hill skiing, at the time I hadn’t been on a true mountain for over 4 years

  • @m.hoffman2889
    @m.hoffman2889 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    compared to European runs:
    green circle = groomed blue runs (and green runs France)
    blue square = groomed harder blue or easy red run
    double blue square = groomed red run
    black diamond = ungroomed or groomed black runs or yellow mogul runs
    double black diamond = ungroomed black runs, yellow mogul runs or unmarked routes (usually only trails found on fatmap, other apps or by guides)
    triple black diamond = ungroomed unmarked routes in harsh steep terrain with rocks/cliffs (usually only trails found on fatmap, other apps or by guides)

  • @garrettlanger4048
    @garrettlanger4048 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +19

    Interesting video! I didn't realize Colorado mandated the EX terrain. Would be interested to hear how that came about in another video.
    And if possible, would you be able to throw a small label in the corner denoting which mountain each video clip is from? I find myself enviously wanting to visit the amazing places shown in your videos, but don't always know which mountain they are from. Thanks!

    • @PeakRankings
      @PeakRankings  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

      Thank you!
      We'll try in future videos but may be awhile, since the editing for that is pretty time consuming.
      If there are any trails you specifically want to know about, I'll dig them up!

    • @garrettlanger4048
      @garrettlanger4048 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Thanks for considering it! I like your channel for both the info you provide and also to get inspiration for future trips.
      In particular I'm interested in the locations starting at 0:00, 0:53, 4:39, 5:21 and 9:06. Thanks again!

    • @PeakRankings
      @PeakRankings  8 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

      @@garrettlanger4048 here you go:
      0:00: Jackson Hole Rendezvous Bowl
      0:53: A-Basin North Pole Hike
      4:39: A-Basin Dercum's Gulch
      5:21: Jackson Hole Laramie Bowl
      9:06: A-Basin 2nd Notch
      I think we can tell what two mountains you need to visit!

    • @garrettlanger4048
      @garrettlanger4048 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Thanks! I had no idea those were the same two resorts in those clips. I'm certainly going to check them out!

  • @jrbm670
    @jrbm670 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    In Chile 🇨🇱 we use green for beginner. blue for intermediate. Red for intermediate/expert. Black for expert

    • @lorenz07
      @lorenz07 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

      That's like worldwide standard. No idea what the guy in the Video is talking about. Americans being Americans🙄

  • @Medium_Rare_Tbone
    @Medium_Rare_Tbone 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Was some of the footage filmed at Hunter in NY, I think I recognize it.

  • @wolfelkan8183
    @wolfelkan8183 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Excellent essay.

  • @Ali-7676
    @Ali-7676 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Nice video. My wife is an absolute beginner and Im not much better myself. Our daughter however is advanced intermediate. We have a hard time finding mountains that suit us all. Wife needs really wide/slow slopes. The ones at 2:29, 2:37, and 3:35, 3:44 looked great. Would you know what resorts that footage was filmed at, respectively? Thank you.

  • @Whytho2000
    @Whytho2000 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

    It makes me happy that I recognized every single run minus the greens in this video.

  • @gamesnakez4104
    @gamesnakez4104 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Good snow as videos!

  • @CustomcrowdMitroc
    @CustomcrowdMitroc 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    one thing to keep in mind is that the ratings are more often than not based around sking not snowboarding, trails that are rated to be hard are usually more easy on snow boards. im not sure how true this is but ive been told this alot

    • @ethandavis7310
      @ethandavis7310 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      They're easier to do poorly on a snowboard, but much harder to do well. Most snowboarders will slip through an entire double black and scrape all the snow off. Sure they could get down easily and safely, but it's not polite. I've skied and boarded a few of the double blacks in this video, and proper boarding is more difficult than proper skiing at those levels

  • @SummerTime_Edits
    @SummerTime_Edits หลายเดือนก่อน

    I love skiing and I have been on double black dimond

  • @Bac0n111
    @Bac0n111 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Love the content, You guys coming to Mt hood this season?

    • @PeakRankings
      @PeakRankings  8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Absolutely! Gotta cover the new MHX

  • @user-pt3oc6zk1u
    @user-pt3oc6zk1u 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    as a former AASI level 3 instructor, I think this video should be the new compulsory orientation video for all newcomers.

  • @mrvwbug4423
    @mrvwbug4423 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    The system works well enough that it has been extended over to the mountain biking world to rate MTB trails. The orange freeride circle has also extended over to MTB to designate a trail with jumps, drops, etc.

  • @dabdanielpro7739
    @dabdanielpro7739 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    Europe, Japan, and Australia all have a red trail before black and after blue.

    • @MisterTMH
      @MisterTMH 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

      There are no red trails at Falls Creek. I did n't see any Perisher. The Blue runs at both places are steep enough to make learners' snow plough technique unsuitable for the terrain IMHO.

  • @captainploo
    @captainploo 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Good Video 10/10

  • @RaindropsBleeding
    @RaindropsBleeding 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    not even 30 seconds in and I recognise the Red Lodge at the bottom of Sugar Slope from Mountain Creek Ski resort in Vernon New Jersey

  • @xygomorphic44
    @xygomorphic44 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    First place I ever skied was the little place of Badger Pass near Yosemite. I was hauling ass down their beautifully groomed blue square runs and feeling like I could take on the world.
    Then I went to Bald Mountain at Sun Valley, Idaho thinking their blue square runs were just as easy. Boy was I wrong.

  • @Pandacalifornia
    @Pandacalifornia 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I first saw that in Webkinz Polar Plunge

  • @EquuleusPictor
    @EquuleusPictor 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    In France terrain parks are designated with XS, S, M, L, XL (similar to clothes sizes), not sure if any other country uses this system.

  • @vertonimal
    @vertonimal 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I've only gone skiing once but did it give me quite the story.
    I was going with my troop of boy scouts at about 16, we went to pats peak. (north east america, granite states area) got plenty of experience with some green and blue trails. the lodge itself was very generous with it's rankings and most trails we tried were very simple and had little to no technical differences like glades or drops.
    anyways about 4-6 hours in, it's getting dark and we decide to go one more hour before heading in. I ask the troop master if I could head up the lift to the top of the mountain since we didn't get the chance to go there. the troop master knew there some good blue trails up top and figured it was fine but didn't want me going alone so he sent me with a buddy.
    we get to the top, and due to the darkness and much denser foliage I didn't see the, now obvious, path to the left leading to the blue trails. of course the troop master expected us to have some common sense and know our limits and reasoning ability so he didn't feel the need to mention the blue trails. so me and my buddy get to the top and all we see are a black diamond and two double blacks.
    the black diamond was a near straight drop with a clear path straight back to the lodge. clearly a simple thrill trail, but a little too intense for me and my buddy. one double black trail we saw on the way up we knew to be filled with jumps and bumps so that was a no-go as well. the last double black we knew was a decently spacious trail with some sharper turns and generally steeper than the other double black.
    but with our cold addled brains we figured that was our best shot to get back to the lodge. at the time we figured that we were running out of time to get back since the ski lift had to stop a couple of times on the way up. so we took the double black.
    we barely stuck together and we both lost our skis and stumbled multiple times. pizza wedging did next to nothing and we didn't have the courage to keep pace. luckily we made it to the bottom and nobody got hurt but it was quite the experience. there were some helpful people who went down the trail that helped us on the way down so it was pretty fun overall.

  • @probablyabott9108
    @probablyabott9108 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I tore my ACL on a double blue when I was 15 😅
    Be careful out there, a bad injury can really happen anywhere!!

  • @slimaque727
    @slimaque727 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    In Poland we grade difficulty only in colour. Bunny slopes are green. Easy slopes are blue. Medium are red and hard are black

  • @pizzacat1239
    @pizzacat1239 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

    super useful video thank you sadly I can use any of the knowledge where I ski

  • @user-sx9lt4dm2y
    @user-sx9lt4dm2y 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    FULL SEND!

  • @filipporoversi9833
    @filipporoversi9833 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Wait in the US you just have one big resort associated with a skiing park? or are there multiple? I'm curious cause i ski on the alps and usually there are many types of accomodation near by the slopes, but the ski park is separate from the resorts or houses.

  • @Joshua-715
    @Joshua-715 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

    The Mountain I Go To Has A Double Black Diamond (Just A Cliff) With A Couple 100 Foot Drops, Only Been Down It Once.

  • @Mp57navy
    @Mp57navy 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

    The rating is the same as for mountain biking. Except past double black there is orange diamond called "pro line". Mandatory gaps, jumps, dropdowns.

  • @Mikolaj27389
    @Mikolaj27389 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

    If anyone is wondering where he is skiing in the intro it is deer valley in utah

  • @Chippymunk72
    @Chippymunk72 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I’ve done black and double black diamonds… in Wisconsin

  • @tamarkeithfeinstein5970
    @tamarkeithfeinstein5970 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Great video

  • @artorias937
    @artorias937 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    12:55 that has to be timberline oregon, ive been on that exact trail its so fun.

  • @nellen55
    @nellen55 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Trail rating sytem is kinda funny. The double blacks at my local mountain. Are super essy well other mountains is like rock drops and stuff

  • @connorhauss6044
    @connorhauss6044 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I got dragged down a double black my first time in the mountains in BC.

  • @SpikeTheSpiker
    @SpikeTheSpiker 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I wish there were more rules to the system to keep it more consistent between parks. In Sweden the difference between greens are romme alpin and kungsberget are quite large (as a beginner) the greens at kungs are mellow and gently sloped throughout the runs, the green runs at romme have sections that are the same as blues at other places I've been too. It can really throw you into a negative headspace when you're eating snow on a green at romme but able to glide through the greens at kungs. I'd love a more nuanced rating system like the v system that exists in climbing.

  • @WindRidgeable
    @WindRidgeable 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

    seeing this makes me want to hit the slopes again. after crashing going threw a glade and injurying my knee, i never felt like going back

  • @nikcezar2445
    @nikcezar2445 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

    god damn i wanna go climb some steep snow gullies only a few months i can t wait

  • @Elliott_Elliott
    @Elliott_Elliott 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    @ 1:50 these ratings are not used worldwide. In Europe (at least the Alps GER/CH/AT,) they are different as we use blue (easy), red (intermidiary) and black (expert). Also there are no shapes attached to them.

    • @PeakRankings
      @PeakRankings  7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Thanks. We have pinned a comment outlining a correction here.

  • @nowayoutalive8732
    @nowayoutalive8732 26 วันที่ผ่านมา

    I think I saw some Mt. Rose in there!

  • @redvvictor
    @redvvictor 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    The mountain I work in Colorado only mark up to Black Diamond, then extreme terrain.

  • @ericlane3256
    @ericlane3256 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Vail tends to underestimate their trails. Greens at Vail, I’ve found, we’re more like blues everywhere else and some blues are more blacks.