Ski-In | Ski-Out Rentals
Is it really a ski-in ski-out property?
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When you’re booking your next vacation rental property in a ski resort there is an indisputable magic to the phrase ‘ski-in, ski-out’. It conjures up images of a cozy log cabin on the edge of a mountain cliff. Where you’re entertainment is watching fellow skiers carve elegant turns from your living room window, with the occasional spray of snow against the window pane. All you need to do is step out of your front door, click on your skis and glide down the slopes to the lift. You can anticipate avoiding the mass of people waiting for a soggy pizza in the mountain restaurant by using your own chalet as your own mountain restaurant. And, best of all, you get to ski back to your own front door at the end of the afternoon and forget about trudging along paths and the pain of crowded shuttle buses.
The reality may be very different from this. Vacation rental providers know the power of the term ‘ski-in, ski-out’, they are quick to use it to cover a myriad of different arrangements and a range of proximity to the slopes. Here are a few things to watch out for:
* The ‘ski-in ski-out’ rental that’s really ‘hiking distance’ to the slopes. The economics of housing development on a mountainside mean that when an area is developed next to the slopes, not all of it is actually next to the slopes. There is almost certain to be an abundance of properties that have access to the slopes…via pathways, steps, roadways etc. The pathways may be short, or not. Be sure to ask exactly how far a particular property is from the actual ski slope. Ask what the path is actually like: is it a level walkway or a progression of dozens of icy steps?
* The ski-in, ski-out home that is reached via a rustic trail through the woods. When these homes were originally built the developers cut trails to them so that they could be sold as ‘ski-in, ski-out’ homes. However these trails are very often too narrow for a snowcat to get through. These properties are very likely private property so the lift company which grooms the slopes has no responsibility for maintaining them. It’s the responsibility of the owners of properties served by that trail to make private arrangements for grooming the trails. There’s no guarantee you’ll find the trail in good enough condition for safe usage.
* The ski-in, ski-out home that offers true ski-in, ski-out access. And that’s only if you’ve chosen one of the 2 weeks of the year when the snow is down to that level. Many resorts that offer ski accommodation are located down in the valley, not up on the mountain. Global warming has led to a raise in the snow line and a decline in the number of weeks that snow is on the ground at given elevations.
* Finally, there is Utopia: a ski-in, ski-out home that is what it says it is, it’s situated right on slopes which are snow-covered throughout the season and groomed daily. This is what is often now referred to as a ‘true ski-in, ski-out’. Unfortunately, you may find that because these properties are so scarce it’s also very pricey, or it’s developed with rather high-density and mundane accommodations. The Aspens in Whistler is a good example of this. The location is perfect, right on the slopes, but the accommodation is mostly fairly stark.
The lesson here is simple. When you’re booking a ski-in, ski-out accommodation, make sure that you know exactly what you’re getting. If you’re booking a resort such as Whistler, where there are many levels of ski-in, ski-out accommodation, consult one of the local property management companies, and question them very closely on its exact location before you book your Whistler accommodation.
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