The review Girdwood/Alyeska Resort was created by Skiresort.info, the world’s largest test portal for ski resorts.
Altitude difference
770 m (Valley 70 m - Mountain 840 m )
Lifts/ cable cars
7 · Heli-skiing
Number of lifts to get from one end of the ski resort to the other
→ 2 ← 2
Slope offering, variety of runs
Run location
above tree line, under tree line
Lift Ticket child under 7 years 15 US$/day
Number of ski lifts
7 · Heli-skiing
Total capacity
11500 Passengers / hour
Length of all lifts
5.3 km Total
Worth knowing
- Artificial snow-making
10 % of the slopes have snow-making capabilities
- The valley run is open most of the time.
Season 2009/2010
175 Days open
160 Days when valley run open
The slope preparation is very good.
Tip: By new snow, an optimal slope prepartion is not always possible, even with a large effort. In addition, the new snow can not combine with the snow lying underneath and moguls are created quickly. For safety reasons, usually no slope preparation is possible during operating times.
Access via Seward Highway, Nr. 1, Ausfahrt Alyeska Highway
Alyeska Tramway (Girdwood, AK), Ideal entry for day visitors
Distance: 6 km · approx. 10 Minutes driving time
Roads: Side road, without significant incline
Parking spaces: enough available,
Tarred parking lot, Stone parking lot,
free of charge
Orientation (trail map, information boards, sign-postings)
Environmentally friendly ski operation
Public transportation/ on-site mobility
- No direct train connection
- Ski busses
- Scheduled busses
Mountain restaurants, ski huts, gastronomy
4 Mountain restaurants & Ski huts
Accommodation offering directly on the slopes and lifts
Ski-in/Ski-out
There is only one accommodation with direct access to the slopes and to lifts (Ski-in/Ski-out)
Note: For the evaluation, only the accommodations which are located directly on the slopes and lifts, or have very easy access to the ski resort have been considered.
Information for families and children
- Kid's Land/ separated area for children
Information for beginners
- Easy and manageable slope offering, which is easy to achieve
Advanced skiers, freeriders
Information for advanced skiers, freeriders
- some freeride / deep snow areas
- some extremely difficult, steep and unprepared runs (Double Diamonds)
Slope offering advanced skiers
Note: Always mind the avalanche warnings and barriers, please. Never ski into a closed and unsecured area.
Information for Snowboarders
- some freeride / deep snow areas
Snow parks
Offering snow parks
Cross-country skiing and trails
- Cross-country trail offering
Total trail length: 20 km
Conclusion
well groomed runs, nice panorama
Lift Ticket child under 7 years 15 US$/day
Detailed description of the ski resort
This nice ski resort is located only 60 kilometers from Anchorage, at the Seward Highway. From the Daylodge you can take the long double chair up to the top station of the Alyeska tramway, an aerial tramway for 60 persons. A quad also starts from the Daylodge. You can take this lift to the Spirit Quad, the only detachable quad with bubbles in Alaska. The Sprit Quad takes you up to the highest point in the ski resort - 840 meters! That´s not very high, but remember that you start skiing nearly from sealevel on. Enjoy the nice view from this point, you can see the Turnagain Arm, a Fjord, and the mountains around. Now you have different runs down to the Daylodge or to the Alyeska Prince Hotel with a vertical rise of 770 meters. From the hotel starts the tram and another quad which takes you back to the Daylodge. The runs at the upper mountain are mostly intermediate to advanced, easy runs you find near the base stations and at the Tanaka chair. Expert runs are located under the tram at the North Face and at Max´s Mountain. That´s a nice terrain for fresh powder, because they don´t groom this runs! The Alyeska Prince Hotel you can reach from nearly every point in the ski area and after a great skiing day join the pool at the hotel.
Test Report issued on 2000-02-05
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