The review Loveland was created by Skiresort.info, the world’s largest test portal for ski resorts.
Altitude difference
691 m (Valley 3180 m - Mountain 3871 m )
Lifts/ cable cars
10
Number of lifts to get from one end of the ski resort to the other
→ 4 ← 2
Slope offering, variety of runs
Run location
above tree line, under tree line
Total capacity
12700 Passengers / hour
Length of all lifts
10.2 km Total
Worth knowing
- Artificial snow-making
20 % of the slopes have snow-making capabilities
- The valley run is practically always open.
Season 2009/2010
210 Days open
210 Days when valley run open
Season 2010/2011
212 Days open
212 Days when valley run open
The slope preparation is satisfactory.
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 Highway 70 Denver-Grand Junction, Ausfahrt Loveland Pass
Chair 3 (Dillon), Ideal entry for day visitors
Distance: 1 km · approx. 1 Minutes driving time
Roads: Side road, well-developed
Parking spaces: usually enough available,
Stone parking lot,
free of charge
Chair 1 (Dillon), Ideal entry for day visitors
Distance: 1 km · approx. 1 Minutes driving time
Roads: Side road, well-developed
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
- No scheduled busses
Mountain restaurants, ski huts, gastronomy
2 Mountain restaurants & Ski huts
Accommodation offering directly on the slopes and lifts
Ski-in/Ski-out
There are no accommodations with direct access to the slopes and to lifts (Ski-in/Ski-out)
Towns/villages
- Dillon
Distance to ski resort 10-20 km
- Georgetown
Distance to ski resort 10-20 km
- Silverthorne
Distance to ski resort 10-20 km
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
- Beginner's lifts near the valley
Information for beginners
- Easy and manageable slope offering, which is easy to achieve
- Special slopes for slower skiers / beginners
- Beginner's lifts near the valley
Advanced skiers, freeriders
Information for advanced skiers, freeriders
- very many freeride / deep snow areas
- few 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
- very many freeride / deep snow areas
Snow parks
Offering snow parks
Cross-country skiing and trails
- No cross-country trails available
Conclusion
nice panorama, wide deep snow runs
no safty bars at the lifts, no lifts with bubbles
Detailed description of the ski resort
Directly before the Eisenhower Tunnel is the ski resort Loveland. If you leave the Highway 70 at the exit 216, you achieve first the Loveland Valley, where a quad and a double chair serve mostly easy runs. Approx. a mile away are the parking lots and the ski lifts of the Loveland Basin. Valley and Basin are connected also by a double chair. Runs of all degrees of difficulty are in Loveland Basin - two triple chairs start directly at the parking lots, the one (Chair1) up to Rock House and the other one (Chair2) to the Ptarmigan Roost. From the Rock House very steep runs underneath the triple chair lead back to the Basin in addition, intermediate and easy slopes lead to the double chair 6, to the mid-station of Chair 2 and to the quad The Ridge Chair 9. The Ridge was the highest quad of the world until 2005 and leads up to 3871m. From here you have a wonderful view of the skiing area and you can even see until Keystone and Breckenridge. The slope down is not a really groomed run, it is a free skiing space through deep fresh powder to enjoy. Before you reach the valley station Basin, the double chair 4 leads up on the left side of the resort to intermediate and steep runs. From the mid-station or the top station of the double chair you can alternate to the quad Zip Basin (Chair 8). At this lift you find slopes and runs above the tree-line, which lead then in the lower part through forest aisles back to the quad. If you want to go back to the valley station Basin you can take the advanced run "The Face" through a small tunnel under the highway or you can ski or ride intermediate runs via the chair 4 back to the parking lots. Very recommend is also the gladed run "West Ropes" through the forest back to the base station - this is no run for beginners! The rather small ski resort offers various runs of all degrees of difficulty and offers also very much free ski space, so that you find always fresh snow. For a break or lunch you can go to the Lodge with a bar at the base station.
Test Report issued on 2008-03-31
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