What does 'ski-in, ski-out' really mean?
When you are booking a 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 loving restored log cabin on the edge
of an immaculately groomed piste, of watching fellow skiers
carve elegant turns from your living room window, with the
occasional spray of snow against the window pane. It suggests
stepping out of your front door, clicking on your skis and
gliding down the slopes to the lift. You may anticipate avoiding
the crush of people waiting for a lukewarm and soggy pizza in
the mountain restaurant by using your own chalet as ... a
mountain restaurant. And, perhaps best of all, you may look
forward to skiing back to your own front door at the end of the
afternoon and forgetting about trudging along paths and the
indignity of crowded shuttle buses.
The reality may be very different. Knowing the power of the term
'ski-in, ski-out', vacation rental providers 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:
1. The 'ski-in ski-out' home that is really 'hiking distance' to
the slopes. The economics of housing development on
mountainsides mean that when an area is developed next to the
slopes, only some of it is actually next to the slopes. There is
almost certain to be a hinterland of properties that have access
to the slopes...via pathways, steps, roadways etc. The pathways
may be short, or they may not. Make sure you ask exactly how far
a particular property is from the actual ski slope, and what the
path is actually like: is it a level walkway or a series of
dozens of icy steps?
2. The ski-in, ski-out home that is reached via an ungroomed
trail through the woods. When these homes were originally built
the developers cut a trail to them so that they could be sold as
'ski-in, ski-out'. However these trails are very often too
narrow for a snow-cat to use; furthermore, they are very likely
private property and the lift company which grooms the slopes
may have no responsibility for them. Only if the owners of
properties served by that trail get together and make private
arrangements for grooming will you find the trail in good enough
condition for safe usage.
3. The ski-in, ski-out home that offers good ski-in, ski-out
access...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 down in the valley, and global warming has led
to a raising of the snow line and a decline in the number of
weeks that snow is on the ground at given elevations.
4. Finally, there is the nirvana: a ski-in, ski-out home that is
what it says it is: situated right on slopes which are
snow-covered throughout the season and groomed by the lift
company's snowcats daily. This is what is often now referred to
as 'true ski-in, ski-out'. However, you may find that because
this real estate is so scarce it is also very pricey, or
alternatively it is developed with rather high-density and
charmless accommodation. The Aspens in Whistler is a good
example of this. The situation is perfect, right on the slopes,
but the accommodation is mostly fairly spartan.
The lesson here is simple. When you are booking ski-in, ski-out
accommodation, make sure that you know exactly what you are
getting. If you are booking a resort such as Whistler, where
there are many gradations of ski-in, ski-out accommodation,
consult one of the local property management companies like
Holiday Whistler, and question them very closely on its exact
location before you book yourWhistler ski
accommodation.