In an about face, Arapahoe Basin have joined the Ikon Pass.
A-Basin announced in February that they were leaving the Epic Pass due to the success of the pass negatively impacting the guest experience. The resort revealed that wait time, parking and facility space were impacted by the number of guests visiting due to the Epic Pass and they would be parting ways.
Chief Operating Officer, oddly Alan Henceroth also revealed they would be open to other partnerships. Six months later a partnership with Alterra Mountain Company has been revealed with A-Basin joining the Ikon Pass.
This time the Ikon Pass deal for A-Basin limits the number of days for Ikon Pass holders. Ikon Pass holders will now have seven day access to A-Basin with no blackout dates and Ikon Base Pass will have five day access with selected blackout dates.
Yet even with the limited days locals in some Ikon Pass resorts including Jackson Hole, Aspen and Alta were up in arms last season with the added numbers of skiers and boarders on “their” mountains, blaming “Ikoneers” during the record snowfall season. Prompting numerous op-ed column inches in response from resort CEOs, including Aspen’s Mike Kaplan.
A-Basin is a firm Colorado favourite. The beloved local resort is located just over a 100 kilometers from Denver. It’s a big mountain style experience with 1,428 acres of terrain including the East Wall and Montezuma Bowl, plus The Beavers and The Steep Gullies, some of North America’s newest terrain.
“Arapahoe Basin is thrilled to partner with the Ikon Pass and join its community of like-minded mountain destinations. A-Basin is a bold, aspirational mountain with legendary character that invites skiers and riders to find adventure at every turn, an ideal fit for the Ikon Pass,” said Alan Henceroth, Chief Operating Officer, Arapahoe Basin Ski Area in an announcement press release today.
Either way Australians benefit big time from both the Ikon Pass and the Epic Pass with the country’s key commercial resorts all aligned with one or the other.
Thredbo and Mt Buller offer seven or five days on the Ikon Pass or Ikon Base Pass and Epic Australia and Epic Pass holders have unlimited skiing and riding at Vail Resorts owned Falls Creek, Hotham and Perisher.
New Zealand resorts, Coronet Peak, Mt Hutt and The Remarkables are also on the Ikon Pass and Ikon Base Pass.
