Vail Mountain to Open New Activities at Adventure Ridge on Saturday, Aug. 10
- New activities include a four-line, 1,200-foot long zip line and two ropes challenge courses.
Vail Mountain, the largest ski resortin the United States, will celebrate the grand opening of new summer activities at Adventure Ridge this Saturday, Aug. 10, with the debut of a four-line, 1,200-foot long zip line and two ropes challenge courses. Beginning at 11 a.m. guests are invited to enjoy complimentary treats and drinks while they last outside at Eagle’s Nest before checking out the new activities.
The resort began construction at Adventure Ridge earlier this spring in conjunction with the close of the mountain for winter operations. The expansion is the first step towards more resource-based recreation, or activities that are appropriate for the surrounding environment, as outlined in the Ski Area Recreational Opportunity Enhancement Act. The new activities are also a small-scale example of some of the things proposed in the Epic Discovery plan, anticipated for summer 2015 at Vail Mountain, pending U.S. Forest Service approval.
“We’re excited to be able to launch our new zip line and ropes courses this weekend,” said Chris Jarnot, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Vail Mountain. “They will be fun additions to the guest experience on Vail Mountain in the summer and provide our guests and the community a glimpse of the kinds of activities we hope to offer when our vision for the full Epic Discovery plan is implemented.”
One of the new activities at Adventure Ridge, located at Eagle’s Nest, includes a four-line, 1,200-foot long zip line located west of the current tubing hill lift, the Adventure Skyway (#28). Guests riding the zip line will access the activity by initially riding the Adventure Skyway and then taking the Little Eagle Lift (#15) to return closer to Adventure Ridge.
Also opening on Aug. 10are two new ropes challenge courses, each featuring three levels of elements for guests to maneuver including ladders, rope bridges, swinging logs, cargo nets and more, all within the safety of a harness. The south course is a beginner course that features four distinct, more stable elements for guests to climb and conquer while the north course is an intermediate to advanced course with more than a dozen different elements requiring more balance and upper body strength to successfully complete.
In addition to construction of the new activities, the resort hasalso removed existing modular buildings, and is conducting re-vegetation work in the Adventure Ridge area to enhance the aesthetics of the area.
The Adventure Ridge enhancement proposal was submitted in April 2012 and includes upgrades and enhancements that were anticipated in the resort’s 2007 Master Development Plan. While the plans for Adventure Ridge are consistent with the Ski Area Recreational Opportunity Enhancement Act, they are separate from the proposed Epic Discovery, a Summer Mountain Adventure, which is a broader summer expansion plan for Vail Mountain.
For more information about Vail Mountain visit www.vail.com, or stop by the Mountain Information Center, open daily from 9 a.m.–4 p.m., or call (970) SKI-VAIL (754-8245).
About Vail Mountain
Coveted as the largest ski resort in the United States with more than 5,200 acres of skiable terrain, seven legendary Back Bowls spanning seven miles, and the most groomed terrain on the planet, Vail has been an extraordinary winter vacation destination for passionate skiers and snowboarders for more than 50 years. It is home to world-class athletes during the U.S. Ski Team early-season training sessions in Golden Peak, the Burton US Open Snowboarding Championships and the future 2015 World Alpine Ski Championships. Under blue skies more than 300 days each year, friends and families reconnect and celebrate here from year to year and generation to generation. The vacation experience is exceptional, from the Vail Ski & Snowboard School to events, activities and festivals, shops and spas, abundant culinary experiences and luxurious accommodations. Coupled with the vision inherent in the spirit of Vail’s founders, and a modern day commitment to excellence in all aspects of guest service and operations, Vail is a mountain resort like nothing on earth. www.vail.com.
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About Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN)
Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading mountain resort operator in the United States. The Company's subsidiaries operate the mountain resorts of Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone in Colorado; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada; Canyons in Park City, Utah; Afton Alps in Minnesota and Mt. Brighton in Michigan; and the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Company's subsidiary, RockResorts, a luxury resort hotel company, manages casually elegant properties. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning, development and construction subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. Vail Resorts is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MTN). The Vail Resorts company website is www.vailresorts.com and consumer website is www.snow.com.