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Vail Mountain Announces Plans to Replace the Avanti Express Lift (#2) With Six Passenger Lift
  • New lift will be similar in capacity and function to the Mountain Top Express Lift (#4)
  • Replacement is subject to U.S. Forest Service approval
VAIL, Colo. – Dec. 8, 2014 – Vail Mountain, one of the largest ski resorts in the world, plans to continue its wave of tremendous investments with the replacement of the Avanti Express Lift (#2) with a six-passenger lift this summer, pending U.S. Forest Service approval. The Avanti Express Lift (#2) is a primary lift on the front side of Vail Mountain, serving intermediate and advanced terrain and dispersing skiers and snowboarders from Lionshead to mid-mountain. Upgrading the lift will reduce wait times and improve reliability.
 
“We’ve been incredibly fortunate to invest more in Vail Mountain recently than most resorts can even dream of in a lifetime with six major lift upgrades since the 2007-2008 season, improvements to snowmaking capabilities and a new fine-dining on-mountain restaurant. The transformations in town in the same time span have been equally impressive,” said Chris Jarnot, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Vail Mountain. “All of these upgrades and investments truly speak to our commitment to the guest experience and keeping Vail at the forefront of the industry.”
 
The current lift – a Doppelmayr detachable quad – was installed in 1989 and has a maximum uphill capacity of approximately 2,800 people per hour. Vail plans to replace the lift with a detachable six-passenger lift similar to the Mountain Top Express Lift (#4) with a loading conveyor and gates to improve efficiency and increase capacity by up to 30 percent and improve skier and snowboarder circulation.
 
The new lift is subject to U.S. Forest Service approval. Additional details on the manufacturer, design and approval of the proposed lift will be available in the coming months.
 
To learn more about Vail Mountain visit www.vail.com, stop by the Mountain Information Center, or call (970) SKI-VAIL (754-8245).
 
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About Vail Mountain
Coveted as one of the largest ski resorts in the world 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 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.  

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; Park City and Canyons in 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.
 
Contact(s)

Liz Biebl

Director, Brand Communications
Email: ebiebl@vailresorts.com
Phone: (303) 404-1831

Sara Lococo

Senior Communications Manager
Email: slococo@vailresorts.com
Phone: (970) 496-3210
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