Alterra Mountain Company has created the new Ikon Pass. The $899 version of the pass will offer unlimited skiing at 12 resorts. The lower-cost version at $599 will provide unlimited access to eight different mountains and replaces the Rocky Mountain SuperPass.
Since the company formed last year, Denver-based Alterra acquired $1.7 billion in a dozen top-tier ski resorts.
Over the last 10 months, Alterra has acquired even more ski areas, including Deer Valley, Utah; SkiBig3 in Alberta, Canada; Revelstoke in British Columbia and Vermont’s Sugarbush. They have also forged partnerships with almost a dozen additional resorts.
The Ikon Pass offers 26 destinations in nine states and four Canadian provinces – totaling about 64,000 acres.
Ikon Pass Competition
The pass was built to rival the 10-year-old Epic Pass, which offers unlimited access to 11 ski resorts in Colorado, California, Utah, Vermont, Australia and Canada. With the Epic Pass, passholders also have access to 30 European resorts across France, Italy, Switzerland and Austria allowing for a total of 46 Resorts.
Vail Resorts sold the 2017-18 Epic Pass for $869 and reported sales of about 750,000 Epic and Epic Local passes.
In a season like 2017-18, with a less-then-average snowfall, pass sales have kept Vail from losing a significant amount of money. The company’s lift ticket revenue is up 1.6 percent while visitor spending and overall visitation has declined nearly 11 percent through mid-January compared to the same period last season.
Alterra wants the Ikon Pass to follow the Epic Pass unlimited access and borrow from the Mountain Collective’s SuperPass with limited days at a broad range of independent resorts.
Alterra’s seven-day access allows for two long-weekend trips to different destinations, or a nice vacation getaway. This is much better than the two days at 16 hills provided by the Mountain Collective pass, nine of which are now Ikon Pass Partners.
Pass details are listed below but you can click here to learn more.
IKON PASS, $899
Unlimited access with no blackout dates to 12 destinations: Steamboat, Winter Park Resort, Copper Mountain Resort, Eldora Mountain Resort, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, Mammoth Mountain, Big Bear Mountain Resort, June Mountain, Stratton, Snowshoe Mountain, Tremblant and Blue Mountain.
Seven-day access to each of these resorts: Deer Valley Resort, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Big Sky Resort, Killington Resort, Revelstoke Mountain Resort, Sugarbush Resort.
Seven-days combined at: Aspen Snowmass’ four hills: Aspen Mountain, Snowmass, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk; Alta Snowbird; SkiBig3’s Banff Sunshine, Lake Louise and Mt. Norquay, and the New England trio of Sunday River, Sugarloaf and Loon Mountain.
Kids Ikon pass 12 and under pay $199 through April 9 with the purchase of an adult’s Ikon Pass. Military and college discounts also available.
IKON BASE PASS, $599
Unlimited access: Winter Park Resort, Copper Mountain Resort, Eldora Mountain Resort, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows (holiday restrictions), Big Bear Mountain Resort, June Mountain, Tremblant, Blue Mountain, Snowshoe Mountain.
Five days, with holiday restrictions: Steamboat, Mammoth Mountain, Deer Valley Resort, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Big Sky Resort, Stratton, Killington Resort, Revelstoke Mountain Resort, Sugarbush Resort.
Five days combined, with holiday restrictions: Aspen Snowmass’ Aspen Mountain, Snowmass, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk; Alta Snowbird; SkiBig3’s Banff Sunshine, Lake Louise, Mt. Norquay and the New England trio of Sunday River, Sugarloaf and Loon Mountain.
Kids Ikon Base pass 12 and under pay $149 through April 9 with the purchase of an adult’s Ikon Base Pass. Military and college discounts also available.
Blackout dates include Christmas and New Year’s Eve as well as holiday weekends in January and February.
