Revelstoke ski resort ready for 2024-25 season

Photo: Tom Poole

Revelstoke Mountain Resort's Sutton Place Hotel at the mountain base, just a few steps from the Revelation Gondola and a stunning view of Mt. Mackenzie, known for its steep pitches, record-breaking snowfall, diverse terrain and the most vertical in North America.

Revelstoke Mountain Resort had a busy off-season with Camozzi Road realignment, parking enhancements, run upgrades and better resort access.

"As part of the resort’s ongoing commitment to improving the guest experience, we’ve made significant investments in our parking facilities, including paving the main lot (the original P2 parking lot), adding additional spaces to better accommodate increased visitor numbers during peak season and improving transit shuttle drop-off areas," said Laura Meggs, communications manager in the marketing department.

"These upgrades will not only make parking more convenient and reduce congestion but also create a seamless and more efficient experience from arrival to departure for our guests. Along with the expansion and paving of P2, a new parking lot was completed this summer south of the resort. An area formerly used for vehicle maintenance has been reclaimed for expanded parking providing easy access from the South Village entrance."

In conjunction with the City of Revelstoke, WSP Engineering and Speers Construction, Camozzi Road was reopened in mid-November after extensive upgrades, she said. Those included enhanced resort access, upgraded water and sanitary services to Mountain Road, and a new multi-use pathway to open in 2025 ensuring safer, more convenient access to the resort for pedestrians and cyclists.

The popular resort also completed extensive trail work, including blasting and grading improvements on Sally Alley, Simmer Down extension, Chopper and Big Woody.

Skiers and boarders can also take advantage of 20 per cent more capacity on the Ripper Chair completed last season. The Cupcake Carpet surface lift and Mountain Sports School were both relocated to the top of the Gondola in 2023-24 creating a new centralized learning zone.

"Complimentary hosted resort tours are returning for the 2024-25 winter season. Tours are available daily at 1 p.m.," added Meggs.

Photo: Contributed

Revelstoke Mountain Resort has 3,121 skiable acres with 75 runs?12 per cent green, 43 per cent intermediate and 45 per cent advanced. The longest run is The Last Spike at 15.2 kilometres. There are four bowls

Great Northern Cat Skiing has partnered with the resort to offer a two-day introduction to Cat skiing program. Day one is at the resort with an instructor teaching the basics, plus tips and tricks on how to ride in powder and in cat skiing terrain. Day two is spent cat skiing.

"Over the past year, our team has been busy working on a significant maintenance shop expansion," said Meggs.

"Building off the existing shop's footprint, the expanded facility will provide an additional 3,000 square feet to accommodate a growing cat fleet and an expanded maintenance program centralized in one location. This facility is dedicated to maintaining and improving resort infrastructure, including lifts, snowcats, vehicles and more, which will ultimately lead to a better overall resort experience."

Significant progress is being made at the Slopeside Hotel, she said.

"The roof installation on the amenities building was completed this fall with framing taking shape on the lower floors allowing guests to envision how this new Slopeside Hotel will integrate into the existing village. The new hotel will include 158 rooms, conference space, restaurant, fitness and spa facilities, and will be the new home for Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing."

Phase one of the staff housing development made great strides during the off-season with the exterior nearing completion, she said. "Interior finishing will continue into the winter months with anticipated occupancy by spring 2025. Building 1 will have 160 beds.

The resort will launch the 2024-25 winter season Nov. 30 with the Red Bull truck pumping tunes at the base with a live DJ. At the top of the lift, you can enter to win prizes from Salomon. The Mackenzie Common Tavern has après-vibes with Red Bull from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. As of Thursday, the resort had already received more than 100 cm of snow.

Other special events include Locals Days, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Dec. 15, Jan. 12, March 16 and April 13. Lift tickets will be $20 for local residents (proof of residency required) with 50 per cent of the proceeds going to the Revelstoke Foundation. Standard ski and snowboard rentals will be $10, with 50 per cent off high-performance rentals.

Group lessons are $20, which includes a two-hour lesson from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. for ages five and up (limited to levels 1 to 3).

You can ski with Santa from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Dec. 24 (free), starting at the upper ski school building with hot chocolate and stocking stuffers and after at the Mountain Sports School. More events are posted on the website.

Mt. Mackenzie is known for its steep pitches, record-breaking snowfall (the annual average is 10.5 metres), diverse terrain—wide-open alpine bowls to perfectly-spaced glades—and the most vertical in North America at 1,713 metres. Its 3,121 skiable acres have 75 runs, 12 per cent green, 43 per cent intermediate and 45 per cent advanced. The longest run is The Last Spike at 15.2 kilometres.

There are four bowls, South Bowl, North Bowl, Separate Reality and Greely Bowl, served by the eight-person Revelation Gondola and four-person Stoke, Ripper and Stellar chairs.

Revelstoke Mountain Resort isn't just downhill skiing and snowboarding. It has Nordic skiing through the Revelstoke Nordic Ski Club with 30 kilometres of groomed trails and stunning scenery at Mt. Macpherson suitable for both classic and skate.

Heli and cat skiing are also available. The ski tenure for Selkirk Tangiers is 500,000-plus acres of unspoiled wilderness with more than 400 established runs from towering peaks to sheltered valley floors. Other activities include snowshoeing, snowmobiling and relaxing in hot springs.

Sutton Place Hotel, situated at the mountain base, just a few steps from the Revelation Gondola, offers the only ski-in ski-out accommodation in Revelstoke with 200 condominium-style hotel suites in three buildings,

It has an outdoor heated pool and three on-site dining experiences, including the Rockford Bar & Grill and Mackenzie Common Tavern. All units boast spectacular views of the Columbia River to the Monashee and Selkirk mountains.

Photo: Tom Poole

Revelstoke Mountain Resort made great strides with phase one of its staff housing development during the off-season, with the exterior nearing completion. Interior finishing to its 160 beds will continue into the winter months with anticipated occupancy in spring 2025.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.