Unpacking Our Rankings Methodology: The PeakRankings Mountain Score
The PeakRankings team uses a ten-category Mountain Score to assess and rank ski resorts.
By Nir Golan
Have you ever wondered what goes into the PeakRankings Mountain Score? The Mountain Score is the holistic ranking system that PeakRankings uses to rate the overall mountain experience at each resort we review. In this article, we’ll examine how the Mountain Score is calculated to give you an inside look into our unique methodology and help you understand how resorts compare to each other.
On a high level, to give each resort a Mountain Score, we assess ten equally weighted categories that paint an overall picture of the typical mountain experience. We’ll describe what each category means, why it matters, and what we look for in scoring that category.
If you’re looking for a detailed listing of the specific ratings thresholds (1-10) that define how we score each category, see this article.
Category 1: Snow
If you’ve ever enjoyed a powder day (or have ever slid around on some icy, snow-starved slopes), you know that snow is a key ingredient for a great experience on the mountain. PeakRankings considers five factors when judging a resort’s snow: snow accumulation (i.e., quantity and consistency); snow quality (i.e., density); how quickly fresh snow is tracked-out; the frequency / degree to which terrain sees thin cover; and snow preservation (the ability of a mountain to maintain its existing snow in the face of melting or wind).
Mountains that score highly on the Snow category tend to enjoy relatively high, regular snow accumulation throughout the season, and their snow tends to be light and powdery, allowing it to be pushed around easily and enjoyably on the slopes. You might also find fresh powder at these resorts several days after a storm, and the terrain at these resorts generally sees good snow cover, with generally few / no exposed obstacles (e.g., rocks, vegetation) protruding through the snow, owing to good snow preservation (e.g., due to cold temperatures or north-facing aspects). Resorts scoring lower on this category tend to see lower or less consistent snowfall totals and tend to receive heavier, denser snow, which can be less enjoyable to handle on the slopes. Fresh snow at these resorts may become tracked-out quickly after a storm, and terrain may show signs of thin cover.
For the detailed listing of how we set each ratings threshold (1-10) for the Snow category, click here.
You’ll want to pay closest attention to the Snow category if you’re planning a trip well in-advance (when snow conditions can’t be forecast precisely) or plan to ski early or late in the season (when the snowpack is relatively thin). Conversely, you might find this category less important if you plan to ski during the core season or have the privilege of booking last-minute and hunting for the resort with the best recent snow conditions.
Standout resorts: Alta, Snowbird
Note: the Snow category excludes snowmaking and grooming, which are reflected in the Resiliency category.
Category 2: Resiliency
If you want to know whether a resort can deliver consistent, reliable skiing conditions day-in and day-out, check their Resiliency score. The Resiliency score measures how well a mountain:
Opens their terrain consistently throughout the season
Recovers their snow surface after poor weather (e.g., freeze-thaw cycles)
Keeps lifts running consistently (e.g., avoids holds due to wind, ice, or mechanical issues)
Grooms their groomed terrain regularly (e.g., nightly vs. less frequently)
Keeps other essential infrastructure up-and-running
Resilient mountains manage to open their terrain early in the season and keep it open throughout the core season. In the event of bad weather, such as rain or ice storms, they reopen and re-surface their terrain quickly. Their lifts operate consistently, with few instances of holds due to wind, ice, or mechanical issues. They maintain their groomed runs well, and their general infrastructure is well-run. Terrain at less resilient resorts may open only infrequently or may see poor conditions (or outright closures) after bad weather, and lifts at these resorts may suffer from more frequent holds, which can interrupt your ski day or cut off access to entire sections of the resort.
For the detailed listing of how we set each ratings threshold (1-10) for the Resiliency category, click here.
Resiliency will matter most to you if you’re planning a trip well in-advance (especially to a geographically-isolated resort with no nearby alternatives) or plan to ski early or late in the season (when bad weather is most likely). Generally, Resiliency is more important (and variable) in the Eastern US (vs. the Rockies), where rain and ice are more likely. Conversely, you might find this category less important if you plan to ski during the core season or at a mountain with nearby alternative resorts that can serve as backups in the event of poor conditions.
Standout resorts: Jackson Hole, Banff Sunshine Village, Lake Louise, Brighton
Category 3: Size
Along with snowfall, resort size is one of the characteristics that generates the most “hype” in the skiing world. Ski resorts typically advertise size by the number of skiable acres in their footprint, and PeakRankings validates these claims independently (click here for more detail on that process).
Larger mountains can keep skiers entertained even on long trips, owing to their vast terrain. Smaller mountains may start to “feel old” to skiers more quickly, given their smaller footprints. Additionally, the Size score tends to correlate with other key categories in the PeakRankings Mountain Score: on average, larger mountains tend to (but do not always) also offer more modern lift infrastructure and better terrain diversity; however, they also tend to be more complex to navigate, on average.
For the detailed listing of how we set each ratings threshold (1-10) for the Size category, click here.
How much should the Size score factor into your decision of where to ski? For one, Size will be key if you’re planning a longer trip (vs. a shorter one) -- e.g., when planning a week-long trip, a resort with a Size score of 8+ will feel more novel and less “old” than one with Size score of 6 or below; for a day trip, Size counts far less. Size also has a larger impact if you visit during the early season or spring (when mountains are generally only able to open a small portion of their skiable terrain). Lastly, be mindful of not just the total footprint of a resort, but of the acreage of the specific type of terrain that is most appropriate or enjoyable for you (e.g., for a beginner skier, a smaller mountain with a higher proportion of beginner terrain may be a better choice than a larger mountain with a lower proportion of beginner terrain).
Standout resorts: Whistler Blackcomb, Park City
Category 4: Terrain Diversity
Terrain Diversity is a critical, but often undervalued, ingredient for a good experience on the mountain, and it refers to the degree to which a mountain offers a variety of types of skiable terrain within its bounds. PeakRankings considers the diversity of terrain along several attributes: breadth of technicality (e.g., beginner-level terrain through expert-level terrain), environment (e.g., tree-cut trails, above-treeline bowls, gladed trails), groomed status (i.e., groomed vs. ungroomed / moguled), and run quality (i.e., do different runs have a distinct feel, or do they feel similar to one another?) .
Resorts with a higher Terrain Diversity score tend to offer terrain for guests of a broad range of abilities, include both groomed and ungroomed (moguled) terrain, and feature a variety of terrain environments (e.g., high-alpine bowls). At these resorts, even runs that may appear similar on the trail map have a distinct on-trail look-and-feel. Mountains with less diverse terrain tend to cater to a narrower set of ability levels, may offer fewer terrain environments (often limited to just traditional, tree-cut trails), and their runs may tend to be shorter. Additionally, some mountains with less-diverse terrain may see Terrain Diversity in pockets, only -- for example, many mountains only offer beginner terrain in lower-mountain areas, meaning that beginners cannot access the summit of their resort, which hurts the mountain’s overall Terrain Diversity score.
For the detailed listing of how we set each ratings threshold (1-10) for the Terrain Diversity category, click here.
Is Terrain Diversity important? Yes, and no -- it depends. You should optimize for Terrain Diversity if you’re traveling in a group with varied ability levels or preferences. Conversely, if you’re after a specific type of skiable terrain (e.g., expert terrain), the lack of diverse terrain may matter less to you.
Standout resorts: Whistler Blackcomb, Big Sky
Category 5: Challenge
The level of challenge that a mountain’s terrain offers can be a key differentiator between different resorts, and the most challenging resorts are often infamous for their unique, technical terrain. PeakRankings rates the level of terrain challenge by considering both the quality and quantity of advanced- (single-black diamond) and expert-level (double-black diamond) terrain the mountain offers that is steep, ungroomed, tightly-gladed, or includes other attributes that require highly-technical skill to navigate (e.g., cliffs, cornices, exposed obstacles, narrow chutes).
A mountain with a high Challenge score will tend to have a high quantity of terrain that is highly-technical and distinctive, compared to other resorts. At the most challenging resorts, multiple trails leave no room for error and require mandatory straightlining or cliff drops. Mountains with lower Challenge scores tend to offer a lower quantity of challenging terrain, and that terrain may only include steep pitches in short sections or may lack other elements that make it difficult to navigate (e.g., cliffs, chutes) or distinctive (relative to other mountains).
For the detailed listing of how we set each ratings threshold (1-10) for the Challenge category, click here.
The Challenge category should be high on your list if you are an advanced or expert-level skier, enjoy technical terrain, and plan to spend several days at the same resort. For beginner and intermediate-level skiers, Challenge will be less important, and it’s best to optimize for a mountain with a lower Challenge score and higher Terrain Diversity score.
Standout resorts: Palisades Tahoe, Taos, Kirkwood, Mount Baker, Jackson Hole
Category 6: Lifts
If you’ve ever sat through a long ride on an outdated, slow chairlift, you know that good lift infrastructure is key. The Lifts score rates the strength of a mountain’s lift network, focusing on whether lifts are high-speed (vs. slower, fixed-grip designs), whether lifts are modern and comfortable to ride (e.g., heated bubble chairlifts would rate higher than conventional chairlifts, which would rate higher than surface lifts), and on the percent of the mountain’s terrain that is lift-serviced.
At mountains with high Lifts scores, you may be able to spend entire days riding only high-speed, modern chairlifts or gondolas, and lift service covers almost the entirety of the mountain’s skiable footprint (for a deep-dive into how PeakRankings adjusts Lifts scores to reflect terrain coverage, click here). Resorts with lower Lifts scores often rely on slower, fixed-grip chairlifts or surface lifts (e.g., T-bars) for key portions of their terrain, resulting in longer or less comfortable rides up the mountain. Alternatively, mountains that fall short in this category may include large sections of terrain that are not lift-serviced, entirely, and that require hiking or a ride in an extra-cost vehicle to reach. Larger resorts tend to have strong lift infrastructure, but this generalization doesn’t always hold.
For the detailed listing of how we set each ratings threshold (1-10) for the Lifts category, click here.
You’ll want to focus closely on the Lifts score if you prioritize comfort during your ski day or if you plan to visit a mountain during a non-peak period (e.g., many weekdays) and want to take repeated laps of terrain. The Lifts score may not be as important to you if you spend significant time on terrain that is typically served by surface lifts at most mountains (e.g., beginner learning areas or some high-alpine expert areas).
Standout resorts: Whistler Blackcomb, Vail, Beaver Creek
Note: the Lifts score does not consider whether the passenger capacity of the lift system is adequate for the mountain’s skier traffic (that is captured under the Crowd Flow category). Additionally, we recommend checking Lifts scores regularly, as they often evolve over time as mountains upgrade their lift infrastructure.
Category 7: Crowd Flow
Unfortunately, crowds can sometimes play a disruptive role and detract from your day on the mountain, and the PeakRankings Crowd Flow category evaluates resorts on the degree to which they are well-suited to handle the skier volume that they see, focusing primarily on the capacity of each mountain’s lift infrastructure and trails.
At mountains with high Crowd Flow scores, lift lines are rare, and trails offer plentiful spacing between skiers. At many of these mountains, high-traffic areas have lift redundancies (i.e., alternative “helper lifts,” which relieve traffic from the main lift(s) in the same area and allow for continuous operations in the event that the main lift(s) stop running). Many resorts with excellent Crowd Flow tend not to be part of a major mega-pass or may be located in an isolated region, far from major cities. Mountains with middling Crowd Flow scores may experience more regular lift lines (especially during peak periods), and trails may not be sufficiently wide to allow comfortable spacing between skiers. Resorts with Crowd Flow scores at the low end of the spectrum tend to see long lift lines during peak periods (and potentially during some non-peak periods), meaning you can end up spending much of your day on the mountain waiting in line, instead of enjoying the snow. Resorts might see their score hit if their lift layout results in natural choke-points that create lines in stress situations, even if they do not see lines in normal situations.
For the detailed listing of how we set each ratings threshold (1-10) for the Crowd Flow category, click here.
The Crowd Flow category should matter far more to some skiers than to others. Crowd Flow is key if you plan to visit a Resort during a peak period (e.g., weekend or holiday), enjoy a fast-paced ski day (e.g., making repeated laps of terrain without breaks), and are a beginner or intermediate-level skier (as crowding on trails makes learning challenging and skier collisions more likely). Still, Crowd Flow may be relatively trivial if you plan to ski during non-peak periods (e.g., weekdays), plan to ski short portions of the day (specifically, late in the afternoon), or wish to stick to mountain areas that are better-suited to handle crowding (e.g., many expert-only areas). We encourage readers to consider these questions in deciding how to weigh the importance of Crowd Flow to their own experience on the mountain.
Standout resorts: Powder Mountain, Saddleback, Wolf Creek, Snow King
Note: the Crowd Flow category does not consider crowding in a mountain’s facilities (e.g., lodges, dining venues, bathrooms), which is considered as part of the Facilities score.
Category 8: Facilities
Nearly all types of skiers will spend at least some of their day in the various facilities that their resort offers. Ski resorts get cold, and even the toughest skiers know how to appreciate a place to stop in for lunch, a bathroom break, or just to warm up and de-fog their goggles. In the Facilities category, PeakRankings considers the quality, capacity, and location of the lodges that a mountain offers, including base lodges, dining venues, and bathrooms.
Mountains with strong Facilities scores tend to offer several lodges that can meet skier capacity and are well-placed at both the mountain base and popular mid- / upper-mountain areas. Some may even go above and beyond, offering luxurious amenities, differentiated customer service, or unique dining experiences in their facilities. On the other hand, mountains with lower Facilities scores tend to offer fewer lodges (often only at the mountain base or select mid-mountain locations) that may not have adequate capacity to meet skier traffic (resulting in long lines and scarce seating at dining venues during peak times).
For the detailed listing of how we set each ratings threshold (1-10) for the Facilities category, click here.
Ultimately, whether or not Facilities matter to you is a personal choice. Still, you should consider the Facilities score more heavily if you plan to visit a mountain during a peak period (when capacity can become strained), if you plan to spend considerable time in lodges, or if you plan to spend significant time in far-removed mountain areas (e.g., upper-mountain locations or back-sides). The Facilities score may be less important to you if you don’t plan to utilize the resort’s facilities (i.e., dine on-mountain), are considering a resort that rarely sees cold / inclement weather, or plan to visit during a non-peak period.
Standout resorts: Snowbasin, Beaver Creek, Deer Valley
Category 9: Navigation
If you’ve ever been lost at a ski resort, you can appreciate the value of easy, straightforward navigation. The Navigation category captures the level of effort and time it takes to get where you want to go at a resort, considering a number of factors: lift placement, the mountain’s trail layout (e.g., whether prolonged catwalks are required), trail signage, on-mountain trail map availability, and more.
Resorts that are easy to navigate make it quick and easy to get where you’re going, with intuitive lift placements (often requiring just one lift ride to get from one mountain zone to another), few catwalks or traverses, and clear signage. At mountains that are more challenging to navigate (e.g., Park City, Big Sky), you may need to take multiple, indirect lift rides to get from one zone to another, endure catwalks with flat sections to traverse the mountain, or end up making wrong turns on trails due to poor signage.
For the detailed listing of how we set each rating threshold (1-10) for the Navigation category, click here.
Like the Facilities category, the Navigation category will matter significantly more to some skiers than to others. You should consider Navigation scores more carefully you are a first-time visitor to a resort or are traveling in a large group; Navigation may be less important to you if you are already familiar with the layout of a mountain, if you are skiing in a small group that plans to stick together during the ski day, or if you plan to spend your time on the mountain primarily in only a subset of its zones.
Category 10: Mountain Aesthetic
Lastly, the Mountain Aesthetic category captures how well a resort delivers a distinctive feeling of natural beauty, isolation from civilization, unique views, or other aesthetic qualities. Although nearly all resorts offer guests some degree of isolation and views, PeakRankings considers the degree to which a mountain provides a truly distinctive feeling for its visitors.
At resorts with a high Mountain Aesthetic score, you can expect to find dramatic views, distinctive terrain, very little commercialized build-up, and an overall feeling of immersion in nature and isolation from civilization. Lower Mountain Aesthetic scores suggest that the resort may only offer average aesthetic appeal compared to its peers, and it may lack distinctive views or feature heavily built-up commercialized structures on its footprint.
For the detailed listing of how we set each rating threshold (1-10) for the Mountain Aesthetic category, click here.
Does Mountain Aesthetic make a major difference in your resort experience? In many skiers’ minds, yes -- if you plan to travel long distances for a ski trip to a scenic geographic region, choosing a resort known for a unique aesthetic can make a trip memorable and exciting. On the other hand, the Mountain Aesthetic may matter less to you if you are already well-acquainted with the scenery of a specific geographic region or if you plan to ski only in beginner learning areas, which generally lack a unique aesthetic at any resort.
Standout resorts: Kicking Horse, Banff Sunshine Village, Lake Louise, Heavenly, Alta, Homewood
Final Remarks
So there you have it -- that’s our breakdown of the PeakRankings methodology and the ten drivers of the overall Mountain Score. Rank-ordering ski resorts is no easy feat, but in our methodology, we aim to capture every aspect of a ski vacation and rate each of them fairly. While our full score is designed to encapsulate the general capability of each ski resort, many vacation-goers will find it more useful to plan their trip based on one or more of our individual categories.
Have any thoughts or suggestions on our methodology? We’d love to hear from you, so be sure to hit us with a comment below!
Looking to compare resorts for your next ski trip? Check out our overall rankings here.