It’s Not Too Late To Buy An Epic Pass, Ikon Pass, And Mountain Collective Pass: Breaking Down The Average Cost Per Day For 2019/2020

If you want to rack up as many days on the slopes as you can, a season pass is the way to go. The main question is: Which pass is right for me and is it too late to buy a 2019/2020 pass?

Short answer: It depends and no. It’s not too late to buy a multi-pass for this upcoming winter depending on where and how many days you want to ride. This season the main multi-resort passes are Epic Pass, Ikon Pass, and Mountain Collective (MC). As a passholder of any of the three, you get access to resorts all over the world.

Each one combines access to awesome ski resorts around North America, Japan, Europe, and in the Southern Hemisphere (yes there are ski resorts in Australia). Epic includes riding at a whopping 78 resorts, Ikon has 41 destinations, and Mountain Collective boasts 18 ski resorts. Depending on where the snow decides to fall each year you can hedge your bets and go to the best, snowiest location.

The number of included days ranges from unlimited at the high end to a set number of free days or half off additional days. The unlimited Ikon and Epic passes can be perfect for locals who live near the mountain, but the fixed days on other passes (like Epic Local and Mountain Collective) may be better value for one or two vacations. Mountain Collective includes two days at each participating resort plus 50% off single-day window prices, which adds up to an excellent value after you do the math.

Using Epic as an example, if you want to get in 10 days at a handful of the 78 resorts, there are a mind-boggling four trillion different combinations. (That’s 12 zeros.) To simplify the options, I’m comparing the passes by specific region. It makes it easy to see which pass works best (and gives the best value) for the type of trips and snowboarding you want to do. The multi-resort passes for the 2019-2020 season launched last spring, so you have missed the lowest prices but they still offer good value if you expect to snowboard enough.

Epic Pass vs. Ikon Pass By Region

If you know where you want to ride this, jump ahead to see the pass that gives you the best value:

• Colorado Central
• Colorado Destination
• Utah Central
• California
• Canadian Rockies
• Mountain West Destination
• Vermont
• Local Resorts
• International (Outside North America)
• Europe
• Japan
• Southern Hemisphere
• Summary

In each region, I’m pricing for one adult, non-holiday (non-restricted) for the last week of February into the first week of March 2020. I compare based on the average cost per day (divide total pass price by number of days) and see how many days it would take to pay off the pass using the window ticket prices.

How to read average-cost-per-day tables

Assuming daily ticket price is $120, and cost of a pass is $1,000, it would take nine days of riding before the pass is less expensive than individual window tickets. Column one shows the number of days on the mountain, column two is the average window price per day, and the third column shows the average cost per day after purchasing the season pass. On day nine, the average cost per day of the pass drops below the window price, making it the better value.

Days of riding	Window Price	Pass Price
1	$120	$1,000
2	120	500
3	120	333
4	120	250
5	120	200
6	120	167
7	120	143
8	120	125
9	120	111
10	120	100

Pass prices as of 10/18/19 in US Dollars: Epic Pass $989, Ikon Pass $1,099, and Mountain Collective (MC) $509. Prices are subject to change often so visit each pass or ski resort website for latest pricing.

Colorado Central Ski Resorts

The core resorts on the Epic and Ikon passes are in the heart of the Colorado Rockies along I-70. These resorts are the go-to vacation spots and favorites for day trips from Denver (if you can tolerate the traffic). Epic includes Keystone, Breckenridge, Vail, and Beaver Creek. Ikon includes Eldora, Copper, Winter Park, and Arapahoe Basin. It’s worth noting that Epic offers almost twice as many skiable acres as Ikon in this area of Colorado.

Epic Days	Acres	Epic Pass
Unlimited	3,148	Keystone
Unlimited	2,908	Breckenridge
Unlimited	5,289	Vail
Unlimited	1,815	Beaver Creek

Ikon Days	Acres	Ikon Pass
Unlimited	680	Eldora
Unlimited	2,465	Copper
Unlimited	3,081	Winter Park
7	1,458	A-Basin (MC)

Colorado’s Rocky Mountains have some of the highest resorts in North America, topping out near 13,000 feet with base areas at 8,000 feet. If you are coming from sea level be prepared for the elevation. (Check out our article on how to handle elevation and avoid altitude sickness like a pro.) The average snowfall in this area is 300+ inches per year, and the snow is typically dry and fluffy. The typical Colorado ski and snowboarding season starts in November and resorts close in mid April.

For Epic Pass you’ll have to ride 9 days (seven days for Epic Local) to have a better average cost per day than buying Epic day passes at the window. The Ikon Pass also requires 9 days (six days for Ikon Base) to have a better average cost per day than the window. By day 9 they are fairly comparable average daily cost at $99 for Epic Pass and $110 for Ikon Pass.

Days	Window	Epic Local	Epic Pass	Epic Location
1	$112	$739	$989	Keystone
2	112	370	495	Keystone
3	112	246	330	Breckenridge
4	112	185	247	Breckenridge
5	112	148	198	Vail
6	112	123	165	Vail
7	112	106	141	Vail
8	112	92	124	Vail
9	112	82	110	Beaver Creek
10	112	74	99	Beaver Creek

Days	Window	Ikon Base	Ikon Pass	Ikon Location
1	$144	$799	$1,099	Winter Park
2	144	400	550	Winter Park
3	144	266	366	Winter Park
4	144	200	275	Winter Park
5	140	160	220	Copper
6	138	133	183	Copper
7	136	114	157	Copper
8	135	100	137	Copper
9	131	89	122	A-basin
10	129	80	110	Eldora

Colorado Destination Ski Resorts

Colorado resorts located farther away from Denver (aka more remote and less crowded woo hoo) offer mountain town vibes and a solid weeklong destination. The town of Crested Butte, for example, has no chain locations (read: no Starbucks) so it offers an authentic local experience, gets you out of your typical routine, and encourages a bit of adventure.

Epic Days	Acres	Epic Pass
7 + 50%	2,000	Telluride
Unlimited	1,547	Crested Butte

Ikon Days	Acres	Ikon Pass
7	5,250	Aspen (MC)
Unlimited	2,965	Steamboat

The Ikon Pass and Epic Pass offer comparable destination resorts in Colorado as well, but differ slightly in pricing. Seven days are included for Telluride on Epic and Aspen on Ikon. For Telluride on Epic the window price is lower, but for Aspen on Ikon Pass you pay the same price as the window (if those are the only resorts you visit with your pass). Aspen is also on Mountain Collective, and it beats Ikon and window prices by day six. You will have to use your Epic or Ikon pass at additional resorts, as a week in Telluride or Aspen alone doesn’t to make it worth buying.

For Crested Butte on Epic Pass, the window price is much better average cost per day. The same is true for Steamboat on Ikon Pass. (Note: I’m only showing seven days here and the passes offer unlimited days so the pass is good for a local, or anyone with more vacation days.) Bundling with other trips ups the value if you have the vacation days and go big on a 14-day trip (or two seven-day trips). Then, the pricing is comparable between passes and much better average cost per day than the window prices.

Epic Days	Window	Epic Pass	Epic Location
1	$149	$989	Telluride
2	137	495	Telluride
3	137	330	Telluride
4	130	247	Telluride
5	130	198	Telluride
6	127	165	Telluride
7	121	141	Telluride
8	119	124	Crested Butte
9	117	110	Crested Butte
10	115	99	Crested Butte
11	112	90	Crested Butte
12	109	82	Crested Butte
13	106	76	Crested Butte
14	103	71	Crested Butte

Ikon Days	Window	Ikon Pass	Location	MC
1	$179	$1,099	Aspen	$509
2	159	550	Aspen	255
3	159	366	Aspen	200
4	149	275	Aspen	172
5	149	220	Aspen	156
6	149	183	Aspen	145
7	149	157	Aspen	137
8	150	137	Steamboat
9	150	122	Steamboat
10	151	110	Steamboat
11	151	100	Steamboat
12	152	92	Steamboat
13	145	85	Steamboat
14	145	79	Steamboat

Utah Central Ski Resorts

Utah offers exceptional terrain, beautiful views, and longer seasons with 500+ fluffy inches of annual snowfall. Utah resorts on the Epic Pass and Ikon Pass are within 45 miles of Salt Lake City, which makes them easily accessible to travelers and locals alike. That can mean major gridlock on a powder day, when everyone heads for their favorite mountain up narrow canyon roads. Hours of stopped traffic isn’t uncommon on a powder day. (Powder panic is real here!)

With an Ikon Pass there are five great mountains—Solitude, Brighton, Alta, Snowbird, and Deer Valley—and on Epic there are two resorts—Park City and Snowbasin. However, Park City is one of the largest resorts in the U.S. at 7,300 acres (it merged with Canyons in 2015). Also, if you’re a snowboarder you cannot ride at Alta and Deer Valley because these resorts are ski only. Epic wins out on acreage, but Ikon wins for diversity of locations.

Epic Days	Acres	Epic Pass
Unlimited	7,300	Park City
7 + 50%	3,000	Snowbasin

Ikon Days	Acres	Ikon Pass
Unlimited	1,200	Solitude
7	1,050	Brighton
7 split	2,500	Snowbird (MC)
7 split	2,614	Alta (MC)
7	2,026	Deer Valley

In order to get a better average cost per day than the window ticket price, once again you have to go 9 days on Epic or 11 days on Ikon. The Mountain Collective Pass equals Ikon and window rates if you go all 11 days at Snowbird. If you find a pair of skis and do 11 days split between Alta and Snowbird, then the Mountain Collective beats Ikon and window rates.

Epic Days	Window	Epic Pass	Epic Location
1	$105	$989	Snowbasin
2	120	495	Snowbasin
3	116	330	Snowbasin
4	115	247	Park City
5	115	198	Park City
6	114	165	Park City
7	114	141	Park City
8	114	124	Park City
9	113	110	Park City
10	113	99	Park City
11	113	90	Park City

Ikon Days	Window	Ikon Pass	Ikon Location	MC Alta/Snowbird
1	$86	$1,099	Solitude	$509
2	86	550	Solitude	255
3	86	366	Solitude	170
4	86	275	Brighton	127
5	86	220	Brighton	114
6	86	183	Brighton	106
7	92	157	Snowbird	100
8	96	137	Snowbird	95
9	99	122	Snowbird	91
10	102	110	Snowbird	88
11	104	100	Snowbird	86

California Ski Resorts

California resorts are known for snowstorms so massive that everything, including the chair lifts, gets buried. The coastal climate is more humid creating wetter snow. With 400+ inches annual snowfall, the Lake Tahoe area and farther South to Mammoth are must visit destinations.

Epic Pass offers unlimited riding at three sizeable resorts Northstar, Heavenly, and Kirkwood near Lake Tahoe with 75 miles separating them. Ikon Pass has unlimited access to four mountains in California, but they are spread farther apart. Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows are next to each other in Northern California, but there is a 180 mile drive to Mammoth and its smaller neighbor June resort. Mammoth is at a higher elevation, which brings deeper snow and a longer season, extending into the month of June.

Epic Days	Acres	Epic Pass
Unlimited	3,170	Northstar
Unlimited	4,800	Heavenly
Unlimited	2,300	Kirkwood

Ikon Days	Acres	Ikon Pass & MC
Unlimited	3,600	Squaw Valley
Unlimited	2,400	Alpine Meadows
Unlimited	3,500	Mammoth
Unlimited	1,500	June

If you’re a local (Sacramento, San Francisco, and more metro areas), then an unlimited pass option is perfect and you’ll have to ride a minimum of 9 days on Epic and 10 days on Ikon to match window rates in California resorts. If you’re coming in from out of town, then Mountain Collective has exceptional value.

Epic Days	Window	Epic Pass	Epic Location
1	$112	$989	Northstar
2	112	495	Northstar
3	112	330	Northstar
4	112	247	Northstar
5	112	198	Kirkwood
6	112	165	Kirkwood
7	112	141	Kirkwood
8	112	124	Heavenly
9	112	110	Heavenly
10	112	99	Heavenly
11	112	90	Heavenly

Ikon Days	Window	Ikon Pass	Location	MC
1	$139	$1,099	Squaw Valley	$509
2	139	550	Squaw Valley	255
3	108	366	Squaw Valley	200
4	92	275	Alpine Meadows	150
5	102	220	Alpine Meadows	120
6	108	183	Alpine Meadows	100
7	111	157	Mammoth	73
8	113	137	Mammoth	64
9	115	122	Mammoth	65
10	116	110	Mammoth	59
11	117	100	Mammoth	54

Canadian Rockies Ski Resorts

The Canadian Rocky Mountains are a dry powder paradise and the more remote resorts provide an escape from long lift lines. When people think of Canadian ski resorts, most think Whistler. There are many more incredible resorts in British Columbia and Alberta. Several of the resorts are on the famed powder highway (named after the snow that blankets the slopes) with others in the iconic Banff National Park. 

Currency conversion rates factor in if you’re visiting from the U.S., Canada is effectively 25% off and has been for the past four years. This is wonderful for traveling on a budget, but makes getting value out of a multi-pass purchased with U.S. dollars more difficult. Your U.S. dollars go further on window lift tickets and the rest of a ski trip, so no complaining here. (I’ve converted everything to U.S. dollars for the charts.)

Epic Pass added seven days at Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR). There are four locations in the area—Nakiska, Kicking Horse, Kimberly, and Fernie—which form an easy road trip loop from Calgary. Due to the currency conversion Epic pass is more expensive (higher average cost per day) than window prices. That means you will have to do more riding in the U.S. to get your money’s worth from the pass beyond the Epic road trip. More days on your board and on the slopes are always a good thing.

The Ikon Pass includes a total of 14 days at Revelstoke, Banff Sunshine, Lake Louise, and Mt Norquay. Revelstoke is lower elevation (base 1,500 feet), so the season ends in April, while the Banff area and SkiBig3 is at a higher elevation (base 5,400 feet) and can extend into June depending on the snow season. Again, the window prices are cheaper and you will have to do more riding in the U.S. to get your money’s worth on Ikon pass. The road trip from Revelstoke to the SkiBig3 is a trip to remember.

Epic Days	Acres	Epic Pass
7 + 50% total	1,021	Nakiska
	3,486	Kicking Horse
	1,800	Kimberly
	2,500	Fernie

Ikon Days	Acres	Ikon Pass & MC
7	3,121	Revelstoke
7 for skibig3	3,358	Banff Sunshine
	4,200	Lake Louise
	190	Mt Norquay

In Canada, Mountain Collective beats window prices quicker with a lower average cost per day than either Ikon or Epic Passes. One extra perk of the Mountain Collective Pass is a fifth day at Norquay in addition to the advertised two days at Banff Sunshine and two days at Lake Louise. Norquay is the smaller of the SkiBig3 trio, so it’s more of a half day or powder day mountain if you’re an expert rider. But, it’s a good starter slope for beginners or first foray into the Canadian Rocky Mountains. With Mountain Collective, your savings can add up to a stop by Kicking Horse on your way over from Revy and experience its insane terrain.

Epic Days	Window	Epic Pass	Epic Location
1	$87	$989	Nakiska
2	71	495	Kicking Horse
3	71	330	Kicking Horse
4	69	247	Kicking Horse
5	69	198	Kicking Horse
6	69	165	Kimberley
7	66	141	Kimberley
8	66	135	Kimberley
9	66	130	Fernie
10	66	126	Fernie
11	66	123	Fernie

Ikon Days	Window	Ikon Pass	Location	MC
1	$78	$1,099	Revelstoke	$509
2	78	550	Revelstoke	255
3	70	366	Revelstoke	186
4	67	275	Revelstoke	140
5	73	220	Sunshine	102
6	78	183	Sunshine	85
7	76	157	Sunshine	80
8	77	137	Lake Louise	64
9	78	122	Lake Louise	57
10	79	110	Lake Louise	56
11	80	100	Norquay	46

Mountain West Destination Ski Resorts

There are a few large ski resorts and mountain destinations on the passes that make excellent standalone trips. These are larger resorts with slightly higher day prices, so bundling these with other trips is a great way to add value (and have an awesome winter) if you have the vacation days. Epic Pass has unlimited days at Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Canada which is an incredible 8,100-acre resort that requires several days to explore.

Some sites try to claim it as the largest resort in North America (actually Powder Mountain in Utah has more acreage, or the private Yellowstone Club+Big Sky if you’re able to gain entry in the exclusive area).

Epic Days	Acres	Epic Pass
Unlimited	4,757	Whistler
Unlimited	3,414	Blackcomb
7 + 50%	2,154	Sun Valley

Ikon Days	Acres	Ikon Pass
7	5,800	Big Sky
7	2,500	Jackson Hole
7	1,294	Taos

The Epic Pass matches window prices after nine days at Whistler Blackcomb. Epic also includes Sun Valley, but there are no other nearby mountains on the pass and Sun Valley won’t equal window rates alone.

Ikon includes seven days at Jackson Hole and seven days at Big Sky. Technically you could combine them into a 190-mile road trip. (We’ll report back when we tackle it.) Big Sky is well-named with 5,300 acres (It grew with a Moonlight Basin merger in 2013). If you do seven days at Jackson Hole, it’s worth the price of the Ikon Pass and is a lower average cost per day than window rates. Mountain Collective has two days each at Jackson Hole and Big Sky resorts and beats Ikon in average cost per day by paying off within four days versus the window price.

Taos is another remote western resort. Located in New Mexico, it could be a destination trip for Coloradans, similar to driving to Aspen or Steamboat. The Mountain Collective website lists an ambitious road trek combining Aspen, Arapahoe Basin, and Taos. This route includes many miles on mountain roads, but we’ll report back if/when we tackle it.

Epic Days	Window	Epic Pass	Epic Location
1	$112	$989	Whistler
2	112	495	Whistler
3	112	330	Whistler
4	112	247	Whistler
5	112	198	Whistler
6	112	165	Blackcomb
7	112	141	Blackcomb
8	112	124	Blackcomb
9	112	110	Blackcomb
10	112	99	Blackcomb

Ikon Days	Window	Ikon Pass	Location	MC
1	$165	$1,099	Jackson Hole	$509
2	160	550	Jackson Hole	255
3	155	366	Jackson Hole	197
4	152	275	Jackson Hole	148
5	149	220	Jackson Hole	118
6	147	183	Big Sky	85
7	142	157	Big Sky	73
8	139	137	Big Sky	72
9	131	122	Big Sky	64
10	125	110	Big Sky	58

Vermont Ski Resorts

If you live between New York City and Boston, you’ve likely considered or at least heard about Vermont ski resorts. Vermont is a popular weekend getaway from the cities and draws big crowds. The 18/19 season received decent snowfall in the area but East Coast snow conditions can be hit or miss each year. Buying a pass provides the option of Vermont weekend getaways when snow falls and a larger trip out West when it doesn’t.

Epic includes Mount Snow, Okemo, and Stowe. Ikon includes Stratton, Killington, Pico, and Sugarbush. Both passes have comparable offerings, with similar size resorts. Killington adds a bit more acreage to the group on Ikon Pass.

Epic Days	Acres	Epic Pass
Unlimited	600	Mount Snow
Unlimited	667	Okemo
Unlimited	485	Stowe

Ikon Days	Acres	Ikon Pass
Unlimited	625	Stratton
7 split	1,509	Killington
7 split	468	Pico
7	484	Sugarbush (MC)

Epic, Ikon, and Mountain Collective are all breaking even with 12 days of Vermont riding (hypothetically four long-weekends). If you live in the New York City or Boston metro areas, then either pass could be a solid choice for an annual pass if you plan on more than two weeks of riding in just this location.

Epic Days	Window	Epic Pass	Epic Location
1	$118	$989	Mount Snow
2	112	495	Mount Snow
3	110	330	Mount Snow
4	85	247	Mount Snow
5	86	198	Okemo
6	86	165	Okemo
7	84	141	Okemo
8	83	124	Okemo
9	85	110	Stowe
10	86	99	Stowe
11	85	90	Stowe
12	85	82	Stowe

Ikon Days	Window	Ikon Pass	Ikon Location	MC Sugarbush
1	$104	$1,099	Stratton	$509
2	90	550	Stratton	255
3	85	366	Stratton	186
4	77	275	Stratton	152
5	85	220	Killington	132
6	88	183	Killington	118
7	90	157	Killington	108
8	89	137	Killington	101
9	89	122	Sugarbush	95
10	89	110	Sugarbush	91
11	87	100	Sugarbush	87
12	83	92	Sugarbush	84

Feeder Ski Resorts

Ikon Pass and Epic Pass both include several small- to medium-sized mountains dotted around the country. These work as feeder resorts to get locals interested in snowboarding and skiing (a very good thing) and going on a vacation to a larger resort. Ideal as day-trips, they don’t necessarily warrant a longer-distance trip. Both passes have added more of these ski resorts.

Ikon has more notable locations on its list, especially near Seattle (Crystal and Snoqualmie) and in Maine (Sugarloaf and Sunday River) that double as destinations as well as local spots. Epic added 17 mountains from Peaks Resorts to the pass for the 2019/2020 season. If you live near one of these local resorts, it might make sense to get the pass to get several days local for practice and then bundle it with a larger trip.

Without the larger trip elsewhere, the pass will not pay for itself, though. Ikon offers seven days at most of these locations with a few unlimited. These ski hills are perfect for locals, as well as beginner and intermediate level riders. Some of the mountains have impressive terrain parks and extra activities, like tubing. (Growing up in the Midwest, the local hill only had 35 acres and it was all I needed starting out.)

Epic Days	Acres	Nearest City	Epic Pass
Unlimited	1,125	Seattle, WA	Stevens Pass
7 + 50%	820	Quebec City, QC	Stoneham
7 + 50%	450	Quebec City, QC	Mont-Sainte Anne
Unlimited	320	New York City	Hunter Mountain
Unlimited	300	St Paul, MN	Afton Alps
Unlimited	120	Milwaukee, WI	Wilmot
Unlimited	130	Detroit, MI	Mt Brighton
Unlimited	65	St. Louis, MO	Hidden Valley
Unlimited	25	Kansas City, MO	Snow Creek
Unlimited	65	Louisville, KY	Paoli Peaks
Unlimited	72	Cleveland, OH	Alpine Valley
Unlimited	79	Cleveland, OH	Boston Mills
Unlimited	79	Cleveland, OH	Brandywine
Unlimited	144	Columbus, OH	Mad River
Unlimited	100	Harrisburg, PA	Liberty
Unlimited	103	Harrisburg, PA	Roundtop
Unlimited	109	Harrisburg, PA	Whitetail
Unlimited	100	Poconos, PA	Jack Frost
Unlimited	107	Poconos, PA	Big Boulder
Unlimited	230	Concord, NH	Mount Sunapee
Unlimited	105	Jackson, NH	Attitash
Unlimited	225	Jackson, NH	Wildcat
Unlimited	100	Bennington, NH	Crotched

Ikon Days	Acres	Nearest City	Ikon Pass
7	600	Vancouver, BC	Cypress
Unlimited	748	Los Angeles, CA	Big Bear
Unlimited	2,600	Seattle, WA	Crystal
7	1,914	Seattle, WA	Snoqualmie
7	1,240	Carrabassett, ME	Sugarloaf
7	870	Newry, ME	Sunday River
Unlimited	630	Montreal, QC	Tremblant
7	370	Lincoln, NH	Loon
Unlimited	244	Snowshoe, VW	Snowshoe
Unlimited	364	Ontario, CA	Blue Mountain
7	435	Boyne Falls, MI	Boyne Highlands
7	415	Pleasant View, MI	Boyne Mountain

International (Outside North America) Ski Resorts

Traveling internationally for a snowboarding trip is a unique experience. Being immersed in the local culture, snowboarding on foreign slopes, and enjoying on-mountain culture, are all reasons to cross the Atlantic or Pacific for powder. People ride unique gear, trail signs are atypical, trail maps are distinctive, terrain is rated differently, and sometimes the lifts decide to not run at all (cue breaking out the split board to get up the mountain).

Each of the passes includes days at ski resorts in Europe, Asia, South America, and Oceania. I’ve wondered how many people actually use the pass for a long-haul ski trip? Is it worth the price of a pass or does it just make you feel happy to have the option, but probably won’t actually take a passport-required trip?

European Ski Resorts

Europe is home to some of the largest ski resorts in the world. Epic Pass dominates the European options with 19 total days including seven days at Les 3 Vallees in France. This is the largest ski network worldwide with 26,000 acres across eight mountains. The French Alps have excellent terrain too; though it’s well-known for all-day après, it’s not just about sitting on the mountain drinking bubbly all day.

Epic also includes seven days and 50% off additional days at Skirama Dolomiti in Italy and five days with the purchase of participating lodging at 4 Vallees in Switzerland. Ikon and Mountain Collective only offer one location each in Europe. Ikon includes seven days at Zermatt Matterhorn network in Switzerland, and Mountain Collective includes two days at Chamonix collection of mountains.

European lift tickets are generally cheaper than U.S. resorts (and not due to currency conversion). The passes are not going to pay for themselves if you only use them at one ski resort in Europe. You’ll have to snowboard additional days in the U.S. to make a pass purchase a good value.

Country	Epic Days	Acres	Epic Pass
France	7	26,000	Les 3 Vallees
			Val Thorens Meribel Courchevel Les Menuires Saint Martin de Bellevelle La Tania Orelle Brides-Les-Bains
Italy	7 + 50%	a bunch	Skirama Dolomiti
			Madonna di Campiglio Pinzolo Folgaria-Marilleva Pejo Ponte di Legno-Tonale Andalo-Fai della Paganella Monte Bondone Folgaria-Lavarone
Switzerland	5 w/hotel	a bunch	4 Vallees
			Verbier Nendaz Veysonnaz Thyon

Country	Ikon Days	Acres	Ikon Pass
Switzerland	7	3,500	Zermatt Matterhorn
			Rothorn Gornergrat Schwarzsee-Matterhorn
Italy			Cervinia-Valtourmenche

Country	MC Days	Acres	Mountain Collective
France	2	15,000	Chamonix
			Brevent-Flegere Grands Montets Balme Tour Vallorcine Vormaine Chosalets Savoy Planards

On Epic, if you go 17 days across the three included mountain resorts, it pays off. And hey, flights to Europe during the winter are off peak, there are plenty of affordable lodging options and of course the food and wine is superb, so why not, your work won’t miss you that much. Make this the year you finally use all your vacation days. (My next article, what does 17 straight days of snowboarding do to you?).

Epic Days	Window	Epic Pass	Epic Location
7	$57	$138	Les 3 Vallees
7	52	138	Skirama Dolomiti
5	69	194	4 Vallees
19	58	51	All Epic Days

Days	Window	Ikon or MC Pass	Location
2	$57	$245 (MC)	Chamonix
7	63	150 (Ikon)	Zermatt

Japanese Ski Resorts

Home to some of the lightest and fluffiest powder in the world, Japan is world-renowned for its deep snow and scenic slopes. Here, it’s not powder it’s Ja-pow. The ski regions are among the snowiest, with close to 600 inches of annual snowfall. There are two areas of Japan included on the passes. The main area is the north island of Hokkaido and home to the 1972 Olympics. Here, you find Niseko United, which is on Ikon and Mountain Collective. Niseko United includes Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village, Hanazono, and Annupuri. A 40 minute drive away is the smaller but less crowded Rusutsu available on Epic.

Epic Pass also includes access to Hakuba Valley. It is Japan’s largest ski area with 10 separate resorts (Hakuba47, Goryu, Iwatake, Jiigatake, Tsugaike Kogen, Cortina, Happo-one, Norikura Onsen, Kashimayari, and Sanosaka). Happo-one is the largest and most popular. It’s located in central Japan near Nagano and hosted the 1998 Olympic events. Only two Hakuba resorts are inter-connected by lifts so you will need to take a shuttle service or drive between the 10 locations, similar to the mountains in Aspen, Colorado.

Epic Days	Acres	Epic Location
5	1,524	Rusutsu (West, East, Isola)
5	2,372	Hakuba Valley

Days	Acres	Ikon & MC Pass
7 (Ikon)	2,191	Niseko United
2 + 50% (MC)

Similar to Europe, lift tickets in Japan are around 60% less than U.S. resorts. The passes will not pay for themselves with only a Japan trip. You’ll need to snowboard more days in the U.S. to make buying a pass worth it and get a better average cost per day than window rates.

Epic Days	Window	Epic Pass	Epic Location
5	$54	$198	Rusutsu
5	51	198	Hakuba Valley
10	53	99	All Epic Days

Days	Window	Pass	Location
7	$46	$157	Niseko (Ikon)
7	46	100	Niseko (MC)

Southern Hemisphere

For those adventurous travelers who want to extend their riding season into the summer (June through early October), there are a few resorts on the passes in the Southern Hemisphere. The two areas included on the passes are Oceania (Australia and New Zealand) and South America’s Chile. In terms of cost, I consider how much additional value each pass has at the locations. Since window prices are less expensive you wouldn’t buy a pass just to go to one location.

Oceania: Australian/New Zealand Ski Resorts

Epic Pass has three locations in Australia with unlimited access. Perisher is the largest ski resort in Australia and most visited ski resort in the southern Hemisphere. Nearby is Thredbo, which is included on the Ikon and Mountain Collective Passes. Thredbo has the longest runs in the country and is near the highest peak in Australia. These locations are remote (a six-hour drive from Sydney or Melbourne, or 2.5 hours from nearest airport Canberra.)

The other Australian locations on Epic Pass are Falls Creek and Hotham, which are farther south. They are a two-hour drive apart and within driving distance from Melbourne (five hours). Ikon Pass and Mountain Collective include access to Mt. Buller, which is about a three-hour drive from Melbourne. If you’re up for longer drives and the odd kangaroo obstacle, Australian resorts are solid options on each pass. Day pass prices range from $90 to $115 so a seven-day Australia trip is worth $630 to $805 (USD) value on your pass.

There are two ski resorts on the Mountain Collective Pass and three ski resorts on the Ikon Pass in New Zealand. Mountain Collective and Ikon passholders get access to The Remarkables and Coronet Peak. These are neighboring resorts close to Queenstown, the adventure capital of the world. Mt. Hutt is the additional location on Ikon Pass and is a top rated ski resort on the South Island. It is a six-hour drive north from the other two resorts and 90 minutes from Christchurch. But, if you’re traveling from the U.S. you’ll probably be there at least a week or two exploring around the island and can make the trek around to the different snowfields. Day pass prices range from $80 to $90 so a seven-day New Zealand trip is worth $560 to $630 USD value on your pass.

Country	Epic Days	Acres	Epic Pass
Australia	Unlimited	3,080	Perisher
		1,110	Falls Creek
		790	Hotham

Country	Days	Acres	Ikon / MC Pass
Australia	7 / 2 +50%	1,186	Thredbo
		740	Mt Buller
New Zealand	7 / 2 +50%	690	Coronet Peak
		540	The Remarkables
		900	Mt Hutt (not MC)
Chile	7 / 2 +50%	2,300	Valle Nevado

South American Ski Resorts

The other option in the Southern Hemisphere, with less jet lag, is in the Andes Mountains of Chile in South America. Valle Nevado is 90 minutes outside of Sanitago and offers 2,300 acres of powdery back bowls and wide open riding as the resort is entirely above tree line from 9,300 feet up to 12,000 feet. This resort is included on Ikon and Mountain Collective passes. Valle Nevado is connected to La Parva and El Colorado resorts, adding up to a combined 7,000 acres of Tres Valles. An additional ticket must be purchased to access all lifts. The daily ticket price of Valle Nevado is around $75 so with seven days of riding you can extract $525 USD from your pass.

You Should Buy A Multi-Pass Now If…

Multi-passes are still a good buy now if you’ll plan to ride nine days on Epic Pass or Ikon Pass, or six days on Mountain Collective. That’s how many days you need to log to beat out the window prices.

In the past, the number of days you had to ride on Epic was closer to five days, but this year Vail Resorts introduced the Epic day pass program, which effectively dropped day-rates. This ticket option is made for skiers and snowboarders who only visit the resorts a few days each season. Kudos to Vail for welcoming more people on the mountain at a reasonable cost at the risk of lower pass sales.

Summary: Early bird still gets the worm

While you can clearly get plenty of value buying a pass late, it still pays to plan ahead and buy a season pass in March/April when they first go on sale. The passes are cheapest and include summer hiking and biking lift access as well as early-purchase bonuses. Mountain Collective includes one extra day at one location for early buyers, boosting its already high value. Ikon went one step further in 2019 and gave late season lift access to early buyers, resulting in essentially a season and a half of use. Alternatively some resorts, like Jackson Hole and Aspen season passes included a code for a free Ikon base pass for the 19/20 season. It’s their way to appease the locals when the Ikon masses descend.

Bonus value… There are other features included in the Epic pass such as buddy and ski-with-a-friend passes that can also add more value to the pass. Families with adult and child passes will have additional scenarios to consider. (In general, the child pass breaks even with a similar number of days as adult passes.)

Overall Epic and Ikon Passes are comparable. Picking one over the other is more a personal preference of region/type of resorts than the price/value. Mountain Collective directly competes with Ikon Pass in a few locations and wins every time. Proof: I’ve purchased Mountain Collective the past two years, and I hope it doesn’t go away as it offers exceptional value for snowboarders and travelers.

A multi-resort pass isn’t the only way to get in days on the slopes. If you don’t grab a pass, you can buy multi-day tickets in advance or at the window and mix and match between resorts to explore new places and without any pass restrictions, but uncertain prices.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading my thesis paper on multi-resort season passes. I’m awaiting a response from my professor and hope to receive my Snowboard Traveler PhD soon.

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