Alyeska Ski Resort

When skiers and snowboarders think of skiing in Alaska they conjure up thoughts of steep and deep. Sure they’ve probably been watching a Warren Miller movie and are thinking of Alaska heli skiing, but Alyeska Ski Resort near Anchorage also fits into the steep and deep category. Alyeska receives a whopping 669 inches (17 metres) of snowfall at the summit per season on average, and much of the terrain at Alyeska is challenging, particularly relative to many of the lower 48 ski resorts.

Alyeska Resort is an ideal destination resort as a warm up for those going heli skiing in Alaska.

Pros & Cons of Alyeska Resort

Pros

• Alaska is renowned for the amazing views and Alyeska is no exception with an incredibly picturesque setting.
• A huge pro for Alyeska is the nearby heli skiing with Chugach Powder Guides; the ultimate experience for powder hounds! You can combine resort skiing at Alyeska with heli skiing because Chugach Powder Guides offer multi-day or single day packages.
• This is the only major ski resort in Alaska.
• Lift tickets are reasonably priced on weekdays.
• You may get to see the northern lights, and if you’re staying at Hotel Alyeska you can ask for a northern lights wake up call.

Cons

• In the height of winter there aren’t a lot of daylight hours, and often the resort suffers from flat light.
• The Alyeska Ski Resort isn’t particularly big and you’ll potentially end up lapping many of the same runs.

Pro or Con Depending On Your Perspective

• Alyeska is a steep resort and has some amazing expert and extreme terrain, but commonly some or many of these runs are closed.
• The lifts don’t open until late morning or even the afternoon, so you can sleep in.
• Alyeska has exceptional night skiing, with a large portion of the terrain illuminated. The lifts are open late some evenings, although during winter there are other parts of the day that also feel like night skiing!
• The beginner terrain is OK but not ideal, yet there are very inexpensive beginner lift tickets, and cheap packages that include a lesson, lift pass and equipment rental.
• The upper parts of Alyeska score abundant snow fall, although the quality of the snow is not dry due to its proximity to the coast.

Alyeska Ski and Snowboard Terrain

The Alyeska ski resort has 651 hectares (1,610 acres) of skiable terrain. This is a little below average for a western USA ski resort, and when you compare Alyeska Resort to the massive Chugach Mountains, it’s completely dwarfed! And a huge portion of the expert terrain at Alyeska Alaska is rarely open, so most of the time the ski resort is rather small and it doesn’t provide huge variety.

The Alyeska terrain includes alpine bowls, a little bit of tree skiing, and tree-lined runs further down the mountain. Freestylers can also play in the terrain parks and mini pipe.

Whilst 11% of the terrain is rated for beginners, some of the green runs are not ideal for first-timers. The statistic of 52% of trails being allocated for intermediates may be exaggerated, although intermediates are still likely to be kept pretty happy, and a couple of the groomed runs extend the full 2,500 vertical feet of the lift accessed terrain.

Expert riders rave about the steep trails like the North Face. Alyeska also has lots of hike-to-terrain above the lifts including chutes and gnarly bowls, although these zones are commonly closed due to inadequate snow or excessive snow and avalanche risk. The lift infrastructure consists of 7 lifts: an aerial tram; 2 high speed quad chairs; 2 fixed grip quads; and a couple of magic carpets.

Alyeska Snow and Weather

Alyeska gets tons of snow, and as to be expected considering the maritime climate, the powder has a tendency towards being heavy, but nothing that a pair of fat skis or a powder board won’t fix! Alyeska is susceptible to all types of weather which may include extreme wind and rain at the base area. The resort gets socked in at times and during winter the low angle of the sun can contribute to flat light, so pack a pair of low light goggles! Or visit during March when bluebird days are more common.

Where is Alyeska Alaska?

Mt Alyeska is part of the famous Chugach Mountain Range. Alyeska Resort is located in Girdwood, a small town with a population of approximately 2,000 friendly folks! Alyeska is just 42 miles south of Anchorage on Alaska’s South Central coast. The Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is the main gateway to Alyeska.

Alyeska Hotel and Accommodations

The main lodging at Alyeska Resort is Hotel Alyeska, a ski-in ski-out 304 room hotel at the base of the tram. The hotel has extensive facilities including a few restaurants, shops, a day spa, pool, hot tubs and fitness center.

Other Alyeska accommodations include Girdwood vacation rentals, condos and a few bed and breakfasts.

Girdwood Accommodation Listings

	Hotel Alyeska	$$$
	4-star ski-in/out hotel offering deluxe twin and king rooms with flat screen TV/Satellite & pay channels. Restaurants, bar, day spa, indoor pool and whirlpool, sauna, fitness center & more...

Ski Resort Facilities

Alyeska is somewhat low key and no frills relative to the high profile Colorado ski resorts. Nevertheless the Alyeska ski resort amenities are well developed. There are various off-slope activities including scenic flights, dog-sledding, cross-country skiing, ice-skating, or there’s the day spa for complete R&R.

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