SKIREBEL Magazine

The newest ski destination in Canada, Revelstoke ski resort in British Columbia is going to unseat Whistler this winter when it transforms an existing gondola into the biggest lift-served vertical on the North American continent.
April 27th marked the last day of skiing of the inaugural season at Revelstoke Mountain Resort. With an abundance of snow and skier visits 44 percent higher than anticipated, it was an excellent opening year for North America’s newest ski resort. RMR-owned and -operated Selkirk Tangiers Helicopter Skiing (STHS) also had a tremendous season with skier visits up 20 percent.

People came from all over the world to visit Revelstoke,”

says the mayor of Revelstoke, Mark McKee, “and the feedback has been extremely positive.” The resort opened on December 22nd, 2007, to international acclaim with ski media calling it the biggest thing to happen in North American skiing in years. A brand new eight-person gondola and high-speed quad chairlift carried skiers to an impressive elevation of 4,735 vertical feet with 27 runs covering 1,500 acres of lift-serviced terrain. Whether skiing in the vast alpine bowls, cruising on the long groomers or ripping through the trees with Revelstoke Cat Ski, there was something for everyone.
The extension of the gondola will increase the lift served vertical to 1713m (5,620 feet) , more than 100-m greater than Whistler and becoming the first North American ski area to enter the world top 50 for size of lift-served vertical.
In addition to the gondola extension a new high-speed quad chairlift in the North Bowl area will open up an extra 900 acres of intermediate terrain (ski runs and tree skiing), as well as 300 additional acres of expert skiing – nearly doubling the lift served terrain area to 2,700 acres – moving it in to the top flight of North American ski areas on that measure also..
In addition cat skiing terrain will increase to 2,210 acres and extended glading and trail cutting will expand both the ski area and the existing 500,000 acres of Selkirk Tangiers Helicopter Skiing terrain. The resort believes that this means Revelstoke Mountain Resort will become the only resort in the world to offer lift-skiing, cat-skiing and helicopter skiing right from the village base.
At the base the new resort village will also be completed with a full-service restaurant; retail and rental shops; lift ticket and skier facilities; and additional parking for 1,000 vehicles. The first of three buildings in Nelsen Lodge will open with 56 condo units, ranging in size from studios to three bedrooms; it will be managed by Boutique Hotels and Resorts of British Columbia. By 2009 there will be over 200 condos in Nelsen Lodge plus 24 townhomes and 50 single family lots, some with private helicopter landing pads.