Ski Lifts in Breckenridge
The pride of Breckenridge is the Imperial Express Chairlift, the highest lift in North America, soaring to a breathtaking 12,840 feet.
Breckenridge Ski Lifts
Breckenridge proudly boasts that it is America’s most popular ski resort. Anyone who’s been there on a holiday weekend in December would certainly agree, judging by the liftlines which can be lengthy when Denver day-skiers flock to this nearby Front Range resort. However, although lines during peak periods can be formidable, the terrain is exceptional and knowing how to escape the crowds will allow you to maximize your time on the snow even on the busiest days.
Many who are new to Breckenridge complain that the mountain layout is confusing and difficult to understand. Unlike Breckenridge’s sister resort, Keystone, which features three peaks stacked one behind another, Breckenridge’s four peaks are spread out across a ridge. Knowing how to negotiate laterally by using different lifts is essential. Breckenridge posts helpful signs throughout the resort which point skiers to key lifts and base areas.
Breckenridge offers two base areas with interconnecting lifts , Peaks 8 and 9, as well as the new BreckConnect Town Gondola lift. Peak 8 has two high-speed quads, accessible from the base, that connect with other lifts servicing higher terrain. These are the Colorado SuperChair and the Rocky Mountain SuperChair. Beginner lifts are chair 7 and chair 5 starting from the base area on Peak 8. These are double chairs. Peak 9 has the Beaver Run Super Chair at the base of Beaver Run, which accesses intermediate terrain. The QuickSilver Super6 passenger chair leaves from The Village area at the base of Peak 9 and serves beginner terrain. It also accesses several other on-mountain lifts including the more advanced Peak 10 Falcon Lift.
Breckenridge now boasts the highest lift in North America, reaching up a massive 12,840 feet (3,914 m). The Imperial Express Chairlift accesses 400 acres (162 hectares) of advanced and expert terrain. The QuickSilver SuperChair on Peak 9 is a six-passenger chair providing easy accesses beginner terrain. The BreckConnect gondola connects the town of Breckenridge with the base of Peak 8, making a stop at Peak 7 base. All day-skier parking as well as the Breckenridge bus station are located in lots adjoining base station. The gondola greatly improves access for day skiers and makes staying in the town and attractive alternative.
Breckenridge Transfer Lifts
Simplifying the transfer between mountains is the Peak 8 SuperConnect high-speed quad chair. While skiers and riders cannot access the chair from the base area of Peak 9, a quick ride up the Beaver Run SuperChair or QuickSilver Super6 accesses the Peak 8 SuperConnect lift and whisks riders to Peak 8, terminating near the (recently renovated) Vista Haus restaurant. The two-lift ride now takes 13 minutes instead of the former 30-minute, three-lift ride.
The SnowFlake Lift also takes skiers and riders from Four O’Clock road on Peak 9 to Peak 8. Additionally, the new high-speed six-passenger Independence SuperChair on Peak 7 will take skiers from bottom to top in seven minutes and opens up 165 acres (66 ha) of intermediate terrain (that is to say, 30 percent more) including seven new trails and the famous Peak 7 glades.
Breckenridge Ski Lift Passes
Lift tickets are interchangeable between Keystone and Arapahoe Basin, and one day out of a three-day pass is good at Vail. Lift passes can be bought at all lift ticket windows located at the base of Peaks 8 and 9, if you buy your tickets online at www.breckenridge.com you will get a reduction. For those parking in town or in the numerous lots adjacent to the new BreckConnect gondola, tickets are conveniently available for purchase at gondola base station. Plenty of ticket windows are available at the base station, meaning lines for ticket purchase are almost always shorter than at any of the other bases.
Rush hour on the lift lines is usually 10:30 am and 1:30 pm but you can beat the lines by starting first thing in the morning at 8:30 am, and at lunch time, at around 12:00 noon. Intermediates can use the Beaver Run Chair on Peak 9 and the Rocky Mountain Chair on Peak 8, which are usually less crowded.