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There is a classification system for runs, I believe the Canada West Ski Areas Association (CWSAA) came up with the classifications here. I wouldn't be surprised if the same thing existed elsewhere.

Here in the United States there are some black Diamonds that would be like green blues at other resorts

A few resorts have started using mixed classifications such as the Green/Blue or the Blue/Black run. Would this be a rating oof over difficulty or more of a warning to less experienced skiers that a blue run might have black sections?

I think Willamette Pass did this a few years back with the run Eagles Flight and it all depended on whether the run was groomed or not. If it was groomed it was a blue and if it wasn't it was a black because of how the moguls would build up on it.

Maybe they should have more than just the green, blue, and black.There could be something like a double blue ranking (some places already have that) like the double black, or like a blue + or - or the like

Mammoth has 6 different ratings. Here is what they are and what they mean:

Green circle-Beginner(groomed nightly)
Green circle inside a Blue square-Beginner(groomed sometimes)
Blue squaere-Intermeadite(groomed nightly)
Blue square inside a Black diamond-intermeadite(groomed sometimes)
Black diamond-Advanced
Double Black diamond-Expert

The problem with pitch rating is that many runs that aren't extremely steep are really hard due to where they are. If a run is extremely wide such as Concord at Solitude then although it is much steeper then Cirque at Solitude they are rated the same as Cirque is extremely narrow. It all depends on the setting for trees can make a huge difference as well. Desperado at Brighton is just as steep as Hard Coins at Brighton but Hard Coins is rated a double Black Diamond instead of the Black that Desperado is ranked due to the fact that Hard Coins is in the trees.

Now if you ask me a standardized system would be nice but there are just to many variables to compute so it would certainly improve the current system but would definately not solve all the cross apply problems you find.

I forgot - width does play a factor too, and the run must be rated by the steepest section on the run. Which means most of our intermediate runs should be black diamonds, and most of our beginner runs should be blue squares. But for marketing purposes (trying to attract beginners) the truth has been
S T R E T C H E D about the beginner/intermediate terrain :)

10-4 on that. I think all areas do that to some degree. I found an old map of Copper that rates several trails blue, and today they're green...

I was comparing an older Big WHite map to a newer one and several runs were bumped up from Blue to Black. Though Big White has enough easy runs to keep most skiiers happy.

Others have done the same thing, changing around rankings without changing the run at all. You don't really seen them changing trails to a lower ranking though, always higher

I'm gonna bring this topic all the way back up.....


Hangman's at mammoth is pretty steep--not a steep as star chute or huevos, but still pretty damn steep. It has a 52˚ entry thats pretty scary, but once you get past that, its not too bad...





During the winter, its usually much wider than the second picture shows.

Damn... I can ski any terrain, but that one looks too tough for me.

I'm skiing that if I go to Mammoth on a nice day.

Too bad there's no trees, it would make even that much more interesting and exhilarating to ski.