Ace wrote:
On 24 Feb 2010 17:19:15 GMT, Ollie Clark
wrote:

Roger Moss wrote:

Which, of course, would buy you a whole day's ski-pass in most of the Alpine
areas...

Yes, which is great if you live 30 minutes away from an alpine area.

30 minutes? Hah!

Odd, indeed.

Not really. Alpine areas get free snow (mostly) and the slopes were
built for free hundreds of thousands of years ago.

Indoor slopes have to make all their own snow, cool the building and
build the slope themselves.

I think what's odd is how alpine areas can justify charging so much!

You don't think that the lift systems and the staff to man them might
incur some significant costs as well then? Not to mention piste
preparation, avalanche control, shuttle buses, piste patrol...

Well yes, but indoor slopes also have to run lifts, pay operators,
"piste patrol" as well; all admittedly on a smaller scale. But they also get
fewer visitors. I don't think any of them are making huge profits.

TBH alpine resorts and indoor slopes probably both charge as much
as they can get away with. Everyone would probably agree that skiing
in the alps would always be prefereable but it's not always practical
for everyone. :-)