"Ollie Clark" wrote in message
...
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. :-)

I can see a whole new thread unfolding here...

It's like Ace says, and a whole lot more, operating cost-wise:
Take snow-making, which isn't just there to compensate for poor cover - it's
vital to lay a decent base for when the snow arrives and thus ensure a good
start to the season. The water it consumes must often be pumped up the
mountain to purpose-built reservoirs, and the power required (although
system efficiency is improving) for snowmaking currently accounts for around
40% of the energy costs of many ski areas. More than lifts, in fact.
Check out the price of installing and maintaining lift systems - real,
mountain-sized ones, lots of them and spread over huge areas in hostile
conditions. Throw in safety tests and inspections, while you're at it. All
this stuff and more goes on in the background so you'll have a safe and
enjoyable skiing experience. And it costs. I've skied with the pisteurs,
emergency services, avalanche teams, etc., and seen first-hand just how big
an investment their work requires.
Final thought: the ski industry is hugely competitive, which tends to keep a
lid on prices (get your pricing wrong and skiers will simply head
elsewhere).
Which is why indoor centres, seen from a mountain perspective, look
over-priced for what they offer.

IMHO, of course...

Roger
www.mountainpassions.com - an Online Magazine with Altitude