Cover photo: Ryan Flett

Radical RED. Deeply embedded in the community of Rossland, BC, RED Mountain is a world away from the hustle and bustle of the modern-day corporate ski experience. Food, drink, and passes are relatively affordable, snow is more than plentiful and you find yourself riding insane terrain with a blend of locals and passionate transplants.

We knew RED was steep and had great vibes but it certainly surprised us to find out that RED is also one of the largest resorts in North America in terms of skiable acres. And almost none of that terrain is anything other than fun. Our bossman, Zorko, has spent a bunch of time there, and can be hard to shut up about it. Finally, there’s a time and a place:

“I’ve been lucky enough to ski RED on several powder days. The craziest thing from my experience was the endless possibilities. If you see a way through, you can ski it. A cat track will catch you at the bottom of just about anything you'd want to drop into. So when it dumps, you can be skiing deep pow every run for the next few days. It takes FOREVER to track out."

RED cloaked in white is a stunner. P: Ryan Flett

RED boasts several skiable peaks with 360-degree descents rather than the typical frontside/backside dichotomy. The distinct mountains mean people spread out super fast, the snow lasts longer and you suffer fewer lift lines. We’re pretty sure you aren’t going skiing to stand in line and RED is a great place not to do it. 3000ft of vertical and near infinite line choices make for a great place to spend time on the boards, not to get bored. Thanks to the terrain and resort structure you don't have the rush for freshies you get… seemingly everywhere now. Powder, yes, but without the side of panic.

It’s a resort that churns out talented skiers, with Dane Tudor and Simon Hillis among the recent products and both current team members. Dane needs no introduction, and Simon is blowing up right now, courtesy of major parts with TGR. We first met him at Quiksilver Young Guns where, despite getting hurt early on, his talent, honed at RED, was immediately apparent.

https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/1098895/--YouTube

Old but gold. Equally applicable to RED and this TGR segment shot there feat. Tim D, Dylan Hood and more.

The ski culture of Rossland and RED itself is probably the biggest draw to the area for us. It’s a chill place, free from so much of the bullshit that we take suffering for granted when we go shred. And so we were borderline relieved when a recent investment guaranteed the resort’s independence. It’s also been a major boost for the resort, with big investment into 4-season offerings, including a HUGE new bike park and we’re hearing rumours of expansion on the ski side too…

The number of pro skiers who make Rossland home is a testament to that. It’s a town of die-hard or die-trying skiers, independent restaurants, bars, and breweries. The town is a great base for skiing RED, but it’s always a bonus to sneak in a night or two at The Constella Cabin Collective, a group of mid-mountain cabins that, priced at less than USD 150 per person for a group of 4 (dinner included), offer a pretty affordable on-hill stay. The cabins are kitted, they have access to the central clubhouse and they get you access to that side of the mountain before day guests can dream of getting there.

Dane Tudor ruling his stomping grounds. P: Ryan Flett

More generally, offering the kind of experience you usually have to pay 10x for, to the regular skier, is something RED does better than anyone. Their pay-per-run Cat skiing on Mt Kirkup, starts at CAD 15 per-ride. It gives access to 200 acres of terrain with 2k-3k of vertical depending on which base you aim for. You can’t hit any of it from the regular lifts, giving a great taste of the Cat Ski experience at a small fraction of the price.

You can win a trip to Radical RED, including a stay up at Constella and Cat Skiing HERE.

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RED Facts:

Location: Rossland, BC

Avg. Snowfall: 760cm / 300in

Avg. Winter Temp: -4°c / 25°f

Base Elevation: 1,185m / 3,887ft

Summit Elevation: 2,075m / 6,807ft

Number of Lifts: 8

Total Skiable Acres: 3850