Is there a system for ranking the difficulty of ski runs?

Ski run rating is relative to the ski area for the most part in the United States. So generally speaking, the easiest of the runs are called green and the toughest are black. Blue runs vary widely in degree of difficulty from one resort to another. It's always best to down grade to the less demanding color ratings when skiing at a new resort until you get a feel for it. Other than that, you could look at this simple chart, http://www.hixoxih.com/skiing/SkiSlopeRatingSystem... But keep in mind that these are averages. A relatively flat green run could have a steep and challenging "bluish" pitch in the middle and still be rated green.

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Most, perhaps all, ski area trail maps specifically state that the difficulty ratings are specific and relative to that particular mountain only and do not reflect degree of difficulty compared to any other ski area.

I live in CT. We have a few small ski areas (hills) here the largest having a vertical drop of 625 ft. they have trails rated as black diamond. Imagine that! These trails would likely rate no more than a green circle, maybe a blue square or, as some places use, a green circle in a blue square at a larger ski area.

What a task it would be to catalog and then relatively rate every ski trail or slope in the US. Plus that would mean that most smaller ski areas, particularly in the east, would have no black diamond (most difficult) runs.

Without that, the ski patrols would have their hands full rescuing all the idiots who skied beyond their ability. As if they don't already!

EDIT: Jon, Look at the mountain stats page here...http://www.silvertonmountain.com/page/mountain/sta...

"The terrain is entirely for the advanced and expert skier and those who enjoy adventure."

"Trail Classifications: Beginner & Intermediate: 0% Advanced & Expert 100%"

That's why there's no trail rating symbols on the map. Plus the yellow triangle logo with the skier falling down the mountain pretty much says it all. In fact, some ski areas use the yellow triangle to indicate advanced terrain.

"it was my understanding that a "blue" was a blue (give or take a little bit) no mater which resort you went to."

Nope, quite the opposite. If a run is green, that just means it's one of the easier runs at that particular resort. A blue just means it's in the middle, at that particular resort.

I suspect that the reason why has to do with marketing - if there were a constant standard across all ski resorts, than a lot of dinky midwestern places would have no black runs at all. As it is, they can call their hardest run a black, but that run would be an easy blue if you picked it up and plonked it down in Colorado or Utah. Places on the other end of the spectrum (all hard runs and no easy stuff) aren't that common...but Silverton on the other hand doesn't even have difficulty ratings on their trailmap (http://www.silvertonmountain.com/page/mountain/tra... )

For this reason it is advised to always start on the greens if you go to a new resort. Most people don't actually do that, but it would be the prudent thing to do. Me personally...I've been skiing probably a dozen places, can handle the blues just fine at any, and can get down the blacks so-so (falling only occasionally, but probably not looking so hot) at any of them, so I'm usually confident enough to start on a blue.

The universal trail markings system uses a series of colored shapes to designate the difficulty. Green Circles designate beginner runs (generally between 3 & 11 degrees angle), Blue Squares designate Intermediate runs (generally between 11 & 18 degrees angle), Black Diamonds designate Advanced Runs (generally between 20 & 35 degrees in angle) , while Double Black Diamonds are reserved for Expert-Only runs (generally 40 degrees & up. The A-Z chutes at Big Sky Resort, Mt measuring in excess of 60 degrees, are the steepest inbounds skiing in North America). Some resorts also use combined symbols, such as a black diamond inside a blue square to indicate what would be considered a harder blue run or an easier single black run. Other resorts, such as a couple in the upper mid-west have a Triple Black designation for some trails, however, despite the trail marking, most would not even compare to the steepness of a Double Black run out west. Some resorts also exclude the Double Black rating & instead, use only green through single black.

However, trail difficulties can vary from resort to resort, & a black diamond at one resort may be considered a blue run at another place. For instance, Eldora Mountain just outside of Boulder, Co has black diamond runs that are groomed & whose steepness is more like a blue run than a black run. Their double black diamonds are also much more like the general steepness of single black diamonds.

Many ski areas make a note on their trail maps that the ratings are relative to the other trails of that resort, & should not be assumed to be of the same difficulty as simarly mark trails at other ski areas/resorts.

To make a long story short, even though the trail designations are a good indicator of their overall difficulty, don't automatically assume a run at one resort has the same difficulty of similarly mark trails at other resorts. When visiting a new ski area that you are not familiar with, it is best to start out on the easier runs first until you have a sense of what the difficulty of the trails are in relation to their markings/ratings.

Ski Trail Ratings

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Green are the easiest in France, blue are next, red and black are the most difficult. There are no diamond and double diamonds like in the States. Red and Black are the equivalents. Depends where you've learned to ski but if you've only been skiing in PA, expect a blue at Val d'Isere to be a decent challenge. If you learned to ski in Utah, the difficulty levels will be quite similar (a red will be similar to a diamond in other words.) Have fun and enjoy the awesome food!!!

Ski Slope Ratings

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RE:

Is there a system for ranking the difficulty of ski runs?

Is there definitive criteria that a piste or ski run must meet to be considered a green, blue, or black run? For example my wife and I normally ski Breckenridge. She is confident skiing the blue runs and is beginning to tackle what Breckenridge calls blue/black runs. For a change of pace, we...

they are to the mountains decresio...there is no written rule about how to rank your trails. i would recommend researching the mountain before you go, because there are mountains, especially up north, that are clearly more difficult.