Mid-Vail Cliffs in Vail, Colorado
The iconic mid-Vail cliffs. After reaching the top of Gondola 1, ski to the left to the Mountaintop Express lift which will take you essentially to the top of Vail Mountain. From there, you can go numerous places, whether it's heading directly to the Legendary Back Bowls (often best in the Spring with heavier powder), the infamous Northwoods and NorthStar Routes, Blue Sky Basin, the world-renowned China Bowl, and numerous other terrains found on the mountain. One popular destination is the mid-vail cliffs. Found on the front face of Vail to the left of Mountaintop Express as you get off the chair, you ski directly below the lift and a bit to the left through the trees, where you will find them. Many times, you’ll witness cheers and hoorays from the onlookers on the lift, encouraging those at the top of the cliff to “full-send”. Other times when an individual does “send it” but does not quite make the landing, you get some statements like “oooooooo, that’s got to hurt” or “next time, buddy!”
The infamous cliff is not just a popular go-to route for locals. Oftentimes, heading up the lift you will meet people from all over the world who will talk about their plans that they had made months or even years before getting to Vail, Colorado. Some from the East, South, North, or West, with many heading to the cliffs to take a shot or save it for another time. Watching the cliff skiers and snowboarders provides a type of thrill and excitement, whereas going for the cliff jump yourself after some anticipation or planning (or lack thereof) brings a whole different level of excitement.
If you are planning a trip to Vail Mountain anytime in the future, the cliffs are hard to miss, so make sure to check them out!
Until next time,
Nat
P.S. If anyone has any photos, videos, or stories about some mountain cliffs or adventures at ski resorts including the mid-vail cliffs they would like to share and have posted here, send an email below and we can work on your personal story together! It doesn’t have to be a ski adventure either, any stories are welcome!
If you want to see footage of someone going off the mid-vail cliffs for a better perspective of what it’s like in action, a link is below of a 10-year-old skier with so little fear just going for it!