Breck extra
The Breck runs that turn into traffic jams, slow zones and long traverses, and when to give them a miss.
Photo: Jasen Miller, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Save your legs
There aren't many bad runs at Breck. Plenty of runs are bad at the wrong time, like a gentle green at 3:30 when half the mountain is skiing home on it, a cat track on a holiday Saturday or a high bowl when the cloud comes in.
Most of these are about timing. Ski them at the right moment and you won't think twice about them.
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Runs to avoid
Peak 8 · end of the day
Everyone’s going home.
Lower 4 O’Clock is a gentle green, which is why it's full of beginners. At the end of the day it's also full of fast skiers heading for town. The mix isn't great.
Our tip: Go before 3pm or after 4pm, or ride the gondola down.
Peak 9 · end of the day
Rush hour at the base.
The runs into the Peak 9 base get crowded late in the afternoon as everyone skis back toward town and the lodging around Beaver Run.
Peak 9
A slow zone.
Bonanza is a learning trail and a slow zone. It's a great run, just not if you want to go fast. Patrol does enforce slow zones.
Peak 8
Busy cat tracks.
Columbine and Pathfinder are the cat tracks across Peak 8 toward the T-Bar and Peak 7. Narrow, busy and not much fun. Keep your speed down and get them over with.
Peak 10
Bring your skating legs.
Coming back to the Falcon SuperChair from the far side of Peak 10 means the Flapjack traverse, which often needs skating or shuffling. Hard work on a snowboard.
Peak 8
Pick another day.
Above treeline on a grey day you can't see the bumps until you're in them. Horseshoe Bowl, Imperial and Peak 6 are all much harder in flat light. Stay in the trees on Peak 7, 9 or 10 instead.
Keep exploring
Book online before you arrive and pick your gear up in town the evening before. The morning rush at the base shops can eat your first hour, and booking ahead can be cheaper.
Breck is on the Epic Pass. Buying a ticket at the window on the day is the most expensive way up the hill, so buy ahead online or look at an Epic Day Pass if you're here for a few days.
One short email a week in season: what fell, what's open, and where to ride this weekend.
