The latest ski resort purchase by the Alterra Group in the USA means it and Vail Resorts now own 30 North American ski areas between them, including many of the big name destinations.
Altrerra's announcement that it was buying Solitude ski area in Utah followed Vail Resorts revealing they had snapped up another four ski areas last month – the purchases take their respective totals to 13 and 17 ski areas in North America (Vail Resorts also own an 18th area, Australia's biggest resort, Perisher).
The two groups' assets include Whistler Blackcomb and Mont Tremblant in Canada as well as Mammoth, Squaw Valley, Heavenly and Northstar in California; Park City, Deer Valley and Solitude in Utah and Crested Butte, Keystone, Breckenridge, Steamboat, Winter Park and of course Vail in Colorado, amongst others.
"With its close relationship with Deer Valley Resort, Solitude Mountain Resort is a natural fit for Alterra Mountain Company, and a tremendous addition to our family of destinations," said Rusty Gregory, Chief Executive Officer, Alterra Mountain Company.
Solitude Mountain Resort is located 34 miles from the Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) and less than an hour from Deer Valley Resort, in the renowned Big Cottonwood Canyon. The mountain offers skiers and riders 77 runs, three bowls, and a vertical drop of 619 metres across 1,200 acres, plus some of the most impressive off-piste terrain in the country. The quaint base village offers ski-in/ski-out accommodations along with year-round activities for guests.
The Alterra Mountain Company was created just over a year ago when affiliates of KSL Capital Partners, owners of Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows in California, and affiliates of Henry Crown and Company (Which owns Aspen, although Aspen is not included in the group) purchased Intrawest, Mammoth Resorts and Deer Valley Resort. The company's resorts currently span five U.S. states and three Canadian provinces and also include CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures in British Columbia.
Both groups are currently heavily focussed on selling their multi-resort season passes, for Vail the Epic Pass, for Alterra the Ikon Pass.