In skiing, are there actual specifications for what is considered a "green", "blue", or "black diamond" trail?

Question

In other words, would a green trail at one resort be truly the same difficulty as a green trail at another resort? Or would a green trail on a really tall mountain in Aspen (for example) be a lot more difficult than a green trail at a smaller resort on a smaller mountain?

Answer 1

Well when you out west (Colorado, Utah ext), they do have specifications..I believe that 55/100 grade or bigger is a double black, however i also know that in the Midwest, there really isn't much of a system...But if your skiing out west, I am almost positive that they have a system of naming the runs determined by there slope...I know thats confusing but i hope it helps

Answer 2

No way, the system is relative to the trails for that resort only.  The more difficult resorts will list their trails in order of difficulty for that resort only.

Answer 3

The trail ratings are only good for the specific resort you are at.  

If this wasn't the case then all the smaller mountains would be mostly green and all the big ones would be mostly double and single diamonds.

Answer 4

Nope...A Black Diamond at a Pocono Hill would be at best a Blue Square at most VT resorts. There is no standard as to what "makes" a slope a "diamond", "square", or "circle". How the trail is rated is entirely up to the management at that resort. Smuggler's Notch has a "Triple Black Diamond" and it has that rating based solely because it is flanked by two "Double Diamonds" on either side of it AND the management has decided that it is harder to ski than the two other slopes next to it. Killington has a "Blue Square" glade. This doesn't mean it's easier to ski than a treeless "Diamond" slope, it just means it's easier than the other glades. "Wrangler" at Arapahoe Basin is a "Green" trail and it is harder to ski than some "double diamonds" in the Poconos.

Now...having said all that. Most resorts use some good  judgement when trying to rate the slopes. Narrow trails will always get a higher rating. (ie Racer's Edge at Killington is fairly flat, but it is a narrow trail) and access slopes are usually rated to how they exit. (A slope may be fairly flat, but if it dumps you off on only "diamonds" that slope too will get a "diamond" rating.) A trail that the resort lets get bumped up will almost always get a "diamond" no matter how steep the pitch actually is. Likewise, ungroomed slopes and slopes that do not have snowmaking also usually get a higher rating.

Answer 5

Out west, there are specifications for rating trails. However, a Black Diamond at Aspen will be a lot harder than a black diamond at Boyne Mountain, Michigan.

Here is how trails are rated out west:

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