Where to Ski?

We have two beginner areas—one at the Village and one at the South Base of Blue Mountain.

Village

At the Village beginner area you’ll find two runs with two chair lifts for skiers and snowboarders. The Easy Street run offers a long gentle slope and is great place to start. Easy Street is serviced by a two-person chair lift. We recommend that new skiers and snowboarders take a number of runs on Easy Street to become comfortable turning and stopping before moving on to the Graduate. The Graduate run is slightly steeper than Easy Street and allows skiers and boarders to build a little more speed and feel the thrill of sliding! It is serviced by a three-person chair lift. In all, the Village Beginner area is an ideal place to start skiing. It is conveniently located next to the Village Lodge and Village Rentals, as well as accommodations and shopping.

South

Blue Mountain’s new South Base beginner area is great for young children and offers more ski terrain than the Village area. South’s three runs are serviced by two “magic carpet” surface lifts and the Voyageur Quad chair lift. Beginners should start at the magic carpet located at the south end of the South Base Lodge. The magic carpet lift is so easy to use, so this small, gently sloped area is ideal for young children. (It is also next to the “Kids at Blue” child-care centre.) Once you have mastered stopping and turning you can venture to the Voyageur Quad chair lift for the trip up to the Enchanted Forest. There you will find an easy slope serviced by another magic carpet lift. This is a great place to master turning skills before you move on to Big Baby. Big Baby offers some of the best terrain at Blue for novice skiers and snowboarders; it is a wide open run with lots of room to turn and have fun. Big Baby is an excellent place to practice before upgrading your lift ticket.

• Magic carpet lifts are easy for kids.
• Kids’ Camp runs out of South seven days a week (for kids ages 7-12).
• The Children’s Activity Centre offers childcare service for kids ages 18 months to 6 years. A childcare with skiing program is also available for children aged 3 to 6 years.

How do I Ride the Chair?

With a few simple tips, taking your first ride up a chair lift is fun and easy. If you have any questions—just ask! The lift attendant will be more than happy to help you. Tell the attendant it’s your first time, and remember, it’s always safer and more fun to ride with a buddy.

Getting on the Chair.

• Remove ski pole straps from your hands.
• Advance forward as soon as the chair in front of you passes.
• Stand with your skis or snowboard directly over the "load here” sign on the ground.
• Look behind you for the chair. If you are on the left side, look left; right side, look right. Bend your knees and prepare to sit down.
• Once you are sitting on the chair, lower the safety bar. Firmly hold your poles or any other equipment on your lap.

Getting off the Chair.
SKIERS:

• Raise the bar when you see the “raise safety bar” sign.
• Keep ski tips up so you don’t catch them in the snow.
• Hold poles up; don’t let them touch the ground.
• When your skis are on the snow, bend your knees, keep your weight forward and glide off and away from the unloading zone.

SNOWBOARDERS:

• Raise the bar when you see the “raise safety bar” sign.
• Straighten your board so the front tip is facing forward.
• Keep your weight on your front foot.
• Place your free foot on the stomp pad in the centre of your board.
• Glide off and away from the unloading zone.