Disentis, Switzerland Joins Epic Pass for 2023-24 Ski Season
Resort links directly to Andermatt-Sedrun, which Vail took majority ownership of in 2022
Consider the Wasatch, one of America’s great ski clusters: Alta-Snowbird, three miles wide from end-to-end, dense and wondrous, powder and ungroomed glory. Imagine, then, if you could keep going. Up and over to Brighton. Then up and over again, to where Park City’s McConkey’s unloads 1,758 feet from Deer Valley’s Empire Express. Then onward, still further, over the Quicksilver gondy, and work your way to Super Condor on the Canyons’ far rim, or across Deer Valley, up and down, until you reached the Jordanelle Gondola at the edge of what will one day be Mayflower ski resort. And imagine lifts in the blank spaces to carry you where your skis could not^.
You would travel, on such a journey, between 12 and 13 miles as the crow flies. An unimaginable distance in U.S. American skiing:
We have a better chance of growing corn on the surface of the moon than building such a megaresort in U.S. America. But in Europe, they do it all the time. And it looks like this:
And here it is, measured from tip to tail, on Google Maps – just a half mile narrower than the Wasatch cluster:
From looker’s left to right, the ski areas are Gemsstock, Andermatt, Sedrun, and Disentis. Last year, Vail Resorts took majority ownership of Andermatt-Sedrun, which encompasses everything from Gemsstock to Sedrun, and added them to the Epic Pass. Earlier today, the Broomfield, Colorado-based company announced an Epic Pass partnership with Disentis for the 2023-24 ski season, knitting together 33 lifts and 111 miles* of trails.
Epic Pass holders will get unlimited access to Disentis, which seems to start at the Luftseilbahn Cuolm da Vi tram (lift 26), and extend looker’s right to the edge of the map. Epic Local passholders get five combined days to burn between Andermatt-Sedrun and Disentis. Epic Day Pass holders on the highest tier can also cash in their days across the trailmap.
Vail also confirmed today that its four existing non-owned European partner resorts - Verbier4Vallées in Switzerland, Les 3 Vallées in France, Skirama Dolomiti in Italy, Ski Arlberg in Austria – would return to the Epic Pass for the 2023-24 ski season. Here’s a look at what Epic Pass holders can expect on their EuroTrek:
This is a busy week for Vail: on Friday, the company detailed its plans to transform your phone into your Epic Pass next season. Tomorrow, 2023-24 Epic Passes go on sale. Thursday, the company releases its second-quarter 2023 earnings. While we wait for all that, here’s a bit more about Disentis and the Epic Pass’ growing presence in Europe: