Indy Pass to Add 50-Plus New Partners, Including 1st in Europe – Limited Number of Passes on Sale Oct. 10
You’re gonna want to get on that waitlist, Brah
Note: Yes I’m writing a story about Windham. It should reach you tomorrow-ish. There’s a lot of bad information out there, and a lot of reflexive reactions, and it’s taking a minute to sort through it all. Stand by.
Exactly 10 months after abruptly halting 2023-24 sales, Indy Pass will offer a limited number of passes to waitlist members next Tuesday, Oct. 10, and will add more than 50 new partners to the roster. The new partner buffet will include Alpine and cross-country ski areas across four countries on three continents: the U.S. and Canada, Japan, and, for the first time, Europe. Pass prices will increase substantially, but will still land lower than those of all other major U.S.-based multi-mountain passes. Here are the final Indy rates (skiers can finance the pass with two equal payments):
And here’s how Indy compares to the other major U.S.-based multi-mountain passes:
Indy will announce blackout dates on Tuesday. It’s unclear how the ski areas will break down by region or discipline. Here’s hoping we’re not getting 48 new cross-country ski areas (don’t hit me with your portable gas stove, Nordic Bro. I respect you, but I’m not you).
The addition of ski areas in Europe could be huge. It depends upon which resorts join. The U.S. has 505 ski areas spread across 3.8 million square miles. France has that many off each train station south of Chablais. Indy’s new Euro-partner could be a poma run out of the back of a crepe stand. Or it could be twice the size of Park City. It could be a Slip ‘N Slide in Northern Scotland. Or it could be Val d’Isère. We’ll find out how many ski areas, and where, next Tuesday.
Right now, the only thing we know about Indy’s new partners is that there will be a lot of them, on top of what is already the largest pass roster in skiing - here’s what’s already confirmed for 2023-24:
If you’re wondering who left from last year’s team, here’s a summary:
Indy is doing its best to break my cobbled-together charts. That’s a good thing for skiers, who ought to start thinking of Indy as something other than a budget alternative to the Epic and Ikon passes. This thing is evolving into – it mostly already is – a true competitor to the Colorado-based megapasses. Put your shirt back on, Colorad-Bro. We already know Indy got scooped in the Square State. Go back to itemizing how many 14ers you’ve climbed in your Mountain Ninjas Facebook group.
For the rest of us, here’s a look at the current state of the major multi-mountain passes across regions, and where next week’s Indy additions could take us: