The Top 10 Hardest Runs at Alta Ski Resort
Alta Utah is truly home to the greatest snow on Earth. It gets over 500 annual inches of pow! Alta hosts all kinds of terrain from beginner, to extreme. One important thing to note as Alta does not have any Double Black rated trail runs. This is because they believe nothing can be harder than “most difficult.” But that doesn’t mean the terrain at Alta isn’t challenging. In fact you can find the hardest runs in the Wasatch here. Below I have listed and ranked the 10 hardest runs at Alta Ski Resort. I have picked only runs that are NAMED on the map. So without further ado, here we go!
10. High Traverse
No, not runs off the traverse, the traverse itself can actually be one of the harder in the resort. In early season conditions there can be a ton of ice and huge rock and trees to step over. Generally a very mild traverse, but catch it with little snow, you’ll be sliding across ice and climbing over rocks a good amount. (Not to mention it’s like a highway and everyone is going pretty fast here.)
9. Cecret Chutes
These chutes are very short but getting to them, and skiing them can be a struggle. First take the traverse to devils castle. Then you ski devils castle and you come up on the chute. These chutes are short, sweet, steep, and deep! Point em’ straight down and you’ll make it out untouched.
8. Castle Apron
A long and steep bootpack will lead you to a steep apron called the Castle Apron. This run isn’t too hard to ski, but it earns bonus points with the long bootpack accompanied with it.
7. East Castle
We’re starting to encounter some big boy terrain now. East castle requires a looot of work to get there. You need to sidestep for a very long time. (30–45 minutes!) You’re not allowed to take your skis off here so keep stepping up! It’s a tame run if you drop in earlier. But make it to the top and be rewarded with some of the steepest turns in the resort!
6. Gunsight
Staring into your soul from the sugarloaf lift is gunsight! Follow the gates to gunsight and be prepared for a whole lot of sidestepping! Once you’re done with that the fun begins. Enter the tight slot of an entry and drop into the narrow and steep run! The steepness quickly drops, however, the narrow entry and 40 degree angle at the top gives this run a spot on the list!
5. Hourglass Chute
This chute is accessed by the hi-t. It’s a bit past High Boy. When you drop in, expect lots of pow, tight trees, and one of the steepest tree runs in all of Utah!!!
4. Spiney Chutes
They’re chutes. They’re at Alta. They’re steep. You can find them off the supreme lift but be ready for a challenge and great snow below the chutes too!
3. Alf’s High Rustler (High Boy)
The most iconic run in Utah and truly the best run I have ever skied. High boy. take the hi-t all the way to the other side then sidestep up the hill and drop in just a bit below the very top. You are skiing high boy now. Enjoy the steady pitch of 45 degrees to the bottom. And enjoy the greatest run of your life.
2. Eddie’s High Nowhere
Take the Eddie’s gate and then travere. Soon you’ll find yourself in a cliff zone. Grab the rope and slowly walk across the narrow rock over the 15 foot cliff. Then take the quick but spicky bootpack to the top of the run. From here take a quick chute entry and drop into the 46 degree bowl.
- Baldy Chutes
The hardest run in all of Alta. (My opinion)
Take the very long and steep bootpack frome either snowbird or Alta. It usually takes about 25–40 minutes to reach the top. From there, you have 5 lines to pick from.
Perla’s
First up is Perla’s. Good news it’s not too hard. Bad news it’s closed all the time and usually opens once every 2–3 years. The avalanche danger in this area is high. Enter from the top with the 5 foot cornice and then pass through the steep narrow choke into the baldy shoulder below!
Tree Chute
This run also rarely opens and is the steepest and narrowest out of the 5. Plus trees! Considering I can’t even find a Youtube video of this run, don’t count on it being open or finding it.
Little Chute
One of the main 2 chutes take the very narrow and technical little chute to the shoulder. Expect plenty of points where you just have to point em’ straight and send it!
Dog Leg
Off the little chute take the dog leg, an easy and chill wide open way down. The only problem is you need to take little chute to get here. Which is a very hard run.
Main Chute
The main chute is the farthest skiers left, but it’s the easiest and the only one that is always open. (The other 4 will likely open up 1–2 times a year at the most!) Jump off the huge cornice at top, or go around it, and then cruise across the steep and narrow run. While this may be the easiest of the 5 it still is quite challenging and will still push all your skills greatly. It comes with, airtime, jump turns, steeps, narrowness, good snow, bad snow, and so much more. Expect anything and everything on this run!
That’s our list! What did you think? Have other opinions? Let us know in the comments and thanks for reading. Next time you go to Alta see if you can drop 1 or 2 of these and as always Stay Safe! See you next time!! :)
