With a season of exceptional snow conditions driving expected record skier visits, the Sun Peaks Resort Corporation announced over four million dollars in capital improvements for the 2006/2007 winter season designed to raise the already world class resort experience to the next level.

“Sun Peaks Resort is having a record season due in large part to the incredible snow conditions we’ve experienced so far this season and our growing reputation as a world class destination resort,” explained Darcy Alexander, Vice President and General Manager of the Sun Peaks Resort Corporation.  “Next season’s capital expansion will be guided by the same vision that has been responsible for SunPeaks’ success to date and will further enhance the overall resort experience for our guests.”

New Quad Chair

Faster access to the deepest and driest powder, great glade skiing and advanced/expert terrain on TodMountain. Quicker return to the Crystal chair accessing popular runs like Chute, Spillway, Green Door, and The Headwalls.  This new quad chair will service the Nancy Greene International Race Centre, home to the Austrian Ski Team for early season race training through the 2010 Olympic Games.

New Umbrella Cafe

Located near the bottom of the Morrisey lift, this new Ski-in/ski-out café will have indoor and outdoor seating for up to 100 guests, providing a convenient place to stop, refuel, and mark the beginning of the new East Village Commercial Core development.

Terrain Park Improvements

Improvements and expansion to the Terrain Parks on SundanceMountain including more features (rails, jumps and fun boxes), an expanded Green/Blue Terrain Park and a new Edge Park Bully grooming machine to increase TerrainPark grooming and feature preparation.

New Orient Ridge Runs

Four (4) new intermediate (blue) runs on the lower part of Orient Ridge will provide easier access to the East Village real estate developments including Stone’s Throw, Woodhaven, Settler’s Crossing (new), premier ski-in/ski-out lots in Lookout Ridge, and the future East Village Commercial Core development.

Mars Kid's Ranch

New leading edge Kids Ranch animated theme park with dedicated terrain and fun features especially designed for kids 3-12 years old.  The new Kids Ranch will be located at the top of the Village Platter beside the School House building and an existing Carpet lift will be relocated to service the new learning area.

More Parking

New EastVillage parking for close to 500 cars adjacent to the new café will create a new starting point for alpine skiers and riders, as well as guests accessing the Nordic and Snowshoe trail networks.

WHY SUNPEAKS HAS SOME OF THE BEST CONDITIONS?

1.  Summer grooming
2.  Snowmaking
3.  Geographic location
4.  Elevation

1. Summer Grooming

Over the past 12 years, SunPeaks’ summer mountain operations have focused on removing stumps, grading runs, and seeding grass, to create a smooth surface and allow for great early season skiing or riding.  The benefit of this significant investment is that very little snow is required to provide perfect snow cover.  On many runs, there is little difference between skiing in early December and mid-winter.  As Olympic Champion Nancy Greene explains, “snow base is a meaningless statistic because you only ski on the surface snow. With as little as 40 cm of snowfall, SunPeaks can provide good snow conditions due to our extensive summer grooming.

2. Snowmaking

Our guests can rely on our snowmaking system to provide good snow cover on our most popular trails.   Our expanded state of the art snowmaking equipment attracted the Austrian National Ski Team in November and we provided perfect training conditions by November 7th this winter. The Austrians have contracted to use Sun Peaks as their November North American training centre for the next 5 years leading up to the Olympics in 2010. This season, SunPeaks enjoyed its earliest ‘opening day’ on record – November 16.

3. Geographic Location

SunPeaks is located in the interior of British Columbia, protected from the mild coastal weather by the Coast Mountains.  The prevailing storm tracks come from the Pacific Ocean, but must first rise and cool as they pass over the Coast Mountains, before reaching SunPeaks.  SunPeak’s reputation for reliable snow conditions has been proven over 40 years of operations. Rain during the winter season is very rare.

4. Elevation

SunPeaks’ village is located at 1255 metres (4116 feet).  The highest chairlift rises to 2080 metres (6824 feet).  This elevation consistently places the resort higher than normal freezing levels and preserves a quality snow experience with few thaw days during the main winter season.