| Trail ratings can be a very interesting topic, and are | | | | Black Diamond - Expert trails, often, but not always, |
| often rather trivial. The most important thing to | | | | groomed. |
| remember when considering trail ratings is that there | | | | Double Black Diamond - For Experts Only, often |
| is no board or organization which rates slopes - the | | | | narrow with obstacles, moguls, near-cliffs, etc. |
| ratings are done by the resorts themselves. What | | | | European Trail Ratings: |
| this means is that slopes are rated according to | | | | Green - Learning and baby slopes. |
| relative difficulty in comparison with the other slopes | | | | Blue - Beginner trails. |
| at that resort! So, a black diamond at one US resort | | | | Red - Intermediate trails, steeper than Blues, mostly |
| could be a blue square at another. Despite this, once | | | | groomed, sometimes not. |
| you have a feel for how a specific resort rates trails, | | | | Black - Expert trails, steep, sometimes groomed, |
| trail ratings can be very useful. | | | | sometimes with moguls, has a large range: from a bit |
| European trail ratings differ from American trail ratings | | | | harder than a red up to steep icy slopes with looming |
| in a few ways. Here is an overview of both systems: | | | | moguls. |
| American Trail Ratings: | | | | By keeping the European ratings in mind while, you |
| Green Circle - Beginner trails. | | | | can avoid standing at the top of a slope and wishing |
| Blue Square - Intermediate trails, often varying | | | | you had taken a vacation to Hawaii instead. On the |
| changing between steeper parts and a short flat area | | | | other hand, you can only improve your skiing by |
| to rest. | | | | pushing yourself to your limits... |