Are you working to decide between an Epic, Ikon, or the Mountain Collective pass for your child? If so, read on. If you are looking for advice on other affordable ways to learn to ski, you can also visit our other articles on affordable skiing here.
What are the Epic, Ikon, and Mountain Collective Pass?
The Epic, Ikon, and Mountain Collective passes provide access to multiple resort. Buying lift tickets early makes skiing much more affordable for families able to plan ahead. These passes typically pay for themselves if you ski more than 4-6 days each season.
Note, the Epic and Ikon passes work like traditional season passes at many mountains but are unique in that they also provide access (either full or for around a week) to any resort in their group. The Mountain Collective is a little different in that it provides 2 days of lift tickets at 23 different resort — great for a family willing to do a lot of weekend travel, but not ideal if most of your skiing is at a single resort.
You can learn more in this great article from Outside Magazine if you are interested in the history and variety of multi-mountain passes available.
How do Epic and Ikon pass prices work for child 4 and under?
Epic leads the pack with kids 0-4 skiing for free!
Ikon is $209 for all mountain access and $169 for base access (bunny slopes only)
Mountain Collective‘s pass for short visits to multiple resorts is $149 for all kids 12 and under.
How do multi-resort pass prices work for older kids?
Epic offers their full season pass for $499 for kids 5-12, and offer a pass with more restrictions for $399
Ikon offers their full season pass for $369 for kids 5-12
Mountain Collective‘s pass for short visits to multiple resorts is $149 for kids 12 and under.
Conclusions
If your child is under 4, get an Epic pass, provided it fits your nearby mountain.
If you have multiple children of different ages including one under 4, you are likely still better off with an Epic pass, but think carefully about the resorts you will ski this year before purchasing. Specifically, make sure the resort you plan to spend the most time at has unlimited access so you are not restricted there.
If you travel a lot, or live somewhere where you have to travel to ski, then the Mountain Collective can be an exciting option for your family. I plan to add tips and tricks on travelling as a family to help you retain your sanity as you travel to ski with your kids.
Don’t forget to look at our Ways to Save section to find tips on connecting with local, smaller mountains which suit young skiers and families really well.
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