Taos Ski Valley

Every Wednesday you can go on a guided tour with the forestry services and we joined in!! Hayley and (i didn’t catch his name but he had curly hair) did such an incredible job of sharing all their knowledge about fire, water & snowmaking, wild life and about the local tribes and wildness forest senate & legislature jazz! We had a decent group who were all very eager and asked many questions to which they had an answer every time!! This programme is wicked, informative and a chill way to spend the afternoon if you’re interested in nature!! We were a little nervous pulling up to the hill with 20C degrees, but they do a good job of making the snow!! Thanks for having us Toas 🌶️

What a great place to ski. I guess it’s normal that water will cost you 12.00 but the slopes are amazing! Highly recommend packing a lunch and bringing a reusable water bottle. 2 cheeseburgers and 2 fries cost me 44.00 which is outrageous! After I figured that out a packed lunch made the day so much more affordable! We went up to the big mountain I could say they could mark the trails a bit better we ended up on a blue and it was a bit too advanced but we survived the falls! Can’t wait to be back next January. Highly recommend renting a place in town so you can just walk to the slope. The 30 min drive and finding parking was chaotic!

Just visited for one day, absolutely worth it! I rode pretty much all green trails, there's still some challenging parts to those. I don't think they've had much snow this season but it was still good conditions. Gigantic Park. Highly recommend! We rented from Cottam's, they were very helpful and very knowledgeable, highly recommend them also!

Taos was a challenging and amazing mountain. Highly recommend if you're wanting to take the next step in your skiing adventures! They also have a great ski school for the kiddos. My 6 year old went up the main lift and all the way down after day 2! The only mild con would be for beginners. Less than 25% of the mountain is green. 51% is black and the rest blue. Don't let that sway you away, just come prepared to hit the same runs often unless you're willing to step up your game.

Taos Ski Valley is a paradise for serious skiers! Stunning mountain views, challenging terrain, not crowded, and no long lift lines. Absolutely loved it. ⛷️❄️

What is up with the *entitlement* at The Valley?!? It starts with the employees (pictured), and following their example, trickles down to the thusly enabled visitors like a veritable avalanche of entitlement and discourtesy. You don't see this in Red River or Angel Fire whereby in The Valley skis litter the ground next to perfectly good, mostly-empty storage racks as designated stops (Whistlestop, Phoenix, etc.) like the skiers themselves have been raptured (with boots, sans skis...somehow). The aforementioned dearly departed skiers (never snowboarders) must have been whisked away with such an immediacy that they only had time to release their bindings but not enough time to actually bend over, pick-up their skis and move them to the provided racks so as to not inconvenience/impede others. Maybe every weekend I'm skiing at TSV there is an outbreak of uncontrollable diarrhea unbeknown to me and the immediacy to get to a toilet is so profound that they can't be bothered to pick-up their skis...so much so some of the skis are two-deep? That's *a lot* of diarrhea. Hey, you'd better get that checked-out as the 'Diarrepidemic' happens too often in The Valley...like every day of every weekend. I'd hate to see the inside of the homes of those that abandon their skis like slope litter impeding the path of others as if they, and they alone, exist in the world. There must be garbage/clutter everywhere in their homes except in the actual trash receptacle. You *know* these Deadbeat Skiers are the same Boomers and Millennials that don't put there borrowed shopping carts back in the stalls at the grocery store instead just abandoning the carts in vacant parking spots as if no one else wanting to shop would possibly need to park in a vacant spot. You will never find a GenXer behaving in such a foul manner because we have manners and an acute awareness that we are but one person among many in a world full of jerks, as we are the Last Bastion of Civility. TSV, be better. It takes 1, maybe 2, calories to be kind and decent. Set the example, especially for what you charge to ski. If you'd like you can hire/deputize me to roam the slopes with a whistle and a megaphone to call out the bad actors but I don't know if you can afford me...but I won't say no without hearing a number. Also, the guy at the top of Lift 7 has been playing some good tunes recently. He's fine...unless he's a snowboarder in which case I retract my endorsement.

Visited during the summer for the scenic chair-lift ride (which seemed a little overpriced for one lift and another you had to drive 10-minutes from the valley to access). It was pretty up there but there weren't many activities and many of the businesses were closed. We ate at the Ale House and 192. The Ale House has good burgers and beer on draft. 192 seems overpriced but the food is good and they serve brunch until 2pm. They had some activities for kids, so check the schedule online if you're interested in that.

Beautiful fluffy crispy snow with steep fast blues, and the nicest people! What a wonderful place

Taos Ski Valley deserves an enthusiastic 5-star review, at least from the focus of this review on their incredible Youth Ski School. Our 9-year-old son's first skiing experience was nothing short of amazing, thanks to the exceptional staff who provided not only quality instruction but also positive reinforcement throughout. Really nice twenty-something kids who could probably ski in their sleep did an outstanding job supporting every kid... including kids like ours who were strapping on skis for the first time in their lives. What truly set this ski school apart was the unwavering positivity - no negative words were uttered to any child in the classes. Even in a year with minimal natural snow, the instructional facilities at Taos Ski Valley were top-notch, well groomed and maintained. The progressive teaching approach ensured that our son, along with his fellow students, developed their skills steadily. By the end of the day, they were confidently riding up the Gondolina, pointing their skis to stop quickly, making strong turns, and enjoying a thrilling ski run down the hill. The natural beauty of Taos Ski Valley--despite the 9 degree temperature when we arrived in the morning!-- served as a breathtaking backdrop to our son's introduction to skiing, enhancing the overall experience. After just one lesson, our son is now completely hooked on the sport. We highly recommend Taos Ski Valley's Youth Ski School for its exceptional instructors, positive environment, world class facilities, and the perfect blend of instruction and enjoyment that turned our son into a skiing enthusiast after just one day. It was truly an amazing experience.

Larsen C was such a great instructor! We mostly all came from some kind of boarding sport experience and he got us going up the lift and down the bunny slope after a quick warm up the second day. He's really patient, kind and enthusiastic. It's easy to see his passion for teaching. We're all hoping to get hang gliding lessons from him in the outer banks over the summer!

We came in July and road the lift to the top of the mountain. The views are spectacular. There is a stream and a waterfall and lots of flowers and it smells so good. The lift prices are $24 a person for a 20 minute ride up and back. We did have bad weather coming but we hurried back down so we wouldn't have to hike or ride in the surburban. Down at the bottom they have a nice Bavarian restaurant that serves a salad, bratwurst and the biggest pretzel I have ever seen. There is an employee there that is the spitting image of Woody Harrelson. I really had to do a double take. Food is okay. You are really paying for the view. It started to rain but we were able to stay dry under the large umbrellas. We ordered hard ciders.one was Bite Me Hard Cider (apple) and the other was Blueberry Basil. Both were good. The weather is nice and the patio is comfortable. Lots of people playing games and drinking and I saw lots of dogs. Worth the visit!

Love love love this place! I've been here to ski and hike and I can't say enough about it. As a skier I feel like they have one of the best ski schools. I also enjoy camping here and hiking. They have many hiking trails. I love Williams lake trail. I've done the Weeler peak hike as well, but only after lots of planning and conditioning. The people are always friendly and they keep updating and growing. However with that being said, they continue to have that basic mountain feel vs some of the uppity ski resorts. I call this place my home away from home.

It's been awhile since I've been here. A few changes but none bad. This can be an intimidating mountain but really there is something for everyone. This is the place to take ski lessons. It's the best & biggest of the Northern NM ski areas. It still has a good vibe and a local feel. I recommend staying on the mountain but if you don't you need a car. The 3 drawbacks of this place are the lift prices are high, high winds can cause lift closures and lack of transportation to the town of Taos. Lift improvements are coming plus a base to backside gondola.

Eric and the staff at TSV are just about the friendliest and most helpful crew of lift ticket agents in the Rockies. They help make Ski Taos one of our favorite destinations--and why my wife and I keep coming back for season passes.

We absolutely loved this place!! Came here recent for a snow trip and it was really fun! The mountain was not busy at all. The place is huge, lots of terrain and runs to choose from. Lots of blues, black runs and lots of trees and open runs. There's definitely a variety of terrain for people of all skill set. The snow coverage was great in December. We didn't eat on the mountain so can't comment on the food. Bathrooms were clean. Love it!

A big thank you to NICOLE, a customer service agent, at TSV for helping me over the phone - she went above and beyond to help us when the weather changed, helping us avoid ruining our trip! Thank you so much Nicole!

I give it 2 stars bc the experience and views were amazing but this past weekend, we qweren't allowed to use the restroom due to "water issues". Which makes me wonder how do those on your resort use the restroom then? Then the next day, we did a snow mobile tour which was the highlight of the trip no matter the cost. The issue was there was a bus load of us Mexicans and one couple from Colorado and they weren't charged. For whatever reason they weren't charged I don't think I was supposed to know that but I heard this bc I happen to sit up front.

Let me start by saying that I love Taos!! Plusses: 1. Much, much emptier than Tahoe or any other California places. Almost no people, by comparison! There *are* people, but sooo much fewer of them! Especially if you go during the week. I got in 4 days of boarding here, including 2 weekend days and 2 weekdays. The weekdays were magical. I felt like it was my private mountain. I barely saw another soul up on those slopes. 2. It's gorgeous. It's big. The mountain has a lot of paths down to explore! I feel like even with four days I didn't get enough time up there to really play around on the whole mountain. 3. Lodging is reasonable. I booked at Snakedance which is staggering distance from the lifts. Very convenient! 4. Super friendly people here! Both on the slopes and off, everyone I met was extremely nice. When I was stuck on the flats a few times, several people stopped to ask me if I was ok. Definitely felt the love! Words of caution: 1. The rating system is totally wack - at least for boarders. I swear blues and greens were both basically blues... and by contrast, they would both be blue - or even blacks - at other mountains. In other words, the ratings seem easier than the slopes are. I have come to realize that generally rating systems reflect difficulty for skiers and not boarders, but that difference is most exaggerated at Taos. By contrast, some of the mogul-y blacks I actually found to be easier than some of the blues here! Crazy! 2. Super, super unfriendly to boarders in general (comically so.) This manifests in 3 ways: A. There are a couple lifts that have very steep exits. Every boarder I saw fell coming off them. B. There are a couple paths with long flat parts that even if you build up speed you see skiers pushing to get through the flats. As a boarder, you have to unclip and walk. The worst one is the path back from The Bavarian to base. I dubbed it "The Trail of Tears." So generally I would say this mountain / these paths are designed with skiers in mind. C. There's practically no benches anywhere to sit down when you want to strap in after getting out of the lifts. Here are some random notes about things I enjoyed: 1. Al's Run to Lower Inferno to Showdown (wheeee!!!) 2. Lorelei is my all time favorite black diamond here! There are trees to play around in, or open areas if that makes you uncomfortable. Lots of moguls (yay!) and breathtaking beautiful vistas. 2. Moe's to Walkyrie to Totemoff was fun (!) but if memory serves it may have dumped me in the Bavarian area again where I was forced to take that blasted Blue (I forget the name) with the insanely flat pass down to base. Argh! Ok so overall this place was super beautiful and I would 100% return! I highly recommend it, despite its shortcomings to boarders. Just make note of the flat parts and avoid them!

The skiing is AMAZING! Even beginner and intermediate skiers are going to have a blast. The village is old but has a charm about it. Our airbnb needed some TLC. We spend a day exploring the rio grand and another day in Santa Fe. I would definitely go back in a few years.

Absolutely beautiful place. Everything closes early but it's nice for bike ride and walking. It's late June and it's 45. Great weather.

Excellent ski instruction and fun with Maggie. I highly suggest asking for her. She struck the right balance between teaching important techniques and pushing me out of my comfort zone to become better skier.

Awesome place to work!!!! The team at Taos Ski Valley, Inc. are like a second family. If you want to work in an awesome setting, join our team!

Beautiful Ski Valley -- the family really enjoyed Taos and the large areas they had for beginners. They loved exploring the mountain and the weather was beautiful. Enough restaurants and patio areas there for non-skiers to hang out in, with decent food, drinks and wifi -- all while watching the skiers up on the mountain. The parking and herdering visitors onto trailers to take them up to the ski village was kind of a drag, but I'm not going to ding their rating on that -- they've made the best of the space and situation due to the amount of visitors.

Fun day! Absolutely beautiful Day! So much to do and the snowmobile tour was a hit! We will definitely be back'

Beautiful mountain to ski or snowboard on after fresh snow fall. Terrain seems more skier friendly than snowboarding. Kachina peak was open as of 2/7/22. Black diamonds have a bunch of moguls. Bummer that most shops and restaurants close around 5pm considering limited time at the mountain, slopes close at 4. Stayed at powderhorn condos, convenient walk to slopes. Loved the pizza restaurant called Door 38/ ale house, stays open late! Bartender at Hondo restaurant was really nice too. Shop at Bumps markets for groceries. Many restaurants are closed on Mondays as well. Check out arroyo secco nearby town for food

Came up from Santa Fe and gave Covid vaccinations to employees. Parked where we were told and got our cars defaced by the parking manager, William, who staff describes as "so friendly." He got of his car and got into my face telling me I'm wrong, which is so friendly! Thanks for the gratitude Taos Ski Valley!

Amazing hill, great people. unfortunately the employees are allowed to ski when paying customers cannot and they tend to be rude when approached, the hill was closed for the day all of the paying customers are watching the Red Shirt employees having fun on the hill skiing while the paying customers watch. I witnessed the employees going out on the closed hill. We spent thousands of dollars to get here and the employees get to have all the fun.

There is only one main lift on the mountain which is not at all protected from wind - I ordered tickets the night before and came the next day for the lift to be closed due to wind. Not a big deal, but they refused to give a refund just for having printed the tickets at the kiosk (not used) and the ticket office was unsympathetic and did not even apologize for the inconvenience. I talked to several individuals, all with the same tone and lack of empathy. They offered a voucher but it is a terrible business decision to refuse refund for unused service. If they decide the weather is bad, then YOU will end up paying for it.

Getting up the mountain in the snow and ice was pretty brutal but the ski slopes are great. Love the scenic routes and so many options to chose from. We will be back!

We drove in from Austin, Texas for Spring break and had a blast!!! The ski school was wonderful and the teachers were patient. Great skiing and beautiful atmosphere! We will be back!!'

Ok it wasn't winter so the only thing was to hike. There were parking spots but it filled up quickly so cars were parked in awkward positions after a while. Lots of port-a-potties but BYO Tpaper. Lots of hikers but quite a few cut their hikes short. Wheeler is not for the faint, weak. It's a difficult hike. Lost a phone sliding down the snow/ice shortcut back. Zip it up or u'll lose yours. Luckily it was returned later but data lost after turning it off. The restaurant below was nice enough to offer the use of their phone. One hike up n you're zapped of energy. Two hikes up n you're never going back again. Lesson learned.

Taos Ski Valley has majestic mountains surroundIng the ski resort. Kachina three person lift was not open today. The mountain will challenge all levels of skiers and snowboarders. Minimal waiting to get on the chair lifts. They are quick and well managed. Buy your tickets in advance to get the best deal. Lifts open from 9-4

My trip to Taos was right after the avalanche accident so kachina peak was closed. Their rating is a bit of sandbag. The double diamonds normally involved with some super narrow chutes or cliff.

Thought it was really pricey, considering the lack of open runs. Rental equipment very nice, and the staff couldn't be kinder or more helpful. They make a huge difference In the atmosphere of the place. There was really no place for the kind of skier I am. I'm not a beginner, but don't ski often. Wanted a long run, as opposed to a fast one. Instead, got stuck on the run with all the learners and lesson takers. There's a little bar/restaurant on site that serves a great bbq sandwich, but can't recall it's name.

I've skied at Taos Ski Valley a number of times in the Ernie Black Era. That's when snowboarding was not allowed, and I was cautioned by the iconic warning sign at the bottom of the Hill: DON'T PANIC! YOU'RE LOOKING AT ONLY 1/30 OF TAOS SKI VALLEY. WE HAVE MANY EASY RUNS TOO! They do, but it's still a BITCH of a Hill. So much so, that outside of Pajarito in Los Alamos (the local slope when I lived there), I wouldn't go anywhere else. Red River was the place for Texans as they flattened all the moguls. After all, if God wanted Texans to really Ski, he would have made bullshit white. I've also traveled into the Taos Ski Valley in the fall when the leaves were changing. That's a marvelous trip too.

I've been skiing all my life, but I was shocked at the same day price to purchase a lift ticket. $175 when purchased same day!!!! What a rip off!!! Should be illegal!!!

I love Taos! I have skied in Vermont, New York, Colorado, Utah, and California. Of all these places, Taos is by far my favorite ski resort. There are countless intermediate and expert runs. There are also green runs. My friends who were just learning to ski had a great time as well. Everyone had a blast! By far, my favorite part was the lack of lines. At times it felt like you had the mountain to yourself. It was a magical experience. Seriously, you do not get this in Colorado or Utah. I highly recommend Taos.

Inquired about advanced lessons with Lin at the ski school. She was super informative and polite. Everyone here has been an absolute joy to work with.

Summer 2021, too the chair lift to the top of the mountain for beautiful views. Disappointed that there are no hiking trails at the top. Only alternative is to hike down the road - could be so much more!

Taos Ski Valley started out as a abandoned mining town & is now a top 10 ski destination in North America. Its a very unique place, as you approach its beautiful storybook looking white snow capped vistas & romantic European style Village it will take your breath away. The European atmosphere & architecture is due to the founders family, the pioneers, the original owner Swiss-German lad Ernie Blake and its employees & residents, a amalgamation of Austrian, French, German & Swiss. From the adorable little Swiss A frame chalets nestled in & around the mountainside to the picturesque Hotel St Bernard at its core, & the breathtakingly beautiful Bavarian Lodge located right at the base of stunning Kachina Peak that is nestled above the European style village of TSV, together they offer the charm of an authentic alpine ski alm amid the majestic backdrop of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. It all seems like a fairytale in the Swiss alps just right here in America. Some quick facts about the mountain? currently it has; 113 runs & 14 lifts! 15% beginner green areas, 16% intermediate blue areas, 31% advanced red areas & 38% double black diamond for your skiing pleasure ;) The lift tickets are $77 for adults, $67 for teens, $47 for children & $67 for seniors. Kids under 6 ski free & kids 80 and over ski free too :) I expect that some of this info might be changing soon. As of early December 2013 the billionaire hedge fund founder & CEO of Moore capital, Louis Bacon completed a deal to acquire the ski resort. It could use a little modernizing & updating and I think the ski hours of 9am to 4pm could use some adjusting ;) Also, after the lifts close at 4pm the tubing starts & although we did not partake it looked totally rad! Just like the skiing here, crazy death defying fun! :)) It is high altitude so be prepared! TSV is at 9,207 feet while the summit is 12,481 feet! The face of the mountain gets dark (no sun) & cold so bundle up! Take my advice, if U haven't skied in a while stick to the easy areas the first day. After a day of skiing TSV your legs will feel like gummy worms & like me you will have snow plowed a new trail with your arse or face planted in a snow bank somewhere at least twice! Lol The trails are wide but there is always that one guy in the neon racer suit with the lighting bolts on side of his helmet, you know the one, that does the areal flips right beside you and lands right in front of you forcing you off a cliff?! Yea, there are those guys skiing around scaring the bageebeezz out of you. Unless you can maneuver quickly around those buggers stick to the green & blues the first day bc this mountain is a beast ;) Most importantly, when you have been depleted of all your energy, been defeated & shamed by the super steep mountain, slain by the bugger in the neon racer suit with the lighting bolts & your arse feels like a wet ice cube that's been crushed by a snow plow, there is always the martini tree bar waitin for you :) And as fate would have it, as I was sitting there sipping my martini, ok, I was gulping it, to mask my pathetic look of pain, shame & defeat, a voice cried out from the rear of the bar..."where's my jacket?! someone stole my jacket?!" I turned around & there stood a bugger in a neon suit holdin a helmet with a lighting bolt. Karma :)

Taos is new four letter word for steep! That's what my friend told me almost 10 years ago. It took me this long to finally ski in Taos. Oh boy he was right and why did I wait so long to come here? I went to enjoy spring skiing last weekend. Lift ticket was discounted and I really enjoyed steep slopes and moguls. I watched other skiers from the lift and I saw mainly expert skiers. Nice to see so many graceful skiers. Like the other reviewers said, they have more black diamond than other places. Their blue and green are interesting enough I enjoyed throughout. I opted out for double black this time as I didn't feel like hiking up and didn't have helmet with me but next time if I can come back during better snow condition, I would like to try... I expected worse condition for snow due to the timing but it wasn't bad at all for spring skiing. Views from the summit was amazing too. I saw the highest mountain in New Mexico! I spent the night before at 8,000 feet level and I was okay with the altitude most of the time however, I felt the high altitude affecting me a little in the morning and had to stop from time to time to get adjusted for the high altitude. By afternoon, my body adjusted and felt fine. I rented the equipment and staff was very friendly. They have high performance ski and they were really the latest model. They tightened up my bindings really well based on my weight and request, I got used to my ski only after one run. If you have time, read about the history of the original founders of TSV. Learning about how the couple got started and also about his personal history as he moved from Germany, i appreciated more for the way slopes are designed. Very European, narrow. They have different options for food. I had very nice lunch at one of their sit down restaurant and enjoyed the food and good service. I can't wait to come back at TSV again hopefully next ski season.

Beautiful place with kind Staff! The children's play area was filled with laughter & love.. The staff helped us to choose the right tickets and suggested us places to get the gear needed. It's so mesmerizing to be in that place..

My family came here for a ski trip around Christmas time and this place looked gorgeous. The view was stunning even from the bottom of the mountain, better than any other ski locations I've been to. There's a wide range of courses to try out and it'll take several days to take advantage of the whole place. One thing to note is that this place is definitely geared more towards people who already have a decent skiing background. About half of the courses are for pros (single/double black diamond). But with that said, there are also many facilities for people who are new to the sport. Instructional courses for people of all levels are provided everyday starting at 9:30am lasting till 3:30pm. I took the introductory snowboarding course and found it to be helpful but kind of slow paced. We stayed on the same beginner hill for the whole time. My instructor, James, was very nice and I would recommend the courses to anyone who's new to skiing/snowboarding. You can rent all the equipments you need here but I would recommend checking out the smaller rental places within the area. We got our equipment at Cottam's Ski Shop and it was significantly cheaper than the main rental place for the Ski Valley. Renting your equipments in town before coming up to the Ski Valley is also a cheaper option. Lastly, make sure to buy the right lift pass according to your skill level as there's a big difference in price. A novice pass is about $25 and a full pass is about $75. If you're new to the sport, you definitely don't need the full pass at least until the second day.

I just want to give a shout out to Taos Ski Valley Reservations and Passes Office, not sure what they are called, but wow! Shannon took my call and helped me get my pass Weekday Pass and reserved me a day of skiing yesterday, Monday, 12/28/2020. We did everything on the phone and it went smoothly because Shannon knew what to do and took care of me right away. She answered my questions and helped me buy the Weekday Plus Pass. Now I'm free to ski at Taos on most weekdays and I have a couple of comp days for Blackout days as well. Also, I just want to say that there are no passes left at other places. I think its really great that Taos is looking out for people who are from here and selling a pass that is relatively affordable if you ski more than 10 times, give or take. Taos Ski Valley! You are smart to have a girl like Shannon working with custormers. Go Shannon and Go Taos! Ron Cooper

I arrive Friday afternoon and pay for my lift tickets for the next day, Saturday. Fourteen hours later, the ski area decides not to run its lifts, and will NOT refund what I paid for the lift tickets. They claimed the weather wasn't good enough to start the lifts. OK, whatever, this is a business highly subject to the vagaries of weather. Ski areas for decades have had variable financial results, dependent on weather. But this ski area refuses to accept any financial risk stemming from weather; they make their CUSTOMERS pay for bad weather. So they finally offered a VOUCHER for a lift ticket on some future date. They did NOT offer a refund. But I'm only in New Mexico for one day. They think I'm going to travel a thousand miles to come back to this place that mistreats its customers? AND the voucher is just a piece of PAPER that will undoubtedly be quickly lost. AND the voucher EXPIRES! In other words, in exchange for your lift ticket money - hundreds of dollars -- you end up with a worthless piece of paper. And they think their customers should be satisfied with this sort of abuse. This is a failure by the owner, Louis Bacon, and the CEO, David Norden, to behave decently. They would rather abuse their customers, for a few extra dollars, than treat customers fairly. Good luck keeping your customers, Messrs. Bacon and Norden. You are giving Taos a bad reputation.

This is for the Via Ferrata tour (1/2 day) at Ski Valley, which was fantastic. We did this with my teenage son and sister and brother in law. Our guide Octavio (aka 'Nano' I believe) was awesome. Via Ferrata means "iron climbing path" (or something like that) - so you are climbing designate paths that use metal cables and handholds attached to the mountain. You have full harnesses and clip in to the cables as you move, so it is safe - but don't take that to mean it doesn't get your heart pumping! We did the beginner/intermediate class, which involves climbing up/down multiple rock faces as well as scaling a cable bridge that spans a crevasse. If you don't like heights/have a fear of falling, I wouldn't recommend it - otherwise go for it. Octavio was cool/calm/collected the entire time, and expert climber who also happens to be a biologist and member of Ski Patrol in the winter, so we felt very comfortable (and we also got cool info on the wildlife and history of the ski valley). Bring gloves (hiking or biking type), and I recommend hiking shoes (not necessarily boots as they might be too bulky) with good tread. I went in cross-trainers with limited tread, which slipped a few times (there's enough adrenalin without slipping!). They do rent hiking shoes (rented some for my son - cost @ $20 bucks) - so, if your not sure about your tread/shoes, spend the extra bucks to rent some - you'll feel more comfortable. Another tip - we did this in early July during monsoon season (we went in morning) - pretty much every afternoon we were there involved rain/lightening in the mountains (starting @ 1-2pm). Given you are attaching to metal cables, they have to shut down the climb when lightening is around, so do it in the am. Ask for Octavio, and you won't be disappointed.

I spent three days here with my boyfriend and some friends of ours. This review is likely subjective because I'm a beginner and have only boarded at small places in Arizona. Only about 30% of the mountain was open due to lack of snow. I enjoyed myself here, as this was my first visit to a larger ski resort. I wasn't upset that Kachina Peak was closed because I'm comfortable cruising greens and some blues and like to ride the same runs several times. Taos seems to be managed very well. All staff members I encountered were friendly and conscientious, from the ticket office to the liftees and management. My friend was a first-time skier and was very nervous. The lady at the ticket office told her exactly where she could start and what lifts and runs she should stay off. The conveyor operators were really nice and were giving her tips. She took a lesson and had a good experience. Unfortunately, I had a bad spill and hit my head so I was taken to Mogul Medical by Emily on the Ski Patrol. She was super sweet. I was checked out by Ari. It sucked to get injured, but they really do a great job there. They examined my helmet and showed me it was cracked. Had they not looked at it, I probably would've used it again and it may not be as effective. The Ski Patrol is well-trained and you certainly don't hope to visit them, but if you do, you are in great hands. When I fell, a few of the staff asked if I was okay and seemed genuinely concerned. They really want people to have a good time here and be safe. There are warnings for runs that beginners shouldn't be on, and if they see anyone out of control or crashing into other skiers and boarders, they will take the person's pass away. If you visit, you will likely see the Taos ski teams with groups of kids and teens, the one bad thing about this place. They were super high-falutin' and made some rude comments to us. Getting off Lift 1, I was nervous and a whole group of them was blocking White Feather, a beginner run. My boyfriend asked them to move aside to make way for me and was met with a cold shoulder and when they did finally move, the leader was super condescending to me. We brought this up to a manager, and he let us know they are not affiliated with Taos, but they are sponsored by the resort. He was very concerned that we didn't have a good experience and ensured that there would be a discussion with the ski team leaders. He even offered his contact information for follow-up. A lift ticket here is pricey ($105), but we got our day tickets on GetSkiTickets.com and Taos had a BOGO special on Super Bowl Sunday, so we didn't pay full price. Like other ski resorts, it is quite expensive to eat and drink here. If you have opportunity to bring your own food, that may be a good plan. If not, Pizza Shack is a good place for a slice for lunch. Tenderfoot Katie's has your standard cafeteria fare and canned beers. We also ate at Rhoda's and that was pretty good and had drinks at the Blonde Bear Tavern. There are several ski shops so you have a choice for rentals; however, there really isn't a place that is a great savings. My boyfriend and his buddy got their boards waxed at Cottam's and it was about $75, steep! However, the price gouging isn't unique to Taos. I did get myself a cool balaclava and T-shirt from Cottam's and some awesome glove liners at Le Ski Mastery. Sometimes, it's okay to splurge. We stayed in town and drove about 30 minutes to Ski Valley, but next time, we'll probably go for the full experience and stay at the Blake or Edelweiss and ski in and out.

Loved our 2 days here @Taos! We visited using our Ikon pass, and unlike some of the other resorts, yes, this is smaller in comparison, but quite challenging for advanced intermediates! Better, not bigger! Kachina Peak chair #12 opened on our 2nd day and we had a few awesome runs down Main St. Hunzinger Bowl was great, actually, IT ALL WAS! When the lift operator scanned our tickets at the New hi- speed quad, chair 1, Norm C. (Staff member) asked if we would be interested in a free mountain tour. Since it was my first time @Taos, we gladly accepted. It was a great hour spent with him, and he really helped explain the terrain & lift system. Two suggestions I have (which I forgot to mention to him) would be to talk about the Taos app (great for tracking vertical feet, runs & top speed) and for Taos to better publicize the mountain tour. If you're using an Ikon pass, be sure to stop @the ticket office to get a lift ticket; they do not use the electronic scanning system, it's all done by operators! Staff is friendly and always ready to assist with chair loading, info, etc. Be sure to dance with the operators at chair 4 where they have rockin' music playing all day long! Visit the Bavarian restaurant at chair 4 for great German food & beer! The Whistlestop is also a "no frills" perfect spot for a quick bite/warm up & restroom. Hopefully we can make it back for a few more days this season; the snow was primo with another foot predicted for Prez Day wknd! Enjoy if you can make it!

I'm gonna start out with saying I haven't skied in 42 years. I rented skis, ski boots and poles from Taos Sports. Real class operation! They were very helpful and friendly. They all wear masks but the mandatory mask law was lifted in NM very recently....always takes mask, just in case an establishment still requires it. Also, if you're vaccinated, keep a copy of it on your phone since certain restaurants require proof to be seated inside. So I was saying ....42 years ago I was really good BUT I was much younger and fit. I decided to take a 1/2 day lesson and I'm glad I did. Muscle memory kicked in and I got some confidence back. I conquered the bunny slope aka Pioneer. The weather has been challenging with high winds and snow blowing sideways and some white outs! I decided to take the trip up top to ski down the green trails....so challenging in high winds so I made it to the Whistle-stop cafe and the ski patrol brought me the rest of the way down in a sled. I was pretty bummed out BUT since I had taken the 1/2 day class with Taos Sports, they gave me another lesson for free! That greatly improved my whole experience and vacation. I will be back....maybe for my 70th bday!

My family likes to try new mountains every year. Being from the South, we only get to ski once a year -twice on a good year. I can't say enough good things about Taos. The Blake is up there with the better resorts in the US. The location, rooms and food are great. The ski lift is right outside your door and the runs are awesome. I have 3 daughters-15, 5 and 4. I have been here with them twice now and they did great. My oldest was skiing everything with me and she's no expert. My two little ones were skiing down the baby slopes after a day at ski school. The ski school is wonderful. I love Taos and will be back for sure. It's never crowded and the mountain is beautiful with great runs.

I had MAJOR issues with Taos as a first timer. 1) Only one lift serves ALL of the main mountain. It is NOT protected from wind. Poor design Taos. 2) Winds were steady at 30mph- with gusts to 70mph. Not TAOS' fault. 3) When I picked up my lift pass, I was not informed that the main lift had been on wind hold for an hour, and there was zero likelihood that it would open that day. TAOS' FAULT!! 4) After an hour of waiting and making some inquiries, I found out that there WAS a different section with a lift running (Lift 4). GREAT NEWS! 5) Directions from multiple employees: go to the end of the parking area and take Twinig Road- about 1.5 miles (another said 2 miles). OK, great. 6) Actual distance is 2.7 miles- if you don't take a wrong turn. Unacceptable communication from Taos employees. 7) The way from Taos Ski Valley is a poor dirt road with multiple Y's and not a single sign at any intersection. When you get to lift 4, there is NO identification that is any part of Taos Ski Valley. TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE TAOS! 8) TSV seems utterly uninterested in customer service. 9) And the terrain: not much better or worse than any other major ski resort. Except for this: they do not have high speed detachable chairs. So you will be unpleasantly reminded of you slope time to lift time ratio that you remember from 20 years ago. 10) Net net: inexcusable wasted hours getting started to use the only lift running. Utterly frustrating lack of any effort to help their clients. My first and last time.

The employees at Taos Ski Valley are the most friendly and service oriented of any I have ever experienced at a ski resort. Special kudos go to Autumn in the Snowsport School ticket office, she is one of the nicest and professional I have ever interacted with. Thank you TSV!!!

I have mixed thoughts on Taos Ski Valley. Went there with some family for New Year's weekend. I'm a beginner skier and only skied one day. I stuck to the actual bunny slopes all morning. My family convinced me to try a green (which all I've heard about Taos is that greens are blues, blues are blacks, etc). I made it a little ways down on a green and then watched 2 people, back to back, go right over the edge into some trees. Thankfully they were okay. But watching that and already having anxiety about getting to the bottom made me say nope, no more and I had ski patrol give me a ride down to the bottom. Whoops. But I loved skiing the bunny slopes!! Also, if you have kids that are not old enough to ski yet (our son was 1 at the time and he went to daycare while we skied), there is nothing in Taos Ski Valley for kids. It's not stroller friendly, or kid friendly at all. There's nothing wrong with Taos but they don't really have a "village" like other ski resorts. They only have a couple stores and a couple restaurants. People go there to ski and nothing else.

Truly the NICEST staff. Everyone right down to the shuttle drivers went out of their way to make our ski trip enjoyable. The mountain is fantastic, but truly, the staff was the reason we were in a good mood all day long.

We loved how quick and easy it was to fly to Taos. So many people were awesome. Saundra drove us from the airport to Red River and picked us back up. She could not have been nicer. She is also a very good driver. Julie, the flight attendant we had on the way home was super friendly. If the website were a little more user friendly then it would be even better.

Ski Taos has just screwed over every local New Mexican with their new pass prices... $1600 for an adult... While, I understand that the COVID situation is tough, this is WAY higher (almost 2X) the Epic Local Pass (Vail Resorts) and this has truly been created to leave out all NM locals. It is clearly a ploy aimed at only rich out-of-state tourists and disrespects the 503B Corp that they claim to be. The $5, 10 or 25 that they claim to give back to the community is a pittance relative to the $1600 pass price. As a long time Taos skier, I will no longer call this my mountain. I am disgusted with Taos Ski and honestly, can no longer wish them well. Congrats! Great business decision Guys! Wish they would let me pick zero stars....

I hope this review is landing in the right spot. I cannot say enough about the Children's Center at Taos Ski Valley. Our 10 year old son just finished his second full day of lessons with Sydney as his counselor/instructor, and he cried the whole way down the mountain because he doesn't want to leave this magical place. We heard the instruction was world-class, but being from Southwestern Arizona, we thought that was cool, but really had no idea what that meant. Let me tell you, it was worth every penny and more. We will be back soon. I hope my son stops crying before then. ;) Thank you so much for the lifetime memories and the newfound love of skiing you have given our son.