Industry News
Researching trails, topography, and other aspects of resorts can be a valuable strategy for planning days on the mountain, and a new app called Slopes offers a way to map out the best possible day at the resort. Slopes provides users with a globe that includes ski resorts from North America, Europe, Australia, Japan, and others and spans across IKON, Epic, Indy, and other passes. These maps have multiple views, including a trail view, a satellite view, and a 3D view, providing users with detailed maps that can help skiers and snowboarders find the information they need. The app also has a logbook and friends feature, allowing users to track resorts they have been to while connecting with other users as they journey to various resorts.
New for the 2024-25 season, Slopes has undergone numerous updates to include over 1,500 new resorts, bringing the total coverage to over 2,000 resorts across the world. 650 of these resorts feature custom mapping done by the Slopes team, while the other resorts are sourced with OpenStreetMap (OSM). OSM has allowed Slopes to triple the size of its map collection, creating one of the largest digital high-quality ski map platforms. Additionally, the application is making backend updates to the mapping system to include more complex information, such as slow zones, restricted areas, mountain peaks, and points of interest. These mapping updates are currently available for Breckenridge Resort and Tsugaike Mountain Resort, but more resorts will receive these upgrades as the season progresses.
Slopes is available on both iOS and Android devices. The Android version has experienced significant updates recently, with the 3D maps being integrated into the application. Additionally, the search feature has been included to help improve the functionality of maps for trails, lifts, facilities, ski patrol, and more.
Slopes was founded by Curtis Herbert in 2013, who grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs while skiing the Poconos, according to his interview on SlopeFillers. Herbert and his team of seven employees, two interns, and two contractors have built the application from an idea into what it is today. Herbert started developing the application without external funding, making Slopes that much more impressive of a feat. It took three years of hard work post-launch to make the app a full-time gig for Herbert, but since then, Slopes has only been growing.
Other apps, such as iSlope, LastLift, and SkiMaps are similar to Slopes. These apps are also available on iOS and Android, and offer trail maps, resort maps, and other features like weather conditions. As mapping technology continues to improve, skiers and snowboarders able to experience the mountain like they never have before. And with the abundance of mapping apps, planning the best day at the resort just got a whole lot easier.
