Diamond Peak, Nevada Resort Reviews - Local Reviews and Travel Information


	Home > US Ski Resorts > Nevada > Diamond Peak > Resort Reviews

Diamond Peak

Resort Info	Local Deals	Ski News	Resort Reviews	Weather Report
Diamond Peak Resort Reviews State Reviews Add your review

Overall User Rating:
Snow Quality:
Terrain:
Family Friendly:
Apres Ski:

catharsis - 11/24/2007, 04:58 AM

I have skied at Diamond since I began skiing as a young lad. It helped living about 5 minutes from the resort. It's got a special place in my skiing rotation (mainly because I can ski for free up there sometimes). Overall its a fun place to ski, especially if you are just looking for a relaxing day on the slopes. I'll begin by saying that the resort itself lacks a lot of true black diamond runs. Even the hardest runs would probably register upper blue, or lower black at most other resorts. But they are still fun and relaxing. The views of Lake Tahoe are astounding though, especially from the top. Oddly enough, the hardest runs on the mountain aren't off the top, but off the Lakeview Chair near the eastern edge of the resort. By taking the Crystal Quad chair (the only high speed quad at DP), you can get up to the top of the mountain in a matter of a few minutes. From there you can take the Ridge down to some of the black diamond runs, where the moguls usually are kept. Or you could go down the other side for the longest run at the resort, The Flume. It is a middle blue run, but its a good, long ride. There is also the black bowl, known as the Golden Eagle Bowl, for experts only. Its not all that hard to do, but the problem lies in knowing when to cut back to the Ridge, as the markings are scarce. Hardly a year goes by that someone doesn't miss the cutback and gets lost for a few days. On clear days its not a big problem, but if its the least bit stormy then it gets riskier because of the markings. There are ample runs off the Red Fox and Lakeview chairs for beginners and intermediates. Freeway is a snowed-over access road that gives beginners a good, long run off of the middle of the mountain (so as to avoid the Bunny Hill for awhile). Normally there is a chair that access the bottom of the Ridge run from mid-mountain, which will grant easy access to the terrain park. The resort is pretty snowboarder friendly. The main downside ot the resort is the Launchpad Loading system. It was supposed to be faster, easier and cheaper than adding a detachable quad. It acheived one of these. While a detachable quad isn't necessary at Diamond Peak (the chair rides aren't that long anyway), the Launchpad system is terrible. It is essentially a carpeted conveyor belt system that syncs you up to the motion of the chair as you are getting on. However, going from an inherently slippery surface of ice, to a moving belt of carpet causes more problems than it worth. The sudden change in adherence to the ground generally unbalances people, causing more chair stoppages and confusion. But oh well, after you are used to it, you get better. It still is bad, but not quite as bad. So, to summarize, if you are looking for a relaxing ski day with great views, or if you are just getting started learning to ski, then Diamond Peak would be a great experience.

Overall:
Snow Quality:
Terrain:
Family Friendly:
Apres Ski:

Vegas - 01/12/2007, 04:55 AM

Diamond Peak must be invisible. Nobody sees it. Their are no crowds and no lines for lifts. Looking over Lake Tahoe must be one of the most beautiful sights. The sun glimmers off the water. Snow falls fresh all the time. I went up their in April 1, 1998 and the snow was still fresh. The variety of food on the mountain is excellent. The terrain park is fun for all ages. The powder runs are challeging for snow boarders and the tree runs are fun. Me being a snowboarder I know that the powder runs are excelent. The prices are so cheap which makes it great for families. The instructors are the best. I would love to go back their someday.