Vail: piste guide - Telegraph Vail has the second biggest area of slopes in the US (Big Sky/Moonlight Basin has 223 acres more), and they can be accessed via three main lifts. From Vail Village, the Vista Bahn gondola goes up to the major mid-mountain focal point, Mid-Vail; from Lionshead, the Eagle Bahn gondola goes up to the Eagle's Nest complex; and from the Golden Peak base area just to the east of Vail Village, the Riva Bahn fast chair goes up towards the Two Elk area. The front face of the mountain is largely north-facing, with well-groomed trails cut through the trees. At altitude the mountainside divides into three bowls - Mid-Vail in the centre, with Game Creek to the south-west and Northeast Bowl to the, er, north-east. Lifts reach the ridge at three points, all giving access to the Back Bowls (mostly ungroomed and treeless) and through them to Blue Sky Basin (mostly ungroomed and wooded, with a "backcountry" feel). Fast lifts Plenty of them There are lots of fast lifts on both sides of the mountain. All three of Blue Sky Basin's lifts are fast chairs. Queues Can be bad The front side of Vail has some of the longest lift lines we've hit in the US, especially at weekends because of the influx from nearby Denver. Even on a mid-December visit we hit big queues. Mid-Vail is a bottleneck that is difficult to avoid; 20-minute waits are common (and 45 minutes is not unheard of). The Northwoods chair and the Eagle Bahn gondola are other hot spots. And a 2012 reporter found large queues at Mountaintop Express, too. But other reporters have been luckier: "rarely major lift queues." Terrain parks Three to choose between There are three parks. Beginner and intermediate freestylers will want to explore the Bwana and Pride parks, located under the Eagle Bahn gondola on Bwana run. Here, a selection of small to medium-sized jumps and boxes gradually become more challenging as you progress through each park. More advanced riders will be best served at the Golden Peak Terrain Park. Located halfway down the Riva Bahn chairlift, the park is home to various high-profile events and is often in the top ten in terrain park lists and polls. Last season there were nine jumps ranging up to 15m in length, and 30 jibs, boxes and rails. For experts Lots of variety Vail's Back Bowls are vast areas, served by four chairlifts and a short draglift. You can go virtually anywhere you like in the half-dozen identifiable bowls, trying the gradient and terrain of your choice. There are interesting, lightly wooded areas, as well as the open slopes that dominate the area. Some 87% of the runs in the Back Bowls are classified black but are not particularly steep, and they have disappointed some expert reporters, who seek more challenge and variety. Blue Sky Basin has much better snow than the Back Bowls and some great adventure runs in the trees - some widely spaced, some very tight, some on relatively gentle terrain, some quite steep. All the runs funnel into the same run-out so you can't get lost. On the front face there are some genuinely steep double black diamond runs, which usually have great snow; they are often mogulled, but they are sometimes groomed to make wonderful fast cruising. The fast Highline lift - on the extreme east of the area - serves three black runs. Prima Cornice, served by the Northwoods Express, is one of the steepest runs on the front of the hill. If the snow is good, try the backcountry Minturn Mile - you leave the ski area through a gate in the Game Creek area to descend a powder bowl and finish on a path by a river - ending up at the atmospheric Saloon. Go with a local guide. For intermediates Ideal territory The majority of Vail's front face is great intermediate terrain, with easy cruising runs. Above Lionshead, especially, there are excellent, long, relatively quiet blues - Bwana, Born Free and Simba all go from top to bottom. Game Creek Bowl, nearby, is excellent, too. Avanti, underneath the chair of the same name, is a nice cruise. As well as tackling some of the easier front-face blacks, intermediates will find plenty of interest in the Back Bowls. Some of the runs are groomed and several are blue, including Silk Road, which loops around the eastern edge, with wonderful views. Some of the unpisted slopes are ideal for learning to ski powder. Confident intermediates will also enjoy Blue Sky Basin's clearly marked blue runs and the easier ungroomed runs there (Cloud 9 is a lovely gentle area of groomed glades; In the Wuides is a bit steeper but still lovely). For beginners Good but can be crowded There are fine nursery slopes at resort level and at altitude, and easy longer runs to progress to. But they can be rather crowded. For boarders Big isn't always best The terrain is about as big as it comes in America. Beginners will enjoy the front side's gentle groomed pistes (but not the crowds), good for honing skills and serviced by fast chairlifts. But beware of flat areas, especially at the top of the Wildwood and Northwoods lifts, and cat tracks. The back bowls will keep most expert and intermediate riders busy for days. Blue Sky Basin is definitely worth checking out, with its acres of natural trails, gladed trees and cornices. There are three terrain parks too. For cross-country Go for Golden Vail's cross-country areas (17km) are at the foot of Golden Peak and at the Nordic Center on the golf course. There are 10km of snowshoe trails too.