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Giant Steps

Black diamond Vail, CO

Steepest pitch29°
Vertical711 ft
Length2,457 ft
Average pitch17°
FacesN
Top9,272 ft

Giant Steps drops 711 vertical feet over 2,457 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 29° about 1,440 feet below the top. That's steeper than 51% of the 4,740 black diamond runs we've measured in North America, and the 67th steepest of 194 named runs at Vail. It faces north.

How well Giant Steps holds snow

Snow preservationExcellent

Facing north at an average 17°, Giant Steps gets about 63% of the winter sun that flat ground at Vail does, December through March. That's shadier than 81% of the runs we've measured, and the 30th shadiest named run at Vail. Its top sits at 9,270 feet.

Shaded snow stays colder and drier, so it holds powder longer after a storm and is slower to crust over or turn to slush in spring. Shading from ridges and trees isn't counted yet.

Giant Steps profile

under 25°25–35°35–45°45°+ Hover to follow the line on the map.

Where it is on the mountain

Runs like Giant Steps elsewhere

Nearby at Vail

Measured by ZRankings from 1-meter USGS lidar. Steepest pitch is the steepest stretch of about 50 vertical feet along the skiable line. Run lines come from OpenStreetMap and can sit a little off the skied path.