On November 8, 2026, we hosted our first live PeakHouse Q&A. Guests and past travelers asked how the experiences actually work: who goes, what a ski day looks like, which trip fits which skier, and what to pack. Below are the questions that came up most, with our answers.
Watch the full replay below. Each section below links to the moment in the replay where we answered it.
When should I land, and should I arrive a day early?
For most fly-in trips, plan to land by about 1pm. That leaves time to get out of the airport, and most of our houses have a 3 or 4pm check-in. We send every group a logistics email with the exact arrival window for their trip, so it's fine to wait for that before booking flights. Watch at 2:32
Japan is the exception. The house is about a two-hour drive from New Chitose Airport, and snow delays are common in Hokkaido, so aim to land around noon. Most guests last season arrived by 10am on a short hop from Tokyo.
For international trips, many guests arrive a day early to adjust to the time change. If you're connecting overnight in Tokyo, there's a 24-hour onsen in Terminal 3 at Haneda Airport with a restaurant, a lounge and luggage lockers nearby. You can store your ski bag, rest and fly north the next morning without booking a hotel. Watch at 5:28
What does a typical ski day look like? Is there a group leader?
There are no assigned leaders or fixed groups. You ski with whoever matches your pace, and you can switch groups as often as you like. In practice, people sort themselves by ability within the first morning: the intermediates find each other, and the experts head off to steeper terrain. Watch at 7:46
During the day, everyone stays in touch over a group WhatsApp chat, sharing which lift they're at and where the snow is good. That makes it easy to meet up or split off.
On trips with carpools, we assign cars based on what we learn in your pre-trip interview: your ability level and how long you like to ski each day. That way the people in your car usually want to arrive and leave the mountain around the same time you do.
It usually takes me a few days to learn a new resort. How do people handle that?
Andrew, who leads our Whistler trip, shared his approach. A week or two before the trip, look over the trail maps and watch our PeakRankings review of each resort, which covers the lift layout and where crowds build during the day. Watch at 10:06
Once you're there, the group does a lot of the scouting for you. When everyone meets for lunch, you hear where other groups skied and where the snow was best. Most people have a good lay of the land by midday on a new mountain, which is much faster than figuring it out alone.
I'm traveling solo. Will everyone else be there with friends?
No. Roughly 70 to 75% of our guests come on their own. On a typical 15-person trip, expect about one couple and one group of two or three friends, and everyone else solo. Watch at 12:08
Coming with a friend or partner works well too. Andrew brought a friend on one trip: they skied together some of the time, split up when their ability levels differed, and found it easier to handle airports and transfers as a pair. The only thing we steer away from is one pre-formed group making up a third to half of a house, because that changes the feel of the trip for everyone else.
Will I have time to adjust to the altitude in Chile?
It depends on which Chile trip you choose. The Tres Valles Ski Week goes from Santiago, at about 2,000 feet, up to Valle Nevado, which sits at nearly 10,000 feet. That's a similar base elevation to Breckenridge. Watch at 15:11
If altitude is a concern, arrive a day or two early. On past Chile trips we've brought electrolyte packets and altitude sickness medication to help guests through the first day or two. But if you've had real trouble at high elevation before, Tres Valles may not be the right fit.
The Chile Powder Road Trip is a better option for anyone wary of altitude. Its resorts sit at elevations closer to Washington or Oregon skiing.
I'd rather catch first chair than close the bar. Will I fit in?
Yes. Après is part of most ski trips, but the people who sign up for PeakHouse are mostly there to ski. Erika, who ran college ski trips before joining us, put it this way: our guests are far more focused on skiing than on partying. Watch at 19:33
We also plan evenings that don't revolve around drinking. On the Utah trip, for example, that's included a soak at Homestead Crater near Park City, a hockey game and a hibachi dinner. Activities are optional, so some nights the whole house goes and some nights half of it does.
Groups tend to sort themselves here too. On past trips, a few people stayed out late while others headed back early to rest for the next morning. On carpool trips there's always enough room to switch cars, so you're never stuck out later than you want to be.
I'm an intermediate from a small East Coast hill. Can I handle a place like Park City or Snowbird?
Yes. Every Western trip has a group that sticks to groomers and intermediate terrain, and that group tends to stay together all day. You won't be expected to keep up with the experts. Watch at 25:48
Sam Shearer, whose home mountain is Seven Springs in Pennsylvania, pointed out that the January Utah trip leans toward intermediate terrain anyway, since less of the advanced terrain is usually open that early in the season. On a new mountain each day, the group picks a lift to base around, then moves on together. A big, confusing resort is much easier to figure out with a few people working it out alongside you.
Is the Indy Pass destination upgrade worth it for the Inland Northwest trip?
Probably not. The upgrade adds three days total at participating pilot resorts, for an extra $199 if you hold the Indy+ Pass or $249 if you hold the base Indy Pass. Watch at 29:30
The base Indy Pass already covers every planned day on the Inland Northwest itinerary. If the group decides to add a third day at Tamarack or Brundage, a single lift ticket will cost less than the upgrade. It may still make sense if you plan to use it on other trips this season.
Do I need my own beacon, shovel and probe?
For most North American trips, no. Our YouTube videos lean toward expert and backcountry footage because that's what gets watched, but only a small share of guests ski the backcountry on a North American trip. On the Inland Northwest trip, for example, only one or two people have asked about it, mostly for Tamarack's lift-served sidecountry. Watch at 35:39
Backcountry interest is higher on two kinds of trips: expert road trips like Western Canada, and international trips like Japan and Europe, where leaving the marked runs counts as going off-piste and many guests hire a guide for a day. If that comes up, most resort towns rent full avalanche kits for a reasonable daily price.
For the Western Canada trip specifically, renting is the easy option. The trip begins at the farthest resort and the group drives back toward Calgary from there, so you can pick up gear in Banff on the way in and drop it off on the way out. Watch at 31:28
Can I bring my kids?
Not on current trips. Because of how our liability coverage works, every PeakHouse guest needs to be 21 or older. Watch at 40:00
We have talked about a family version: a few neighboring townhouses instead of one big house, with five or six families whose kids are around the same age. We'd run it once there's enough interest, so if that sounds like you, let us know.
What's the minimum ability level?
It depends on the trip, and we have options for every level. If you're an intermediate or better, most trips will work well for you: about 25 to 30% of guests on a typical trip are intermediates. Watch at 42:04
Beginner: long-weekend trips to Mount Snow (Vermont) or Tahoe
Low intermediate: Utah or Colorado
Intermediate or better: Sugarbush, Whistler, Inland Northwest, Japan, Les 3 Vallées, both Chile trips and the New Zealand Resort Road Trip
Advanced or better: Chamonix
Strong advanced or better: Western Canada (Revelstoke, Kicking Horse) and the New Zealand Club Field trip
We're redesigning our trip pages to show a recommended ability level on every trip. Until then, each trip page lists one under Recommended Ability Level.
Should I bring my own skis on an international trip?
Either works. We set up international trips so you can rent or bring your own. Watch at 47:07
If you bring them, check your airline's policy. Many US and European carriers count a ski bag and boot bag as a single checked bag, often at no extra cost on international flights. The main hassle is carrying skis through customs.
On the Chile Tres Valles trip, you can take a short shuttle from Valle Nevado to a rental shop. One tip: rental fleets in South America are mostly narrow skis. If you want powder skis, bring them from home.
Ready to find your trip?
Applications for our 2027 PeakHouse experiences are open, and several trips are close to full. See all trips and apply.
We're also planning 2028 now. If there's a region or road trip you'd love to see, or a question we didn't cover here, get in touch.
