I've tried to make reservations online for kid lesson. You click to indicate you know that doesn't reserve a spot and they will call you to confirm. I've done this four times over a week. No one calls you. So of course I call them. I've left 5 messages over 3 days. Three on their voicemail and once with a live person who said she would hand deliver message and get them to call me. Still nothing. Customer service is horrid. Food is bad and crowds go out and stand on the slopes to take photos etc. you better be excellent skier or you are going to plow into a family of 5 with cameras. read more

We flew in from California to visit our son who is active military. We heard about the zip lines, so we called and booked an appointment for the zip line tour at 3pm, which they stated was the last time slot available. We drove 3 hours to get there by their check-in time 30 minutes prior to the tour. When we arrived, we were told they couldn't check us in as they were waiting for their 2pm riders to come back and check in. They assured us we would still be able to get in the tour at 3pm but they were just running behind. The process was very slow checking in riders and training the new riders was very slow and tedious. We realized there was a line of more than 16 riders still waiting to be trained from the 2pm group! When we realized this, we went back to the check in counter and asked if there was going to be enough time for us to ride before it's dark and too late. They assured us once again and we waited until 3:30pm. We found one of the other employees working and asked him if he thought there would be enough time for us to ride and he said 'very slim' chance we can get on. We went back to the counter and asked the woman in charge to please be honest with us as we had traveled a long distance and this was our last day with our son and we wanted to move on the something else to spend time together. She then said you probably will NOT get on but we can come back tomorrow! Wow! We advised her once again we were leaving the next day and this was our only day together. As you can imagine we were highly disappointed, felt betrayed and lied to the whole time. She then recommended we ride the tram up to the top instead. We decided to try this and salvage some part of our wasted time there. We proceeded to the tram area to get tickets, just to be disappointed once again as we were told we missed the last one. Think twice about taking this trip or go first thing in the morning and prepare to spend all day waiting. Worst thing was their dismissive attitude and dishonesty. Highly disappointing. read more

I had an amazing experience here. The ski patrol crew is AMAZING! Owen was super friendly and helped my dad and I down the mountain after we crashed on the way down. The medical team gave my dad oxygen and thanked him for his service continuously which I think is so above and beyond what most big corporate ski resorts would do. I love ski Apache. Great vibes and the best staff, along with great runs for everybody once you get to know the mountain and avoid the difficult ones if you aren't an advanced skier. Will be back!! read more

Family ranging in age from 10 up went zip lining and had a wonderful time. Staff was courteous and friendly. They are very safety conscious and efficient. It was a great experience and can't wait to return! They also do military discounts read more

After making reservation two week's in advance for the zip line tour up at ski Apache I was quoted $65 per person, cool. So when I looked online at my credit card transaction a few day later I was charged $75 per person. I called the Wind Rider Zip line manager and was told if I was willing to drive back up the mountain he would give me $20 out of his pocket,I told him to sent it to me, said he couldn't. got no where with him. Two days later the mt manager Jeff called me and said they had raised there rates, told him they were still on line listed for $65, but July 1st they went to $75 way after we zip lined, He told me he would credit my card $20 before day's end that was Friday. This is Monday night. Zip line was maybe worth $65 not worth $75 like always they get something good going they gotta jack up the price. GREEDY. I'm a local and work in the public and I'll tell everyone. read more

The zip line is something I am proud to say I have now checked off my bucket list!! My group of three went on a very busy weekend and the staff was so wonderful about being fast, efficient and on top of that extremely friendly. They make you feel safe and comfortable and work together to make the whole experience smooth. Going 60 mph over the tops of the trees on the mountain was breathtaking and something I definitely would love to do again. Even just to see the staff again. They put in a great amount of effort to make the experience safe and fun. read more

Took the kids to Ski Apache during our visit to Ruidoso to ride the gondola not ski. Lots of fun! Great view, fun ride! My only complaint is the staff is not overly friendly or helpful. I wish we would have been told what all the ride consists on. We didn't know we got to get out at the top and could walk to the summit. If so, we would have brought all of our gear. Also, no mention that the lodge up top only took cash for the snack bar. Didn't ruin the experience but would have made it a bit better too. I would definately go back if we were in the area! read more

The Indians do NOT know how to run this place. The people are rude here. The people that ski will not take lessons so they stay in the way of those that do know how to ski. This is one of the most dangerous resorts I've ever been to. I could not wait to get there and 30 min.after arriving I could not wait to leave. People are running all over you with their skis And some kids and teenagers just lay down in the snow blocking people coming down the mountain. I had purchased two weeks pass for me and my wife. This was a nightmare vacation. It is totally crazy up there. Food is horrible. The Indians are clueless. People are getting hurt left and right. Please take my advice and for your own safety stay away from this nightmarish Ski Apache. This place is NOT patrolled, This place is dangerous. read more

I went to Ski Apache for the first and last time today. Luckily for me I just had to drive 1.5 hrs to get there so I didn't lose more than $80 to this failure of a ski resort. When we arrived it turned out only the bunny slope and the smallest run were open. We didn't expect much from this place from the beginning so we decided to do it anyway and gave them around $73 for lift ticket and board rental. The boards were in poor condition, my friends had to get the bindings tightened back down to the board, they were old and worn out and definitely not worth the $33 we paid for them. Went down the only slope that was open twice and the snow was basically slushy ice. Still at this point we were staying optimistic just to get to snowboard at all. Half way up the lift for the 3rd time and it shuts down and we get stuck on it for about 30 minutes. At that point people were walking up the hill to snowboard because there was nothing else open. They finally get everyone off the lift and 30 more minutes pass when we decide instead of going to eat a hamburger at their cafe for $15 we'll just get what refund we can and call it a day. When we asked if there was any refund policy they talked to us like we were crazy. So we ended up biting the bullet and just taking the loss rather than walking up a hill to try to snowboard back down a couple times. The whole thing seems like its set up to disappoint you and push you to go to their casino instead. If I had gotten at least a partial refund I may have given it another try later in the seasons but I won't be duped twice. read more

Worst experience in my life! Paid a ton of money for lessons and didn't learn anything. Class started 45 min late and instructors we're hearing us like cattle. We skipped the lesson on how to fall and how to get on the lift. Was hit by the lift as a result. They will never get a dime of my money again. read more

Went for Zipline. Had 11:00 appointment, group of 9, showed up at 10:30, we were told there was a 1 hour delay due to fog, no problem at all. Came back in to office at 11:45 to check in. The girl in the office CRYSTAL was rude, treated us like we were doing her a favor by just being there. The guides were all great, the zip lining was great even though we waited before and during for 6 hours for 3 minutes of riding. The overwhelming sentiment was that the CRYSTAL girl ruined it with her bad attitude towards everyone. Hopefully she's not there when you come. read more

Last week, my family and I made the drive up to Ski Apache. I had been there years ago...and the views never dissapoint. The facilities at the ski area are terrible...and the food inedible. Eat before you go or take a picnic. By the way...the road to the top is in horrible shape...broken, rotten guard rails, and one-lane section (kinda scary). read more

I did the zip line during the summer. It was blast, we had so much fun. Long wait but the funny and and helpful crew make it feel shorter. The crew really tied the fun experience together. I measured the speed on the first zip line, I got 72mph in good conditions. Amazing views, so much fun. read more

I was skeptical to come to ski Apache based off of the reviews, but was happily surprised. While the building was outdated, the staff inside (minus the ticket ladies) were very kind. I decided to go for a ski lesson before heading down the trails, as it had been a long time since skiing. The tickets were the same price as a full day of skiing. My group worked with Dave, who was very helpful and made sure we were all comfortable. There were a lot of children there, but it is a family place. Do not bother with the food or drinks, it is extremely overpriced. read more

I've been going here for years now and it is great snow boarding / skiing for the value. The resort functions as it should. I always rent my equipment elsewhere and pack my lunch for the day, so I can maximize my time on the slopes. Will be back, only complaint is the newer gondola limits access to the Apache Bowl especially for boarders. read more

a 2 star rating prob too low, but I certainly can't give it an "A-OK" the good: beautiful mountain with great views; plenty of nice tough blue / easy black runs for all but most advanced skiers; it's the closest skiing to us (central Tx) and not too bad a drive from El Paso if you fly into there; kids' ski school was well-run (after navigating through the hellish check-in / lift ticket purchase / ski rental procedures); nice gondola from base to top of mtn (though line was often 30 min's long). the bad: about 3 of every 4 workers act as if they're either in forced labor, or have been tenured such that they can never be let go; very poorly equiped to deal with large crowds (as was the case while my family was here - Dec 29-31, 2011); unbelievably poor system of record-keeping / computer management [just imagine how business was run and records were kept a hundred yrs ago]; infrastructure at base in dire need of expansion, improvements and modernization (the main bldg at base simply needs to be razed and rebuilt); hundreds of beginner snow-boarders just sitting in middle of runs, as if staking claims to nice picnic spots; Chairlifts stop seemingly every 60 seconds as yet another beginner skier falls either getting on or off lift; 30 minute (albeit scenic) very winding and slow drive from town; insufficient parking; did I mention the employees?? - on our last run, the two workers "assisting" people onto lift chairs were .... I kid you not.... actually both smoking, so my family was treated to a nice cloud of cig. smoke as we got onto lift. Many others we came in contact with (with several noteable exceptions) could not have cared less about providing good service, and a number were outright rude..... to wit: me: "I'll have a bottled water please"; tenured employee: "we don't got any"; me: "but it's right there on your menu" [pointing up to menu]; tenured employee: "we don't got any"; me: "well, could I maybe get a cup of tap water?"; t.e.: "I wouldn't even know what to charge you for that" [picture tone of head-bobbing, obnoxious "oh no you just didn't" Jerry Springer guest who just learned her boyfriend had been cheating with her mama]; me: "how about free?"; t.e.: "whatever"; me: "thanks, it's been a pleasure" So here's my synopsis: We're very unlikely to return. If the weather is nice and snow conditions are good (rarely from what I understand), it will be too slammed to enjoy. I suspect the crowds would thin if conditions were poorer.... but then it's possible that the open runs would be limited to those receiving man-made snow. If we're going to make the significant time and money investment to ski, we'll go back to Breckenridge/Winter Park or any number of other much more sophisticated (non-union?) resorts in Colorado or northern NM. With some significant capital improvements and major employee attitude adjustments, Ski Apache would be a very good choice for us. read more

First time to experience on the snow period, decided to take snowboard lessons. WORST MISTAKE EVER, paid $170 for lift passes and group 1.5 hr lessons. I had Jack and he was NOT personable at all. I was doing pretty good at the beginning with not much help from him at all. Then did fine on and off the ski lift but when it came to strapping my other foot onto the board, he showed is one time, one way how to get up to our feet. I'm not sure if I just didn't get it or if I wasn't physically able, regardless never got any assistance from Jack the instructor. I asked numerous times for help/additional ways to get up other than this. He said "you can roll over on your stomach and push up but your not going to be able to get around to get down the hill." With that being said I had to ask a fellow classmate how to do the roll to get up trick, she helped me and I was able to get up but just fell and was unable to get turned to where I needed to go. Needless to say I will NEVER be back to ski Apache. Unfortunately I bought a lift pass for tomorrow, which I will just have to eat because I was told by the very unfriendly front desk personnel, "we don't do refunds ever period." And was not even interested in what I had to say about how bad the instructor talked down to us three. Me and another adult woman and a younger maybe 10-12 year old boy. Instead all they cared about was not refunding my money. Very poor experience, snow was slush and wouldn't recommend this place to ANYONE, waste of money and time!!!! read more

From a avid skier, that has been looking at this place on line for a couple of years. Finally made the trip. First that Peru Death Road to the ski area is nuts, there is no way in Hell I would drive that road with snow on it and I have driven in Blizzard to ski areas in Utah, Colorado and West Virginia. Its like driving in a third world country. Then after surviving 12 plus miles of the Death Road, you arrive at what looks like a cool locals place so I back my truck up to the Gondola get my stuff walk to purchase a lift ticket it was around noon, so I ask what's the difference in price of a full day $68.00 and half 20 bucks so I ask what time was it this Mute looks at her right arm no watch then her left arm no watch an then looks at me an said nothing, I have to say there was maybe 25 vehicles in the parking lot. So I purchase a full day I walk to the Gondola the Tard working there never said a word to me or did nothing, who gives a F I'm here to ski then it was like I was in Ski Hell no Lifty even attempt to move when I loaded the Chair lift no biggie Snow was icy to slush it was warm. If you are new to Skiing Do Not Go To This Place, the Lodge is a Dump and I like people that speak an are not condescending Assholes that work at a Ski Area. There are so many other areas for the same price that are Awesome. Me I only care about the Skiing with no lift lines, price not bad it was fine but if I wanted some Fresh Pow there is no way I would drive that Road. By reading the reviews on Yelp it lived up to its Rep. read more