DEPARTURES

THE HEIGHT OF WINTER LUXURY

With a private funicular connecting an extraordinary mountainside estate to Vail’s Simba run, Ascension turns the rituals of a ski holiday into something remarkably effortless.

REBECCA ETORIA

There is something wonderfully nostalgic about a ski vacation. The ritual begins long before the first run, with boots buckled beside the fire, coffee steaming in oversized mugs, and snow falling silently beyond the windows while someone searches for the gloves that somehow disappeared overnight. At most ski homes, this is where the logistics begin. At Ascension, one of the most distinctive residences in InvitedHome’s Vail portfolio, they quietly disappear.

Rather than loading equipment into vehicles or navigating busy village walkways, guests step aboard a private funicular that glides through snow-covered pines toward Vail Mountain’s Simba run. In a matter of moments, the forest opens, skis click into place, and one of North America’s most celebrated mountains becomes an extension of home. At the top, a private ski chalet provides an intimate place to prepare for the morning, adjust equipment, warm up between runs, or savor a few final minutes on the mountain before descending toward the estate.

It is a detail that transforms the entire rhythm of a ski day. The mountain no longer feels like somewhere guests must travel to reach; it becomes part of the residence itself. InvitedHome, known for pairing privately owned luxury mountain homes with five-star service, has built its experience around precisely this kind of ease. Here, privacy is not separated from hospitality, and the freedom of a private estate does not require sacrificing the thoughtful support expected from an exceptional alpine retreat.

Ascension’s name is particularly apt. Built into the wooded mountainside, the eight-bedroom residence rises across multiple levels, following the natural contours of the land while revealing a succession of gathering spaces and private retreats. The architecture feels expansive without becoming impersonal, balancing the drama of a true mountain estate with the warmth of a home intended to be lived in.

Designed to accommodate as many as 18 guests, Ascension is especially well suited to extended families and groups of friends. There is room for generations to gather without requiring everyone to move through the day at the same pace. Early risers can leave for first tracks while others linger beside a roaring fireplace. Children can disappear into the game area, fitness-minded guests can begin the morning in the home gym, and someone inevitably discovers a quiet reading corner with no desire to surrender it.

Picture windows throughout the residence frame the surrounding woods, transforming the landscape into a constantly changing work of art. In the primary bedroom, panoramic views through the trees create the sensation of sleeping within the forest itself. Morning light filters through snow-laden branches, and the stillness outside makes remaining beneath the covers feel every bit as appealing as the mountain beyond them.

The main living spaces are shaped by the rituals of gathering. Fireplaces anchor cozy seating areas, while a wet bar and lounge create natural places to reconnect after a day outdoors. The chef’s kitchen and grand dining area form the social heart of the home, turning meals into one of the most anticipated parts of the stay. Breakfast can begin slowly over coffee as the day’s plans take shape, while evenings unfold around the table with wine, generous courses, and increasingly embellished accounts of the runs conquered that afternoon.

In a destination celebrated for its restaurants, the ability to dine beautifully without leaving the residence is a luxury in itself. A private chef can transform the kitchen into the evening’s stage while guests trade ski clothes for cashmere and settle in beside the fire. Children drift toward the game room after dessert, adults remain at the table, and the house gradually assumes the intimate rhythm of a private family residence rather than a vacation rental.

That sense of ease continues outdoors. Heated patios expand the living spaces into the alpine setting, while fire pits encourage guests to gather beneath the stars long after temperatures fall. Steam rises from the private hot tub and heated pool as evening settles across the valley, making the cold mountain air feel less like something to escape and more like an essential part of the experience. After a day on the slopes, there are few pleasures more satisfying than sinking into warm water while snow collects quietly around the terrace.

Not every guest comes to Vail solely for skiing, and Ascension does not ask them to. Some will spend nearly every daylight hour on the mountain, while others may find equal pleasure in a book by the fire, an unhurried workout, or a long lunch that gradually becomes afternoon cocktails. The residence allows everyone to experience Vail according to their own rhythm, then draws them naturally back together at the end of the day.

This balance between adventure and restoration reflects the larger philosophy behind InvitedHome. The company specializes in curated stays in privately owned residences throughout North America’s most desirable mountain destinations, including Vail, Telluride, Aspen, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Park City, Deer Valley, Alta, Jackson Hole, and Whistler, British Columbia. Its homes provide the scale, privacy, and character of a personal residence, complemented by attentive service and experiences shaped around each group’s priorities.

At Ascension, that philosophy feels particularly complete because the residence is so intimately connected to its setting. Vail Mountain is not simply admired from a window or reached after a morning commute. It enters the daily life of the house. Guests rise through the woods aboard the funicular, emerge near Simba run, and return at day’s end to the warmth of the private chalet before descending home.

The journey itself becomes one of the estate’s defining pleasures. Morning anticipation builds as the funicular rises through the forest, while the return journey carries with it the satisfying fatigue of a day well spent. By the time guests reach the residence, the hot tub is waiting, the fire is lit, and dinner may already be taking shape in the kitchen.

Ascension is equally compelling when winter loosens its hold on the valley. As snow gives way to warmer days, the surrounding woods take on a different character, filled with birdsong, fragrant pine, and long evenings of mountain light. Patios become settings for leisurely lunches, the pool and fire pits draw guests outdoors, and the residence offers a private base for experiencing Vail beyond the ski season.

Yet winter remains the moment when Ascension’s character is most fully revealed. It can be found in the first glimpse of fresh snow beyond the bedroom windows, in the quiet ascent toward the slopes, and in the sight of several generations returning to the same dining table after experiencing the mountain in entirely different ways. The serious skier, the reluctant beginner, the child who prefers the game room, and the guest happiest beside the fire can all find a place within the same holiday.

That may be the estate’s most meaningful luxury. Ascension does not require guests to choose between privacy and service, adventure and comfort, or time together and space apart. It allows each experience to flow naturally into the next, until the logistics of a traditional ski holiday seem to have vanished entirely.

By the time departure arrives, guests may remember an extraordinary run, a dinner that lasted late into the evening, or the sight of snow falling around the heated pool. More likely, they will remember the ease of it all: the mountain waiting at the top of the funicular, the warmth of the house below, and the rare pleasure of having everyone they love gathered in one remarkable place.

Plan Your Stay

Fully serviced winter weeks at Ascension begin at $198,710, with accommodation-only stays from $158,708.

For availability and to explore InvitedHome’s portfolio of privately owned luxury mountain residences, visit www.invitedhome.com.