Nothing is stopping other people from making them… presumably others would be hired if they were better. Hate is a strong word to use against someone who is just doing what they enjoy and not hurting anyone.
I agree, it would be helpful if resorts had a plain version of the ski map that shows the routes on each slope in 2D with some elevation markings (obviously most trails go down so it’s not too hard to guess the incline).
The artistic map is nice to look at if you’ve been to the mountain before but loses so much detail on proportional distance and heights between each route that I end up using google maps or OSM overlays my first time on the mountain.
Depends on how you’re trying to use the map, I find the the Niehues style great for finding a path to a lift or a lodge.
If you’re trying to get a sense of terrain, the “FATMAP by Strava” 3d map is the best I’ve seen, with notes on off piste routes and various aspect, incline, topo etc overlays (and this is not a paid promo).
As I side project, I've been working on something to solve this: For ski resorts, 2D maps loose a lot of detail and have a lot of compromises (but are easy to understand and navigate).
3D maps offer more detail but are a pain to navigate and are often disorienting for non-technical users.
My thought is a "2.5 degree" hybrid map. One that maintains the important 3D detail but keeps the navigation "on rails" so as to make everything easier.
I'd be curious to know your thoughts on this, keeping in mind that this would be targeted at casual users and probably not HN types (HN types probably have no problem navigating/groking a true 3D map).
Different style for sure, but also much more difficult to read in my opinion. Elevation being depicted with topographical lines is harder for me to parse than elevation depicted with illustrated terrain.
Back before him resort maps had a lot more variety.