Perfect Powder in Colorado

Colorado’s mountains receive an average of 300 inches (762 cm) of snow a year. The snow is light, fluffy powder and this coupled with crisp, blue skies and varied terrain at the 26 resorts, over 40,000 acres, means that Colorado attracts more skier and snowboarder visits than any other state in the US.

Skiing in Colorado offers something for everyone – for beginners with gentle slopes, family-friendly amenities and ski schools to teach even the youngest visitor how to ski and chic mountain towns that attract A-list celebrities. From small basic ski areas to sprawling, multi-peak resorts there are bumps and groomers, steeps and deeps, bowls and basins for skiers and snowboarders.

Every mountain resort town offers more to do than just skiing and snowboarding. There are up-market restaurants and cosy cafes, hot-spring pools and skating rinks, tubing hills and dogsled rides.

Most years, Colorado resorts open earlier and stay open later in the season than anywhere else in the country. Arapahoe Basin and Loveland ski area sometimes open their lifts as early as October 15, due to their high altitude, and you can often ski in Arapahoe Basin until late May. The main slopes usually open around Thanksgiving, although snow usually falls before then, and they close on the third weekend in April.

Colorado has the highest life-served terrain in the country and some resorts are nearly 14,000 feet high. That guarantees the soft powder, amazing views and vast ski terrain making it the number one destination for skiing in North America.

BRECKENRIDGE

Breckenridge was originally a mining town founded in 1859 and its heritage is reflected in the Victorian-style buildings.

 It is one of North America’s most popular resorts partly because of its variety of terrain – long groomed trails, monster mogul runs, steep chutes, glades and plenty of family-friendly beginner areas. The skiing and snowboarding spans across four huge peaks with more than 2,300 acres, five terrain parks, two half-pipes, two high-speed six passenger Super Chairs, a gondola connecting the town to the Ski Resort and many on-mountain events.

The resort was one of the first to allow snowboarding on its slopes and its Freeway Terrain Park is arguably one of the best in North America. Its four separate parks and three superpipes cater to adventurous skiers and riders at all skill levels.

Breckenridge also has the highest chairlift in North America – the Imperial Express – which climbs to 12,840 feet above sea level and provides access to 400 acres of remote terrain for expert skiers.

In 2010 a new slope side lodge opened at the base of Peak 8. One Ski Hill Place has direct access to four chairlifts for those keen to make a quick start up the mountain.

Some of the other attractions in Breckenridge include an indoor and outdoor ice rink, a state-of-the-art recreation centre, an outdoor education centre with ski programmes for disabled skiers, sleigh rides, dog sledding, mining tours and angling.

With over 200 shops, 75 places to eat, live music and fine art, there is plenty to do in Breckenridge for non-skiers and snowboarders.

Facts and Figures

• Average annual snowfall is 300 inches
• 9 on-mountain restaurants
• 30 chairlifts of which 9 are high-speed
• longest trail is 3.5 miles
• 2,358 skiable areas
• in 2010/2011 there were 306 bartenders in the town
• 104 miles from Denver
• UK tour operators include Ski Independence, Crystal, Ski Safari
• BA is the only non-stop service from the UK (LHR) to Denver
• American Airlines/United fly to Denver from the UK via Chicago

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