Breckenridge

Resort description:Very popular with UK and Irish skiers/boarders, like Banff, with some very competitive pricing and great choice of accommodations, close to, or on, the slopes. From hotels and condos through to b and b’s and chalets, this resort will have something for your budget. With the town at over 9500ft though, you need to be careful with altitude sickness and we recommend your first night is in Denver (at 5000ft) to help you acclimatise. Another great choice for groups of mixed abilities and who want to have fun in the sun and reliable snow.

Unlike the new Keystone, some 6 miles away  which is also on the same lift ticket, Breckenridge was founded in 1859 and was an old gold mining town. The atmosphere is enhanced by clapboard and old western style properties on main street, with new shopping malls and buildings added in a similar style. The town centre is lively at night, with over 100 restaurants and bars. All season the trees are lit up with decorations, giving the town a festive air.

Hotels, chalets and condominiums are spread out over a large, wooded area and if not on the slopes, they  are linked by the excellent and frequent, free shuttle service, though some property management companies offer their own private transfer service. The high quality of accommodations are again as you would expect from America and we offer catered chalets “par excellence” for those who want both excellent accommodation and wonderful food.

All the 4 mountain “peaks” are all interconnected with Peak 9 offering some great nursery slopes. It is nearly all gentle, wide blue runs at the top and almost flat, wide green runs at the bottom, for beginners, but with a very steep black run under one of the chair lifts. Surprisingly though, over half the slopes are classed as “black” or expert, though certainly much of it is easily skied by the experienced intermediate. There is worthwhile terrain on all the peaks, but Peaks 7 and 8 may be of initial interest, especially as you can get up to Imperial Bowl from here. Peak 10 offers some great blue/black cruising runs, all in all about 250km of skiable terrain.

Ski school has one of the best reputations  of all skis schools,  worldwide and we have seen skiers whom have struggled to learn in Europe, excel over here with the first class, patient and technical tuition. That gives you all the extra confidence you need to tackle almost anything and with Vail, Keystone, Arapahoe and Beaver Creek also on the same ski pass , that confidence will stand you in good stead. with fast lifts and few queues, you can eat up the kilometres almost effortlessly. Copper mountain nearby is also well worth a visit, to sample the fantastic skiing on offer.

The apres ski is lively and varied, from Erics bar and the Gold Pan saloon, through to Breckenridge Microbrewery and Gracey O’Malleys Irish bar. its also a pleasant place to wander around at night and shop, or just take in the atmosphere and if you fancy a bargain or two, pop over to the factory outlets at Silverthorne , but watch that spending and luggage allowance! We always go back a lot heavier than when we arrived!  Check out our unique catered chalets, geared for groups of 6 or more.

For family entertainment why not try Dog Sledding.Dog Sled Tours begin with guides explaining the sleds and how to handle the beautiful Siberian Huskies. This is a 6-mile relay tour which can handle up to 6 people. The tour is run as a "relay"; all guests will switch between running the dogs, riding in the dogsled, and riding on a small passenger sleigh with the guide. The tour runs for a little more than an hour stopping along the way for everyone to trade places. The guests on the sleigh have the opportunity to take great action shots and video of the people on the dog sled. This tour is a unique and interactive way to experience dog sledding.Prices are around $70 for an adult and $35 for a child.

Resort Information

Season 	            Nov - Mid April
Nearest Airport     Denver
Ski Area 	    250km
Ski Lifts 	    30
Ski Runs 	    139
Longest Run 	    5.5km
Resort Height 	    2926m

Snowball Ratings

Beginners 	    4 / 5
Intermediates 	    5 / 5
Experts 	    4 / 5
Families 	    4 / 5
Nightlife 	    4 / 5
Affordability 	    4.5 / 5
Non Ski Activities  4 / 5