aspen ski holidays
Take off on an Aspen ski holiday with The Co-operative Travel, where you’ll discover one of America’s – and the world’s – finest winter resorts.
For Americans, this area is ‘ski central’, at the heart of the Elk Mountains, an offshoot of the Rockies, comprising four peaks each served by a mini-resort of their own.
The four mountains between them offer a good choice of grades of skiing, from the beginner-friendly Buttermilk slopes, to the steeper and more challenging Aspen Mountain.
The most family-friendly peak, Snowmass, boasts wide, open trails and an extensive ski-in/ski-out lodging. Buttermilk has by far the best-known and most popular runs: indeed it has hosted the Winter X games for an unprecedented 10 years, with 2010 due to be their swansong before moving elsewhere. It’s no surprise, then, to learn that it’s a magnet for snowboarders, who can avail themselves of no fewer than five terrain parks.
Aspen also caters for other winter sports including ice skating and Nordic or cross-country skiing, while in summer it’s an immensely popular white water rafting location.
sighseeing for all budgets in aspen
Away from the slopes, an Aspen winter holiday from The Co-operative Travel brings plenty of opportunities for hiking, fishing and cycling, as well as the much less strenuous pastime of simple sightseeing. There is a number of art galleries to visit, the Wheeler Opera House is open for regular tours, and a theatre and concert hall both host extensive event programmes.
The town’s Woody Creek Tavern will be known to fans of author Hunter S Thompson, which has made it an attraction in its own right, while the John Denver Sanctuary Park commemorates the famous songwriter who conveyed his love of Aspen through many of his songs, some of whose lyrics are carved into rocks in the park.
Of course, a lively nightlife goes with a ski resort like cream with strawberries, so you won’t find Aspen wanting in any respect. Scores of bars vie for business from the après ski crowd, while many are thronged even out of season – proving that an Aspen holiday has attractions for many who never even strap on a pair of skis.
Aspen Airport is only served by internal flights, visitors from the UK having to transfer at Denver International Airport.
Aspen is for many people the pinnacle of winter holiday resorts, its natural wonders having prompted the development of a number of attractions aimed squarely at the bright young things and a healthy clutch of celebrity skiers. See for yourself why it has earned its exalted position among Americans on an Aspen holiday from The Co-operative Travel.