 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi
I quite like the look of Breckenridge. So I am after all the info including costs once there, hotels versus catered chalets, tour operators to use, ski schools, best aiport to fly from, places to eat, best time of year to go etc etc
I would say we are lower intermediate skiers so from what I have read it should be suitable for us?
Thx
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The skiing should suit you, I'd imagine, especially if you're ready to be a bit adventurous; there's big range, from cruising blues to unpisted double blacks, all patrolled and easily accessible. Vail and a few other resorts are on the lift pass and easily accessible for a day's skiing. We stayed in a condo at the foot of the Quicksilver Super 6 lift, called Liftside, which it is. Very convenient, a bit shabby, and the room (with kitchen ) was a bit cozy for 4, but OK. It's a decent sized town with bars and restaurants of all types (bearing in mind you're in N.America). On mountain food is typically N.American, probably better than average.
Fly to Denver, from where it's an hour or so (?) drive.
There's only one ski school, which seemed OK.
The drawback is the altitude; you sleep at 10 000' and ski higher. We didn't notice it skiing, but it does nothing for your ability to sleep, especially if you're already jet lagged, and you cough and snuffle, and a headache's always just around the corner. If you hit the bars big time, you'll know all about it the next day. Some people can't cope at all; there's a good local trade in oxygen cylinders. If you know that you can cope OK with altitude, go for it; if not, I'd skip it and head elsewhere in the Rockies. We enjoyed our hol, but we would've enjoyed it more if the place had been a couple of thousand feet lower.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Dear SparkyGirl
Breckenridge is a fabulous city, and the city of Breckenridge has a great site regarding accomodations. You do not need to stay slope side to enjoy, as there is a great bus service.
As a city Breckenridge is one of the best in Colorado, with great charm. Altitude sickness is a problem throughout the rockies, yet it is no biggie, unless you are in poor shape and a very agressive skier.
The ski school we was fantastic for my son, and if you travel with beginners there is one mega long green slope that is allmost flat, whereas Peak 9 has some great challenging skiing, Peak 8 has everything, and Peak 7 has intermidiate and harder trails.
The ski terrain has challanges for all, and skiing there is particularily good from christmas through april, whereas ajcent Keystone and A-Basin is better from October.
Breckenridge will give you the fantastic Colorado Powder, coupled with a great area, which in my book is the most charming in Colorado. If you can visit Vail as well, but just go for it girl!
       
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Sparkygirl, Jens obviously rates Breckenridge, and quite right too. I'm not sure that 'fabulous city' is the description that I'd use. NY, Paris, Prague, fair enough; Breck ... hmmm. It is a reasonably pleasant place, inclined to be busy, and with the usual N.Anerican pros and cons. It's a much pleasanter town than Vail, but then most places are. I preferred Aspen as a town, but to each his own.
There is at least one other thread on here about Breck whch talks about altitude. Either it bothers you or it doesn't. My experience is that fitness has little or nothing to do with it (within limits, at least).
If you fancy it, go for it. If the worst comes to the worst, you'll just have to buy some oxygen!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Admittedly I do not rate Breck in the same league as Paris, Rome, Venice, Prague..., yet it has a load of good resturants, shops and life in general. Breck has the same charme as many ski towns in the Alps, and this is not the general standard in the Rockies. I agree with Richmond on Aspen. It is a town to see, but it is expensive to do for a week or two.
Depending on your preference, the district of Summit county offers a lot of different opportunity. You can stay more reasonably in Dillon or Frisco, and reach areas like Breckenridge, Loveland, Keystone, A-Basin, Copper Mountain, Vail and Beaver Creek within 15-30 minutes of driving.
That is a formula for a Great Vacation.
If you are into off piste Vail has 1800 acres of Back Bowls served by 4 lifts.
The skiareas in the Rockies do not measure up to the best french resorts, but the snow and the service is so much better
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Avoid New Year when its the busiest ski resort in N America (Denver casual skiers plus Texans). Condos generally pretty high standard & decent sized compared to "traditional" minute Euro appartments. Direct flights to Denver are a real bonus but there are are some unbeatable prices offered on some packages that you'll just not match doing it yourself.
Will on average be colder than Euro resorts + lots of options for food + apres ski margaritas
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good stuff written so far. i have always said that if you are looking for 25 t-shirt stores breck is a superb town. it is the busiest ski resort in north america. imagine your busiest beach resort on the busiest holiday and then.............double it.
there are better choices IMHO.
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| Jens wrote: |
Lines are shorter in Breck than in Winther Park during peak season, as the lift equipment is generally better, and skiers are dispursed more evenly in the terrain.
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i don't think you will find many folks working in the ski industry in colorado who will agree with the above. breck sets the benchmark for crowds and lines.
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I can't compare Breckenridge with other Colorado resorts (it didn't seem very different from Aspen in terms of (lack of) crowds), but for those of us used to major European resorts, neither the towns nor the slopes will seem particularly busy.
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