 Poster: A snowHead
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I like reading the reports on here so thought I'd contribute one. Apologies if it's rubbish / too long etc etc. Prior to March last year the only sliding I'd done was of the nordic variety and on our dog sled. My first experience was in Åre Sweden where we did 4 days. Since then we have been sliding on Cairngorm and the Lecht a few times so we were really looking forward to some decent skiing.
Anyway, we booked ages ago and went with Breckenridge because it appeared to be reliable in terms of snow. Unfortunately Colorado hasn't had the best season and the locals told us it was the worst snow in a few years (and last year was poor also). Still, there was enough and we had a great time. On a couple of days it was quite icy, but Scottish skiing had prepared us well for that.
So, Breckenridge has 4 peaks numbered 7 - 10. Peak 7 was almost all blue runs with more rolling terrain. Some good fun to be had on there, I liked Wirepatch the best. Peak 8 had a mixture of everything. There's a zone at the bottom where all the runs merge but it's massively wide. There was a huge terrain park on this Peak. Peak 9 was mainly blues, a couple of easier blacks and a large number of very flat green's at the bottom. These looked ideal for learning on and were accessed by a high speed chair, way flatter than anything I learned on in Åre. I liked the Gold King run as it was more varied than most. We didn't venture onto Peak 10 as it was all black terrain and unlike the odd section of black on Peak 9 they were black all the way down so probably beyond our capabilities. At the very top of Peak 7&8 are some bowls and double black terrain. All but a small section was closed due to lack of snow but I believe these have opened up now. All the main runs were very wide and most were groomed nightly.
Each Peak had at least 1 high speed chair which was fantastic. During the week it was quiet and there were no queues at all. On Friday it got busier, then a lot busier at the weekend. The slopes were never that crowded but most of the chairs had lines of approx 10 minutes or more in some cases. We quickly found a way to avoid the queues though. From the top of Peak 9 we ski'd down (various options) to the Peak 8 superconnect then from the top of Peak 8 down Springmeier and onto the Four-O-Clock run (this is a green but it's narrow, unpisted and rolling so good fun). We then took the slower C Chair back up to Peak 9. We never queued for either of these lifts.
There are a LOT of staff on the slopes, from information people to ski school to the 'speed police'. There are a few designated slow zones and we did see people getting chucked off for going too fast. They have signs up everywhere about not going too fast on blue's and green's. The chairlifts are superb and you even get some entertainment on the way up by seeing what items of underwear you can spot in the trees. We saw 2 bra's and a pair of Y fronts amongst all the crazy beads (you get the beads at the base of Peak 7......my contribution is somewhere beside the Mercury lift).
We took our own boots & ski's but for info there were dozens of places to rent in the town. Speaking of the town, it is not cheap, even the supermarket was expensive....really expensive. Eating out was pricey but not ridiculous, plenty reviews on tripadviser. We stayed at the Doubletree by Hilton which was right next to the Quicksilver and Beaver run chairs. The hotel was nothing special but had everything we needed including a very comfy bed and some hot tubs. There was a big fridge allowing beer to be purchased in a cheaper location than the hotel - an important point to mention. There is a free local bus network and for anyone self catering it would be well worth using this to go to the Wallmart store beside Frisco.
Lift tickets - very expensive. We saved a fortune by buying a season pass called a summit value epic pass (it has some local holiday restrictions). You have to buy them by sometime in November. This also meant we could ski all 8 days, including a swift 1 1/2hr slide before we got picked up on the final day. We got a free basic tune at Breck sports with the pass as well worth $40. The pass was either $319 or $329...I forget which and it is also valid at some other resorts including Keystone which can be accessed via free local bus network (and has night skiing).
Altitude - I mention this as the locals said a lot of visitors suffered with this. I can honestly say we barely noticed it. We didn't drink gallons of water, we didn't use the humidifier provided and we didn't take any supplements. We simply drank water when we were thirsty. The only thing we did find was that we were out of puff when going up the stairs in the hotel a wee bit more than normal.
Booking / travel - I booked it all online but not via a tour operator. We flew with BA from Aberdeen to Denver via Heathrow. Had a disaster in Heathrow and sat for 7 HOURS on the aircraft awaiting de-icing. We used Colorado Mountain Express for the transfer and they were great, no issues with putting us on a later shuttle to accommodate us.
So, all in all we had a great holiday. I wouldn't go back simply because I'd rather experience somewhere different but I would definately recommend it. I have no idea how the resort would be for those of you more experienced - probably disappointing with all the bowls being closed off.
Happy to (try and) answer any questions if anyone has any.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Glad you had a good time despite the less than epic snow season. I was surprised when you said there were no blues on Peak 10. We skied there a couple of years ago and there were some runs that I think were marked blue, they might have been marked blue/black. They were somewhat steeper than the blues on the other peaks with more sustained pitch, but certainly accessible to decent intermediates. Breck is a neat town.
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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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suzysparkle, Thanks. Great report. A few pictures will be good 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Nice write up. The only part that suprised me was stating the town was not cheap, but then I remembered my last visit started in Aspen - anywhere else then appears cheap  At least there are plenty of options, Rasta Pasta is cheap and different.
It's the most cosmopolitan 'base area' I've visited in the US, don't think they are all like that, many are very quiet by 9 p.m.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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suzysparkle, Great thanks!
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I too looked at their most recent piste map and it's all marked black. It wasn't 2 years ago. I've poked around a bit too and apparently they eliminated the blue/black rating. I've read for liability reasons. There are trails on Peak 10 that, if groomed, are definitely fine for a solid intermediate.
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| suzysparkle wrote: |
| Altitude - I mention this as the locals said a lot of visitors suffered with this. I can honestly say we barely noticed it. We didn't drink gallons of water, we didn't use the humidifier provided and we didn't take any supplements. |
The OP's location explains this - being tough is the best defence
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Nice report - 10 is steepish but a number of runs not really any more severe than a Euro red and usually better groomed.
Think price inflation has hit captive markets like ski resorts more heavily in the US - certainly I've seen local supermarkets charge a lot more than members of the same chain in a surburban centre.
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Good report. We went to Breck two years ago but unfortunately we werent as lucky and did suffer with the altitude.
Not badly - just felt lightheaded, a little nauseous and out of breath but it only lasted a few days. Being a cruiser I enjoyed
Breck immensely - there is something for everyone. Stayed in Pine Ridge Condos which was nearly ski in and was excellent.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I was in Breckenridge last week. Lovely to see suzysparkles photos and I agree with everything she wrote.
A couple of things to add from my experience. For those looking for something a bit more adventurous try the "Hike to Terrain" off the top of the Imperial Express (apparently North Americas highest chair lift). Launching into the double black diamond bowl from an altitude of 3960m was quite an experience.
Also, and no vested interest at all here, I would recommend Black Tie Ski Rental. They cost a little bit more but the kit was first rate and, a real winner for us travelling with youngish kids, they delivered to and collected from the hotal room. This was most welcome at 9pm on a Saturday night after a long journey from the UK.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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When you're on the 'hike', you know you're nearly at 4,000M!
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Certainly had my heart-rate going faster than at any point on skis in the last 25 years!
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You know it makes sense.
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FYI: the bras and underwear in trees off the lift are supposed to be the undies of a tourist that slept with a local, who then took the undies and then throws them in the tree.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Nice report, just a shame there aren't any speed police in France. France has the best skiing in the world, but also the biggest number of knob heads who speed on Green and Blues. Honestly speed kings, whizzing past my 3 year old son, at 90 mph, really doesn't impress him. It doesn't make you look big, and as this season has proved, you're likely to injure people. If you want to go fast and impress people, join a ski club where the close off pistes so you can go fast. And that is why I have sworn never to go back to France.
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FAQ
. One of the things we looked for in the Supermarket was shower gel as the hotel had none (and I never packed any assuming the hotel would have it)...the bog standard el cheapo variety was $7 
!! We stuck with the soap the hotel did provide 
.
