With its known challenging runs, glamorous, cultivated city and celebrity visitors, there may be only one aspect. In fact, the Colorado Resort has four separate mountains and ski areas, which are known together as Aspen Snowmass, all of which are linked to a free shuttle bus service.
The old silver mining city of Aspen itself is at the foot of Aspen Mountain (also known as Ajax). Aspen Highlands are five kilometers west, almost immediately after buttermilk, the only of the four mountains without an important base village. Snowmass, larger than the other three, is still 16 km in the west.
Stay on the right track with the essential facts from the following resort and scroll down to find our insider guidelines for a day about the slopes, expert reviews and advice. Further Aspen inspirations can be found in our leaders for the best accommodation, restaurants and après -ski of the resort.
In this guide:
In the resort
Originally a Victorian mining city, Aspen has many older buildings and its entire accommodation is only a short walk or a free shuttle trip to the city center and the elevators.
In the 1880s the resort enjoyed a short silver miner boom and after decades of neglect, its historical core was brought back to life thanks to the American ski boom of the late 20th century. Glamorous and fashionable, it is delightful to walk around in the evening, shop in designer boutiques and enjoy the varied restaurants and bars, of which there are over 100.
Regardless of whether it is wood pizza, taco, vegan snack or juicy steak, Aspen can also hire the most inadequate grocery lovers, and the hotel dining rooms also offer high-end options.
The mining history of Aspen is remembered in a number of short-term, steep double-black slides on Aspen Mountain, one of the four ski areas, with names such as Zaugg Dump, Last Dollar and Short Snort. Many of them are so -called “Dump” runs, which were built on the steep slopes, on which miners once stormed into the mountain and left stacks of slate and other rubble behind them.
In contrast to Aspens Straßnetz, Snowmass is a specially built city with a pedestrian shopping center and some ski-out options. An Ice Age Discovery Center shows skeletons of large animals (including a woolen mutation) that was discovered in the valley.
From Aspen’s four ski areas, buttermilk is a real mountain of beginners, and beginners and careful intermediate products are boring here in the long, gentle, but by no means boring. In 2022/23, buttermilk opened a new base area for purchase, ski rental, shop, bar area and relaxation lounge. There is also the hiding place, a center that dedicates children to learning in the base area. It has lunch facilities and four learning rooms for interactive game and a gentle slope for the first curves.
Although those who are looking for a challenge to have Ajax in their sights – and it certainly has a reasonable share of hard terrain – the most adventurous mountain is actually Highlands. And despite the challenging reputation, Aspen is also more than a match for intermediate products and beginners – especially from snow mass, there is so much terrain that it has a lot for everyone, regardless of the ability level.
On the slopes
Three of the four ski areas of Aspen are close to each other in the Roaring Fork Valley, and the fourth (snow mass) is a short detour, about 16 km from Aspen Town. All are served by a free ski shuttle bus.
Aspen Mountain (also known as Ajax) is located directly above the city. It has a challenging reputation, fed by disrespectful steep steep and mogul runs such as Face of Bell, but many of the 76 trails here offer good cruises, and at the top is a medium area. Two particularly long and exciting paths, Spar Gulch and Copper Bowl, form the most important routes of the mountain home, which sowed at the end of the day.
Last season, Aspen Snowmass revealed Hero’s, a new high-speed quad chairlift and an expansion of terrain on Aspen Mountain, which increased the area on the resort on the resort of more than 20 percent. With 1,220 vertical feet and more than 150 hectares of new slides, shine and paths, this expansion was the first significant addition to Aspen Mountain since the opening of the Silver Queen Gondola in 1985. The area oriented after north keeps the snow cover in the seasons during the seasons When they are aligned as times north, there are less snowfall.
For 2024/25, Aspen Snowmass debut a brand new high-speed quad lift in snow mass from the base area to the top of the Coney Glade Trail. This replaces the existing Coney -Glade chair and aims to relieve the traffic jams on busy days with a Midway access point.
Aspen Highlands has some excellent slopes for experts, including the B and Y zones on the Lodge Peak (3,560 m) and happy tree runs like Lucky Find and Mystery Gully. Some of the most interesting challenges are in Highland Bowl, the 1,320 m vertical descent for those excitement that are ready to earn their curves with a hike (at 3,775 m).
Skip the hike means to miss the selection of the harvest of steep, double black diamond runs in Highlands-there are six G zone runs (G-2, 3, 4.5, 6 and 8) plus other corkers as an ozone, White kitchen and steeper deep.
Snowmass is huge on North American standards (3,242 acres) and also has the largest continuous vertical decline in the USA (1,343 m). Legend says that so-called resentors, which had started during the conflict between white and American indigenous people, left large parts of the Breerlos Mountain, which proved the ideal configuration for planning an almost completely medium mountain.
Several paths run parallel through the Big Burn area, which is effectively a single way that is almost a mile wide. Although snow mass is the most distant ski area from the city of Aspen, it is less than 20 km away and shouldn’t really be overlooked. It may not be as fashionable as Aspen Mountain or Highlands, but it has a wonderful variety of medium -sized terrain as well as for beginners and experts.
Off-slopes enthusiasts will enjoy the Hanging Valley Glades and the Cirque, which is called up via the only button elevator from Aspen Snowmass.
Buttermilk is a mountain with several personalities. It has 34 km of terrain, a large part of it gently and family -friendly and not overcrowded beginner slopes. In 20222/23, Buttermilk opened a new base for ticket purchase, ski rental, shop, bar area and relaxation lounge. However, it is also known for the fact that the Winter X Games organizes Extreme Sporting Challenge in its extensive Terrain Park and, as such, has become an iconic goal for freestyler.
Buttermilk is also the cock of the locals for a good, unadorned terrain when a large part of the powder has been used up in the other three areas. These secret front parts linger longer because so few powders are aware of them and therefore do not take care of going there.
Who should go?
Aspen Snowmass is one of the most glamorous ski areas in North America, if not the world. The selection of designer shops and the luxury accommodation causes celebrities and alike to flow here in order to have an escape. The call of the A list has led to a gourmet scene that will inspire food lovers and a charming atmosphere from the mountain. The four ski areas have something for all levels, with some real challenges for experts and intermediate.
Where is staying
Aspen is glamorous and fashionable, and while luxury lovers are served well with a selection of upscale hotels, it is not a resort that offers budget options. But there are cheaper areas to spend the night, namely snow mass, because while this ski area has its own base village, it is the farthest from Aspen Town and the other three ski areas. Snowmass village is also best for ski-in/ski-out comfort, but if it is lively and varied accommodations in the heart of the action you are looking for, the city center of Aspen is better. Free ski shuttle buses serve the four ski areas efficiently so that the proximity to a bus stop is practical.
How to get there
Since this resort is expensive, it is not a goal that is preferred by Mainstream UK Ski operator. Instead, it is the North American specialists, including Frontier Ski (Frontier-ski.co.uk), North American Travel Service (NorthamericantravelService.co.co.uk) and Trailfinder (Trailfinder.com), offer winter packages for Aspen as well as the upscale tailor-in winter packages ski operators , including the Oxford Ski Company (Oxfordski.com) and ski Safari (skisafari.com). British Airways Holidays (Britishairways.com) also offers packages with flights to the Denver International Airport for Shuttle Transfer Services or internal United and American Airlines flights to Aspen/Pitkin County Airport, three miles from the resort.
Go
Opening date: November 28, 2024
Connection date: April 20, 2025
The first mountains are to open at the end of November Aspen and Snowmass. Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk open a few weeks later on December 14th and also close from April 6th. January is usually the best month for top conditions and powder days. Winterköl takes place in mid -January and dates from 1951. It is a four -day celebration for Aspen’s unmistakable lifestyle with a diverse event weekend, including concerts and a craft beer festival. The four days fill with a flashlight call and fireworks.
Know before you go
Essential information
-
Important: Esta. International travelers who go to the USA as part of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) are now subject to improved security requirements. The online degree and approval of ESTA (electronic system for travel placement) and the payment of the fee are mandatory for all travelers of the Visa waiver for the Visa waiver before the trip. You can find detailed information on the official website at ESTA.cbp.dhs.gov
-
British general consulate in Chicago: +1 312 970 3800; 625 n Michigan Ave Suite 2200, Chicago, IL 60611
-
Rescue services: Dial 911
-
Tourist office: See Aspensnowmass.com, the website for the Aspen Snowmass Tourist Board to buy lift tickets, and for weather reports, Hebebatus, webcams, traffic details and local event lists. Take tickets, leaflets and other information from ticket offices in every ski area.
The basics
-
Currency: US dollar ($)
-
Telephone code: To call Great Britain, choose 011 44 and then the number – but drop the ‘0’
-
Time difference: -7 hours