Breckenridge, Colorado, USA

Breckenridge is one of the larger ski areas in Colorado and is about two hours by car or shuttle from Denver. Dry snow is plentiful with an average of more than ten feet per season. The powdery snow of the rocky mountains combined with the beautiful scenery makes skiing an extraordinary experience.

Skiing takes place on five mountains, each with a different character. You'll find everything from large flat autostradas and rolling mountain meadows for gliders to really advanced skiing in narrow glades in spruce forests and large open bowls above the tree line, which in Colorado goes just below 4000 meters.

A tip for good skiing is the Appaloosa Bowl located on the backside of Peak 10. There is controlled really steep untracked skiing in a quiet magical snow covered spruce forest with great views of the surroundings. Here you can find untouched lines several days after a snowfall.

Another tip is to take the Imperial Express, which is North America's highest lift, and then hitchhike a couple of 100 meters up the ridge and further to the left as far as possible. Then you drop down into the bowl.

The lift system may not be the most modern in the world but the queues are, by European standards, short even in high season. There are several restaurants on the mountains with typical American menu i.e. burgers, pizzas and sandwiches. We thought the best food was at Seven below Peak 7. The atmosphere is calm and laid back in the whole area.

As well as world-class skiing, there is a pleasant town with small houses around a beautifully decorated main street in a sort of old-fashioned Wild West/Victorian style. There are many small shops, restaurants and pubs. It is obvious that they have chosen to keep the big chains at a distance and instead focus on small scale.

It's worth buying a season pass as the price is earned after just five days. This also allows you to ski in several other nearby ski areas such as Arapaho Basin, Keystone, Vail or Beaver Creek.

It is worth pointing out that Breckenridge, like most Colorado ski resorts, is at a very high altitude with accommodation at +2900 meters and skiing at +4000 meters with everything from extra time to cook pasta to altitude sickness. The weather is very changeable and a sunny day can quickly turn into an icy snowstorm with a whiteout without warning. You should therefore plan your trip, clothing and equipment carefully and read up on how best to prevent altitude sickness. Adding an extra day for acclimatization and at least doubling your normal fluid intake is also a good idea for a good skiing and travel experience.

There is an excellent brochure on high altitude travel here.