Telluride, Colorado

Telluride is situated in the pristine San Juan Mountains in the South West of Colorado. The town is just 70 miles from Montrose airport, which is directly connected to several major cities. (Telluride airport is just 10 miles away, but only offers limited Denver or Phoenix flights). The resort nestles at the end of a valley road, surrounded by majestic mountain peaks, which rise to a height of over 14000ft. Many of the lower slopes are fantastically good for skiing - they're heavily wooded with aspens, and the gradients vary from mild to steep.

A separate ski village (at 9540ft, 790ft above the town) is reached from the town by free gondola (it's just a 13 minute ride), which runs from early morning to midnight. Most vacationers do without a car for their stay, as the twin-centered resort forms a compact unit, with everything easy to reach on foot.

First timers will appreciate the well-managed Telluride Ski & Snowboard School. They run a popular '3 Day Beginner Adventure' which aims to have you up and running very quickly. The trails down from the Sunshine lift (starts in the ski village) are some of the easiest angled beginner's terrain in Colorado.

Intermediates will have a dream time, since there's a huge number of exciting runs to tackle. Guiseppe's restaurant (reached by the Plunge lift) is the start point for some of the best runs, including See Forever and Woozley's Way. Alternatively head over to Prospect Bowl, to try Magnolia and Sandia, 2 very exhilirating trails.

The better skiier will find some magnificent double- black skiing. Try the runs from Guiseppe's overlooking the town - favorites are Power Line and Spiral Stairs, steep lines through trees. Or go further up the mountain to test yourself on the steep chutes accesible form the top of the Gold Hill lift. New for the 2008 season, is the opening of Black Iron Bowl (accessible via Prospect Lift), which offers 8 new runs in steep mountainous ski terrain.

Lodging is available both in the Mountain Village - modern and luxurious, or in historical Telluride town itself (there are some wonderful character Victorian properties, thanks to the town's heritage as a mining center). The village is more convenient as a skiing base, but the town offers a wider range of facilities and evening venues. In good snow conditions both locations are ski- in, ski-out, but sometimes the runs that lead down to town from village are a little bare. There's a third alternative if you've deep pockets - the stunningly situated 'Tempter House' up at a lofty (12200ft). If you don't suffer from a mild bout of altitude sickness, your finances will suffer as you indulge in the sheer indulgence of this up-market hotel (the Ritz meets mountain hut!).