Colorado Adventure Guide

Published a little while back as one of my regular "World Service" guides this feature appeared in On The Hill magazine. Welcome to Colorado..

Orientation

The US state of Colorado is known as the Rocky Mountain State, and for good reason. The huge and gracious Rocky mountain range forms the spine of the Great Continental Divide, which stretches right the way down from Canada in the far north before gradually fading out through the deserts of New Mexico. About halfway down this huge mountain backbone lies Colorado, which takes up far more than its fair share of this prime Rocky rib. Looking at a map of the USA you'll find Colorado just to the south west of the centre, the area that's shaded and crumpled by the huge green and purple mass of the central Rockies. Rolling westbound in from the prairie lands of Kansas we enter Colorado quite gently, but before you know it you hit the mountain doorstep of Denver, the mile high city. From here on westwards are mountains, and more mountains. These huge beasts form the basis for year round mountain activity in the state. Traversing the range to the far west we eventually roll out to Grand Junction, and on towards the red rock deserts of Utah, a stark contrast to the green heights of the central Rockies, and a definite statement of Colorado's diverse versatility.
Northbound the mountains really don't ease off as the Rockies thunder up through Wyoming destination Canada. Southwards we descend slightly as we head in to New Mexico, passing the high mountain prairie lands around Durango the Great Sand Dunes National Monument and the Mesa Verde National Park, a huge desert plateau which marks the states southern boundary.

Getting there and around

Colorado is one massive state, and with it's high mountain lay out it takes quite a while to traverse, which ultimately determines where you fly to. On the whole Denver is the best option, as it's well served by most airlines, and is great for accessing the major central/eastern ski stations. British Airways have a daily scheduled fight to Denver from Gatwick, with fares from around B#350. Most other trans Atlantic airlines also fly via gateway cities to Denver and during the winter many charter operators have great flight deals to Denver. If you're heading to the western area it's worth considering flying to Salt lake City, which is about 4/6 hours drive from the western state resorts. Albuquerque, in Mew Mexico, is a good entry point if you're heading towards Durango or Mesa Verde. Car hire is by far the most practical way of getting around. Expect to pay around B#150-B#200 pwk for car hire. Most resorts are well linked by bus/shuttle services too, Denver - Steamboat with Alpine Taxi costs $110 pp www.alpinetaxi.com. During winter Gunnison, Hayden and to a lesser extent Vail have air links from Denver.

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For details on coach links and travel passes www.greyhound.com

When to go

From November through to April Colorado is more or less ski state, and conditions are usually fairly reliable for ice climbing and all winter activities towards the latter portion of this time. The areas around Gunnison and Durango can be extremely cold during this time. For hiking, biking and other fair weather activities this is not a great time to be in the area. The best times for these activities are spring, summer and autumn. During the spring you get great colours, though it can often be wet during early spring. Summer is usually hot, and you get the glorious colours of Colorado's famous wild flowers. September and early October are a great time to ride and hike here. The weather is generally mild and sunny, the roads peaceful, plus the autumn colours are stunning. During the winter months the western edge of the state, around Grand Junction and Fruita are great for biking, though it may be a tad chilly and have a dusting of snow. Check this out// For local weather info Tel + 1 303 6391111 (west) + 1 303 6391234 (east)

Where to stay

There are plenty of accommodation options all over the state, with prices and standards to suit all budgets and tastes. Outside of the main ski season is also a good time for budget rates in hotels and motels. Most large towns and cities such as Colorado Springs and Boulder will have a number of hotel and motel chains. Rates are usually displayed on boards outside. You can pay anywhere from $40-$100 per room night at these places. There are also many good resort hotels, which offer great package rates even during the winter months. The best option with these is to check things out with the relevant tourist office/chamber of commerce. You'll find quite a few youth hostels in the mountains too. Most allow non-members to stay for a little extra. Rates are usually $15-$20 per night. Campsites are all over the place, and are generally of a good standard; especially the state owned sites. Expect to pay around $10 per night to camp.

Communications

It's really easy to communicate with the rest of the world from anywhere in the States. Most hotel rooms have phones, and most do not charge for local calls. This is great news if you travel with a computer and want to get free Internet access. Payphones are plentiful too, though it's best to get hold of a pre-paid card from a bookstore/supermarket to use these. Tri-band mobile phones work in most areas, but are mega expensive. There are plenty of internet cafes too.

Biking

Cycling is about as huge as it comes in Colorado, be it on or off road. Everyone rides bikes during the summer! Wherever you go you'll be blessed with near perfect summer mountain biking conditions and terrain. There are gre at trails to ride everywhere, even straight out of towns such as Colorado Springs and Boulder. As you move in to the core of the mountains things just get better and better. All of the ski towns have great trail networks, mostly well marked out, and have good bike shops and knowledgeable staff. Crested Butte, out of Gunnison, is one of the best places to ride. There is miles and miles of awesome high mountain dirt roads and some of the best single track you'll find anywhere in the Rockies. The town is also the home of the annual Crested Butte Fat Tire Festival (late June), which is the oldest bike festival in the world. The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame is also in CB. Steamboat Springs is another top place to ride, as are Vail, Breckenridge, Aspen and Durango. Either way you will not be disappointed. And there's more! A small town called Fruita, near to Grand Junction, has some of the finest desert slick rock and single-track trail to be found anywhere. It's rideable year round, and is reputed to be even better than Moab.

Hiking

As you might imagine Colorado is one hell of a place to hike! The terrain is mountainous in a big way, though unlike Europe the mountains, and mountain towns, tend to be housed on high mountain prairies, meaning that there's plenty of easier grade stuff to go at too. This is particularly welcomed during your first few days in the mountains, as the altitude will most definitely hit you hard. Colorado has a staggering 54 of the countries 69 14,000ft plus peaks, which makes choosing a target a tough option. No matter where you go you will find back country hiking options, where you can get away for a day, or even a week without meeting a sole on the trail.

Climbing

There's absolutely no shortage to top quality climbing in Colorado, with grades and locations to suit all abilities. Perhaps some of the best climbing is to be had in the Rocky Mountain National Park. Here you'll find a whole load of crags, which make for good day routes, such as Lumpy Ridge, which is just north of Estes Park. If you're looking for something more serious then there are plenty of alpine faces, which will require an overnight camp and a long walk in. But when scheduling these trips it's best to make an early start to avoid the frequent afternoon thunderstorms.

Winter sports

Snowfall in the Colorado Rockies is pretty reliable. Most of the states 26 resorts open up during early December and run right through until the end of April, though on high ground you'll still find snow during mid summer. Early season tends to be not quite so reliable for good skiing conditions, but this is a great time for bargain hotel and lift rates. Last winter Crested Butte offered free lift passes throughout December! January and February are great times for alpine and powder skiing, some of the prime powder skiing is to be found at Crested Butte and Steamboat, while Breckenridge is great as a base for back country and ski touring. The famous Tenth Hut System is a classic hut-hut ski tour (or summer bike/hike) which was developed as a training run for the US commandos during the war. The system is based around the Aspen-Leadville area. Vail is possibly the most popular alpine ski resort in the states, though it ain't cheap. The town is however well worth a visitseven if just to check out the Swiss style architecture. Steamboat is great for late season skiing too, as its altitude gives if deep snow right through to spring. For easy access Winter Park is a good option. It's just a short train ride out from Denver, and is great for bumps and moguls. Snow shoeing, both recreational and competitive is also very popular. Most resorts offer snowshoe routes, and often daily guided ranger hikes. The higher ground and falls around Gunnison county and Steamboat Springs offer good winter ice and glacier climbing. For links and info on all of the states ski areas go to www.skicolorado.org All ski and tourist info of Steamboat go to www.steamboat-ski.com Info on ski and biking in Crested Butte www.cbmr.com

Wet and wild

People in Colorado are activity freaks, and with the immense pot of adventure opportunities on offer it's really no surprise. White water rafting is very popular here, and just about every hotel/resort offers excursions. Probably the best white water in the state is to be had along the Cache La Poudre River out of Fort Collins, which is a protected stretch of river with amazing falls and cascades along its course. The countries highest limestone cave is the Colorado Marble Cave, which is in the San Isabel National Park. This system is great for those who like to get beneath the surface of things.

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Rocky Mountain Adventures (+1 970 4934005) and Wildwater (+1 970 2243379) offer water based trips around Fort Collins. Going down to South Park b&// Yes South Park actually exists, and as on TV it is in Colorado. But dont expect to find Stan, Kenny and Co because they don't really exist. South Park is in fact a barren area of land somewhere between Gunnison County and Denver!

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The great Sand Dunes National Monument is a 50 odd square mile slice of sandy desert, which seems to have been dropped from the sky right in to the middle of Colorado. The dunes themselves rise up an almighty 750 feet, and you can sand ski down them!