Aspen mountain

The Aspen Mountain is found to the south of Aspen, Colorado, in the United States, and is part of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. It is noted in particular as the primary centre of the Aspen Mountain ski area which enjoys great popularity in the US.

The Aspen Mountain ski area, or Ajax as the locals refer to it, is found in Pitkin Country, Colorado and sits on the northern side of the mountain from which it takes its name. It is part of the Aspen/Snowmass complex and covers a small 673 acres which makes it smaller than most ski areas, but at the same time still offers a unique cultural flavour that traces back to when skiing first started within the state.

There are two lifts that are gondolas and one chairlift which travel down the slopes, which conveniently end up in the centre of the Aspen downtown. Thus, many people enjoy heading to the Aspen Mountain ski area due to the fact they can either take the lift into town or simply ski down the slopes to the middle of town.

Within the last two years the Ajax opened its slopes to snowboarders which previously had been banned from the pistes. The longest run is 4.8m and the lift can transport about 11,000 riders per hour, which creates reasonable queue times outside of during peak ski times. Aspen Mountain has snowmaking capabilities for about one third of the area so there is still skiing even when the weather conditions are not great.

So what's great?

For the most part the Aspen ski area is best for intermediate and expert skiers given the fact that there are not any beginner runs. However, novice skiers can still come along on holiday with those heading to Ajax because the surrounding three ski areas all offer green runs. In fact, about 26% of Aspen Mountain pistes are at least expert if not black diamond trails. The general ski season at Ajax lasts every year from the end of November to the beginning of April and is in fact the last ski resort in the area to close during the winter time. Off the pistes there is a unique cultural thrill to the Ajax area with a number of tributes and memorials that dot the pistes that honour famous figures such as Hunter S Thompson and John Denver that can be fun to visit along with the scattered restaurants and pubs and of course the town of Aspen.