10 of the Best Ski Tours in Colorado

Home to no less than 53 14,000ft peaks, Colorado is the most mountainous state in the Lower 48. In amongst those mountains are some world-famous ski areas, and there are few skiers on the planet who haven't dreamt of exploring the pristine slopes of Vail, Telluride, Aspen and the other Colorado hotspots.

This guidebook will take you to those famous ski resorts but it's focused on the ski tours which can be accessed from them rather than the groomed runs to which most visitors flock. The tours vary from cruisy, half day affairs like Birthday Chutes (a fun little area accessed from the Telluride lift system) to huge epics like "The Power of Five" - a humungous adventure through the Crested Butte backcountry. In between you'll find classics like Boxcar Couloir on Mount Wilson, one of Telluride's 14000ers, "High Voltage" on Morgan Peak above Keystone, Silver Couloir above Silverthorne and the route to ski one of Colorado's most famous 14000ers - the legendary North Maroon Peak above Aspen. There are also a couple of day tours (such as Mcmillan Peak - a beginner tour from Red Mountain Pass near Telluride) which start from highways close to ski resorts rather than from the resorts themselves.

Whatever your preference, and whether you love to go big or stay closer to home, you'll find a Colorado ski adventure in here to suit your tastes. If you manage to do all 10, you can really consider yourself a ski connoisseur of the Centennial State!