The high life: Sampling the slopes of Aspen

In the world of travel, the word ‘unique’ is thrown around so often it’s practically lost all meaning. Airlines, hotels, cruise lines: everyone claims their experience is a ‘one of a kind’, when really, if you dig a bit deeper, it’s often just more of the same. But the US ski town of Aspen really is unique. 

Where else would you see someone step off the slopes and change into cowboy boots and a fur coat, with a diamond ring the size of Colorado glinting in the sun? Aspen is a laid-back, former mining town with historically hippy undertones that blends world-class skiing, Rocky Mountains swagger and unapologetic glamour unmatched by any other resort. Visitors are encouraged to take ‘The Aspen Pledge’, which exhorts them to explore responsibly and “get lost in thoughts, but not in the woods” and “honour the history and heritage of those who were here before”.

It has a quaint, 136-year-old opera house. Numerous chief executive and tech bro billionaires call it home, spending up to $100 million on a house, and it’s a regular haunt for visiting celebs. You never know, you might be on a chairlift with Justin Bieber, Kylie Jenner or Mariah Carey, who have all been spotted in town. Aspen is unique because it’s bringing sexy back to skiing. The good news is that while it perhaps won’t be the cheapest week of your life, you don’t have to run a hedge fund or marry a Kardashian to enjoy the magnificent ski runs, fun bars and cool restaurants that have been luring winter-sports enthusiasts here since the 1940s.