Mountain fever in Aspen

Adrenalin pumps on the slopes but save some energy for the town's nightlife.

On the face of it was a dream assignment. No, let's not understate things, it was a dream assignment: Fly to Aspen, Colorado, and gather impressions of the local ski scene. Sweet.

But I knew things had gone horribly wrong when, after I became short of breath on Aspen Mountain, ski patrol team leader Randy Eis first asked me what day it was, then followed that with the slightly more urgent inquiry as to whether I had any chest pain.

"Thursday and ahh, no, I don't think so," I mumbled through the oxygen mask clamped to my face, all the while thinking, "That's cool, his surname is German for ice-cream". Which illustrates how scrambled my brain was at the time.

After four days at the American ski resort I had altitude sickness, and now had a rapid descent in a bright red toboggan to look forward to.

Only minutes earlier, New Zealand ski instructor Paul Speedy (no prizes for guessing his nickname) had been imploring me to find the edge - of my skis - in the charming way only someone who had risen through the ranks of Canterbury rugby can.

Later, at my hospital bedside, the former openside flanker admitted that the ski patrol guys had been rather concerned as the oxygen saturation level of my blood would have been much the same had I been nearing the top of Everest. Now I know how Sir Ed felt.

Once a silver-mining settlement, Aspen nestles in a valley 2400m up in the Rocky Mountains. Surrounded by peaks of up to 4267m, the rideable terrain begins about 3800m up. By comparison the on-piste slopes at Ruapehu end at 2300m.

Visitors risk altitude sickness at elevations of 2590m and above, especially if they have come directly from near sea level (read Auckland).

It is a potentially fatal condition which more often affects the young and old but can strike even those who are in good shape.

Conventional wisdom has it that visitors should drink lots of water, avoid coffee and alcohol and take it easy to minimise the risk, when first arriving at altitude.

Ascending slowly is also a good idea - in Aspen's case perhaps spending a day or two in Denver before travelling to the resort.

Dr Scott Gallagher of the Aspen Valley Hospital ER (I'll never watch that programme in the same way again) later told me that preventive medicine can be taken in tablet form before arriving at altitude. Great!

Hindsight being a wonderful thing, I would recommend talking to a doctor before leaving on a similar trip. And, of course, make sure your travel insurance is comprehensive and up to date. My bill stands at US$8500 ($12,000).

Treatment is simple but time-consuming, involving oxygen, bed rest and a return to lower altitudes.

In my case that meant an overnight hospital stay and three days confined to the ever-so-friendly Boomerang Lodge while hooked up to an oxygen machine (think the boy in the bubble without the bubble but with 60 channels of cable TV).

Luckily - if luck can be associated with this particular trip - I had managed to sample some of the excellent skiing Aspen has to offer before keeling over.

Aspen-Snowmass, as the resort is known, encompasses four ski-fields: Buttermilk, Aspen Highlands, Aspen Mountain and Snowmass.

With almost 2000ha of ski-able terrain, three terrain parks, two halfpipes, two superpipes and more than 300 trails serviced by 42 lifts, the scale is mind-blowing and the possibilities seemingly endless.

Speedy and I first tackled Buttermilk which, with an abundance of green (beginner) and blue (intermediate) runs, is an ideal way to find your ski-legs.

The first thing that strikes you is the lack of crowds - no queues here - something Speedy puts down to the sheer size of the resort and its relative isolation. It's a long drive to Aspen from Denver, the nearest major population centre.

Dappled with pine and Aspen poplar, the groomed slopes are a haven for skier, and snowboarders are in the minority.

Three hours into it, my thighs were screaming and we stopped to grab a Mongolian BBQ at the Cliffhouse cafe and to check out the views of the impressive Pyramid Peak (4272m).

Speedy warned me that one consequence of the ease of access to the lifts and the length of runs at Aspen is fatigue. The longest run on Buttermilk is 5km and Snowmass boasts a single run of 8.5km. After a couple of hours skiing at Aspen, you'll have made more turns than in a whole day at Ruapehu, he said.

So, not wanting to overdo it, I left the slopes mid-afternoon, dropped my rental skis off at the excellent free transfer service, asking that they be sent on to Aspen Highlands, and then jumped on the complementary shuttle bus back into town.

After a soak in a hot spa and a wee lie-down I headed out to sample Aspen's fantastic (if you believe the guidebooks) apres-ski scene.

With more than 150 bars and restaurants there is plenty of choice and prices to suit most budgets.

I settled down with a huge pork shank at local favourite L'Hostaria and with our exchange rate at US74c to the dollar, the US$25 price tag seemed more than reasonable.

L'Hostaria is one of many Aspen eateries which also boast extensive bar menus which peak at about US$15. For about the same money, a beer and a burger is an easy option for cheap eats at many bars.

For obvious reasons, Aspen's nightlife largely passed me by. Although the impression was of a family-friendly resort, I could imagine things picking up during special events such as the X-Games and the Spring Jam, which attract thousands of younger folk.

The next day, putting my deteriorating condition down to jet lag, I jumped on the bus to Aspen Highlands.

The last ski-field to join the Snowmass grouping, Aspen Highlands is still known as the locals' mountain. It features a variety of green and blue runs but is most well known for the extreme and expert-only skiing in the Highland Bowl.

At the top of the Lodge Peak lift the hardy hike (or catch a snowcat) the 244 vertical metres to the alpine bowl, which boasts a 3779m summit. From there it is a 457m vertical drop of steep and gladed terrain.

Now this puppy wasn't anywhere going near that kind of territory, but a trip to the remodelled ski patrol headquarters at Lodge Peak was worth a visit. From its huge viewing deck the views are amazing.

My ill-fated ascent of Aspen Mountain began with a laboured stroll through town, as it is a truly ski-in ski-out field.

I took in the colonial architecture, noted there was a rugby pitch in the centre of town (no, I wasn't hallucinating, Aspen boasts one of Colorado's best teams) and even managed to enjoy the fantastic views of Aspen Valley from the gondola.

The rest, unfortunately, you already know.

* Robin Martin visited Aspen as guest of Air New Zealand and Aspen Snowmass.

Checklist 

Aspen, Colorado

Getting there

Air New Zealand has frequent direct services between Auckland and San Francisco. From both airports, Air NZ codeshares with United Airlines to Denver or Aspen.

Taking ski gear

Flights to the USA have a baggage allowance of two pieces of checked-in baggage a person, with no single piece of baggage weighing more than 32kg, so that's plenty to get your ski gear up to the USA. For more information visit the Air NZ website, phone 0800 737 000 or visit your nearest Air NZ Travelcentre.

Packages

Go Holidays Ski and Board has a great value package for Aspen from just $2899 a person. (Costs vary according to dates, and the package must be booked by June 30). The package includes return travel with Air NZ from Auckland to Denver, seven nights' accommodation at Mountain Chalet and a six-day lift pass valid at Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk and Snowmass. (A free bus service runs between the mountains daily.) The price does not include aviation taxes or return transportation from Denver which costs approximately $250. For details and bookings, call Go Holidays Ski and Board on 0800 846-754