People can be very selfish on holiday, and relationships are often tested. Even choosing a destination can lead to a break-up. Most of us have just one chance to get away each year, and we want to make the most of it. That’s why he’ll grumble when you tell him there has to be shops. That’s why she’ll grumble when you tell her about the jet skis. By Craig Tansley
Nowhere is this more likely to be tested than on a ski holiday. Let’s face it, even if you’re both mad keen skiers, it’s highly possible that by the end of the trip one of you will still be keen, while the other will probably just be mad, very mad most likely and getting madder by the minute as you try to convince them how much fun skiing really is. I can tell you all about it. My partner is Austrian so, like all her countrymen, she was born in the snow and raised by wild huskies. Austria’s national icon is a downhill ski madman, Hermann Maier – she’s even related to him. But when we went skiing last year she moaned constantly that there wasn’t anything else to do. That’s why she’s here with me in Vail; we’ve been here a week and I haven’t heard a peep of complaint from her at all.

On the contrary, I’ve never seen her look so content. When it comes to choosing a ski destination that suits everyone, Vail, the world’s second biggest ski resort (which should be the biggest, they’ll tell you, if Whistler and Blackcomb weren’t classified as one mountain) is about the safest bet you’ll ever have on holiday. If you get bored here, then maybe it’s time to don the jumpsuit, find a tall cliff and go base jumping (actually, that’s probably offered here, everything else is). As we sit, arms around each other, riding a sleigh through pristine white snow as the full moon shines its light down on the Tyrolean-style buildings more often found in my partner’s native Austria, it’s so cold that I can’t tell if that’s her hand or mine patting me on the back for choosing to take a romantic ski holiday here.

If I were to propose anywhere, it would most probably be here. Vail is romance personified. Every notion you ever had as a kid, of ski towns covered in snow and framed by massive snowy mountains was of this place, unlike so many ski towns which don’t live up to the promise. As a result, it feels as if you’ve been here before when you arrive. It’s as slick a ski village as you’ll see anywhere in the world, but what’s more, there’s the ‘cowboy thang’ that makes Vail unique. Tunes from The Eagles blare out of many après-ski bars and men wear Stetsons and cowboy boots. In the hills above Vail one night we killed the engines of our snow mobiles for a look out over it all. It was as if every western I’d ever watched had come to life, out here in the rugged mountains of the wild west with the Indians circling and the coyotes howling under that same clear, full moon. I doubted I’d ever seen anything look more beautiful. Nothing gives you the same thrill as a night in the snow, there’s an innocence about it, as if you’re reverting to childhood and you can’t hide that incomparable youthful excitement with the same practised indifference we all perfect from years of living. If John Wayne and the Lone Ranger could ride a 162 Burton Freestyle board like they could a horse, I’m sure they would’ve been far less trouble to the Apaches. It’s so beautiful you can’t stop smiling like a Cheshire cat, in fact, the smile doesn’t come off the whole time you’re in Colorado. Vail is really like the ultimate couple’s theme park: massive rideable mountains, chalets full of timber – timber ceilings, timber floors, timber beams, timber beds, even timber burning in cosy log fires perfect for snuggling up in front of, gorgeous romantic bars that never seem to close and plenty of frenetic bars if you’re feeling lively after a day on the slopes, dimly lit restaurants which serve dishes from every country on earth, hot natural springs and shops, stacks of them, enough to keep every woman (or man) happy for a month.

And the skiing and boarding? Well, Vail has some of the best powder snow on the planet. Last season was the best in over 20 years and by December, when we visited, Vail had experienced its highest recorded pre-Christmas snowfall in history. Put it this way, if you like to see your feet when you ski or ride, maybe it’s best to avoid Vail. Like the rest of Colorado, Vail is at a massive elevation, meaning you get a lot of snow, and it’s all the dry, fluffy variety. Last year, a friend suffered altitude sickness. The only cure is to go lower, the only trouble is around here there is no lower so she had to sit it out in hospital. For instance, our highest mountain, Kosciuszko, stands at 2228 metres or 7310 feet. Vail stands tall at 3427 metres or 11 570 feet and it receives a staggering 879 centimetres of snow a season. But the best thing about Vail is its massive size. They say that even on a busy day here there’s only four people per acre, because Vail has 193 trails, 2140 hectares of skiable terrain and seven back bowls of deep ungroomed powder with names like Siberia and Inner and Outer Mongolia where people can, and do, go missing for months without anyone noticing. You can even ski a run that lasts for over six kilometres (Riva). If you’re game Vail also has a superpipe to ride with 18-foot walls, and there’s four terrain parks. Over half the mountain is considered expert terrain, but despite the fact only 18 percent of the mountain is designated beginner, the sheer size of the place still means you have hectares and hectares to hone your skills before taking on the steep stuff. It also means if you travel with your partner, everyone has areas to ski that best suit their ability.

The fun sure doesn’t stop at Vail when the ski lifts do. In many ways, that’s really when it begins. Vail takes après-ski to another level, there are more bars and restaurants to choose from here than in the city of Sydney. There’s everything from local bars with pizza, like Vendetta’s, to hardcore party bars like The Club where a different live act plays every night, to boutique bars if you like things a little quieter and more sophisticated – a cocktail in the martini bar of Club Chelsea is a great option after a busy day on the slopes.
For mine, there’s nothing better than regaling your partner with your tales of high speed near-collisions and spectacular tricks (you can embellish everything here, that’s what’s so great about America, everything’s bigger and better) over a jug of locally brewed Colorado beer on the picnic tables facing Vail mountain with the locals at the Sundance Saloon. You’ll hear your fair share of Hotel California here (although, think Hotel Colorado for more ambience). It’s one of the last of the true ski bars left in Vail. The day isn’t complete until you take a gondola ride to the Blue Moon Restaurant to witness the most spectacular sunsets in all of Colorado. It’s as romantic here as a South Pacific ocean sunset.
You couldn’t visit Vail without sampling the incredible tasting menu at The Wildflower, rated as one of Colorado’s Top 10 restaurants. I couldn’t go past the Pan Seared Diver Scallops and the Gingerbread Crusted Colorado Lamb Rack washed down with a Californian red. Other amazing options not generally available on piste include the American-French style cuisine at the Game Creek Club Restaurant and the mouth-watering Italian treats waiting at Toscanini’s. Skip desserts and check out a street concert instead, there’s one every Wednesday night and it seems at Vail there’s always an event around the corner.

A good one to try is the Vail Film Festival held each March, or if you’re feeling more energetic, some of the United States’ biggest music stars come in to play each season. In fact, Vail has become the hang-out of choice for rock stars and actors of late, almost surpassing Aspen for its celeb factor. But be warned, don’t come here to see stars – I’ve been here twice now in the past 18 months and the only stars I saw were the ones I saw when I hit my head doing a tree run.
There’s also many other things to do during the day if you get sick of boarding or skiing. You can try ski biking, snowshoeing, snow mobiling, mountain biking, ice climbing, cross-country skiing, you can watch a movie at the cinema, or just hang out at one of Vail’s famous aprés-ski bars like the Red Lion or Los Amigos. Or, you could hire a Hummer and drive through the streets and pretend you’re some famous couple, Brad and Ange perhaps? It worked for us, I still get my friends to call me P.Craigy.

Fact File
Getting there:
Book with United Airlines all the way through to Eagle Airport, 15 minutes from Vail, which takes you through San Francisco and Denver; the transfers are very slick, go to www.united.com or see your local travel agent. For all info on everything in Vail go to www.vail.com For more info on skiing in Colorado, go to www.colorado.com

Package info:
*Vail two-bedroom condo from $3364 pp four-share. Evergreen Lodge Hotel room from $3029 pp twin-share
*Breckenridge Great Divide Lodge Hotel from $3236 pp twin-share
*Keystone River Run two-bedroom condo from $3172 pp four-share
(All packages include return United airfares including taxes, airport transfers, seven nights accommodation and a six-day lift pass)
*conditions apply

 

Text: Craig Tansley
All photos courtesy Colorado Ski Country
From issue: Spring/Summer 06/07