From Zip Lining to Ice Climbing, A Seasonal Guide to Colorado's Extreme Adventures

Contact: Roland Alonzi / 212-219-7560, ext. 6765, ralonzi@mmgmardiks.com
Caitlin Sullivan / 970-372-6571, csullivan@mmgmardiks.com

When it comes to adventure travel, nothing quite compares to the pulse-quickening quests that are an endemic element of a Colorado vacation. Whatever the season, visitors who seek an adrenaline rush will find it along the rivers, rock formations and mountain ranges that define the Centennial State.

From summer’s newest adventure sports, sledging and soaring, to winter’s array of snow-based extreme adventures, Colorado continues to top the “must see/must do” lists of today’s most fearless visitors. The state’s wealth of outdoor outfitters stand ready to create specific itineraries, source required gear, provide instruction and even arrange experienced guides for types of adventures.

Summer, Spring, and Autumn Adventures
When the snow melts, Colorado slips into a whole new season of adventures. One of the newest is sledging (www.aspenseals.com), an exhilarating Aspen-area activity imported from New Zealand. Sledging combines white water rafting and swimming using a specially designed river sledge. Fearless sledgers plunge head-first into the Arkansas and Roaring Fort Rivers, shooting through the whitewater rapids while giving new meaning to the term "extreme sport."

Soaring is a new adventure attraction and the only one of its kind in the continental United States. Soaring is a zip line adventure that sends thrill seekers through and above the aspen trees from one platform to the next. Offered by Soaring Tree Top Adventures (www.soaringtreetopadventures.com) in Durango, the soaring set-up features over a mile of helicopter-grade cable connecting 32 stainless steel platforms attached to 300-year-old Ponderosa pines. Breathtaking views are the highlight of the full-day adventure, and each platform offers something different, including being air-lifted by a helicopter hoist, and having a Sky Guide rappel guests down to the forest floor.

With nearly 20 rivers whose headwaters begin in Colorado, Colorado has long been considered the “go to” state for kayaking and whitewater rafting. River waters are classified with Class I through Class VI rating, depending on roughness. Class I rivers offer an easy float downriver while Class III rivers have more challenging rapids, interspersed with boulders and narrow passages. Whitewater rafting is found throughout the state, including the Arkansas River near Salida (www.salidachamber.org), and the scenic Colorado River through Glenwood Canyon. The Cache La Poudre River in Fort Collins (www.ftcollins.com), the state’s only designated National Wild and Scenic River, also offers great rafting opportunities.

There are hundreds of miles of biking trails in Colorado. The Gunnison and Crested Butte areas (www.gunnisoncrestedbutte.com) offer more than 300 miles of bike trails and is home to the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame and Museum (www.mtnbikehalloffame.com) and events such as Fat Tire Week, an annual celebration in June featuring extreme events such as the Belgium Chainless, a glide down Kebler Pass with no chain, and the Crested Butte Downhill, a radical race down breathtakingly steep slopes and ski runs.

Durango’s Iron Horse Bicycle Classic, offering bikers an opportunity to race against a steam train from Durango to Silverton, is one of dozens of mountain-bike races around the state. The Breckenridge area (www.gobreck.com) offers a network of new, family-friendly, singletrack trails that use pre-existing paths that miners once used during the Colorado gold rush. Fruita (www.fruita.org), on Colorado’s Western Slope, offers hundreds of miles of the most scenic singletrack in the western United States and hosts an annual Fat Tire Festival, attracting mountain biking enthusiasts from across the globe.

For a bird’s eye-view of the Centennial State, autumn’s superior atmospheric conditions make Colorado a great place for hang-gliding and hot air ballooning. Boulder (www.bouldercoloradousa.com), Colorado Springs (www.experiencecoloradosprings.com), and Durango (www.durango.org) all offer excellent opportunities for an airborne look at spectacular mountain ranges and valleys.

For exceptional hiking, it doesn’t get any better than the Colorado Trail, a 500-mile trek from Denver (www.denver.org) to Durango. Crossing seven national forests and six designated wilderness areas, it offers spectacular scenery and extraordinarily varied terrain, ranging from relatively easy to more mountainous. Just off the Colorado Trail, several “fourteeners” – peaks over 14,000-square-feet – have put the state on the world’s mountain climbing map, rewarding climbers with breathtaking views and bragging rights. Other popular climbing sites include the Garden of the Gods (www.gardenofgods.com) near Colorado Springs (www.experiencecoloradosprings.com), where rangers give a quick course on important climbing dos and don’ts, and Rocky Mountain National Park (www.nps.gov/romo/), a climber’s paradise where guided tours ensure that equipment and planned routes match ability.

Winter Wonders Not surprisingly, Colorado’s plentiful winter extreme adventures revolve around ice and snow. The state is known as a world-class skiing and snowboarding destination. From beginner to expert, Colorado offers an experience for all skill levels.

For those for whom even black diamond trails have lost their appeal, the Telluride Helitrax (www.helitrax.net) delivers the ever-elusive adrenaline rush. The company is one of only six heli-skiing outfits in the continental U.S. and the only one in Colorado. Guides with knowledge of the high-alpine terrain lead experienced skiers and boarders through some 250 square miles of the highest helicopter-accessed terrain in North America.

For expert skiers, Silverton Mountain (www.silvertonmountain.com) offers expert and advanced terrain for only the most skilled Alpine skiers. Silverton, Colorado’s newest ski area, opened in 2002 in the heart of San Juan county, Colorado. Silverton’s chair lift gives expert skiers access to scenic backcountry with an annual snowfall of more than 400 inches. Extreme skiers won’t find groomed trails on Silverton Mountain. Instead daredevils that are brave enough to take to the mountain will find open bowls, steep drops and tight trees.

In addition to skiing, the state offers many other ways to enjoy the winter season. Colorado’s ice climbing capital, Ouray (>www.ouraycolorado.com) boasts the world’s first official ice park, where vertical walls of frozen water offer up a new challenge to even the most experienced mountain climbers. Not for the faint-hearted, ice climbing requires training and endurance, as well as specialized equipment including ice axes, front-point crampons and layers of warm clothing. More than 180 routes have been identified and mapped since Ouray Ice Park (www.ourayicepark.com) opened in 1995. Vail (www.vail.com) and Telluride (www.visittelluride.com) also offer great ice climbing opportunities.

Ice adventures of another sort are found in Steamboat Springs (www.steamboat.com), where the Bridgestone Winter Driving School offers ice driving lessons on sheets of sheer ice. High snow banks keep inexperienced drivers on track, while professional drivers opt for the two-day performance course.

For those who like to slush through fresh powder, few experiences can match snow shoeing. An increasingly popular sport, the equipment is easy to rent and guides are readily available. The Crested Butte Nordic Center (www.cbnordic.org) offers marked and groomed trails, as well as over 100 miles of wilderness trails and monthly moonlight tours for the most adventurous snow shoers.

Snowmobilers head to the 50-mile Continental Divide Trail near Steamboat Springs for want is widely considered the best and most picturesque snowmobiling trails in the Rockies. Near Glenwood Springs, a trail links Sunlight Mountain Resort to Powderhorn Resort, crossing the White River and Grand Mesa national forests. At 120 miles, it is Colorado’s longest multi-use recreational trail.

For those who prefer their adventures on land, dog sledding offers an experience steeped in backcountry history. Hard-working Malamute, Siberian or Eskimo dogs pull sleds over wooded trails at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour. In Aspen (www.aspenchamber.org), sledders can pair the experience with a lunch of wild game hamburgers at Krabloonik, a rustic log cabin retreat reached only by sled or ski.

ABOUT COLORADO
Colorado is a four-season destination offering unparalleled adventure and recreational pursuits, a thriving arts scene, a rich cultural heritage, flavorful cuisine, and renowned ski resort areas. The state's breathtaking scenic landscape boasts natural hot springs, the headwaters of four major rivers, many peaceful lakes and reservoirs, nine national parks and monuments, and 54 mountain peaks that top 14,000 feet. For more information or a copy of the Colorado Official State Vacation Guide, call 1-800-COLORADO or visit www.COLORADO.com. Media are invited to visit the Colorado Media Room at www.COLORADO.com/mediaroom.php for story ideas, press releases/press kits as well as high-resolution, downloadable photos and video for editorial use.