A Good Day at the Top of Breck
Feb 08, 2008 · 03:46 PM · permalink
Despite my misgivings about a resort with a well-earned reputation for catering to hordes of inept skiers with “wacky” hats, I found myself at Breckenridge last weekend.
To get away from the obstacles, we made our way almost immediately up to the Imperial Express chair—an exercise which only took an hour or so. But, once in the rarefied air up there near the top of Peak 8, we found the relative peace attendant upon only those places possessing the power to cause hypoxia among the flat landers.
From the top of the Imperial Express lift, it’s a steepish, 200ish foot ascent with nothing but icy boot steps for footing to the 12,998 ft. (3,962 m) summit. If the daunting, body-strew, climb doesn’t keep most of the riff raff away, the scary-looking, rock-encrusted chutes, and shear cornices help. Once you reach the top and finish vomiting, though, the view is spectacular, and the terrain seems more manageable.
Imperial Bowl is fine, but ski a little further along the ridge to the Lake Chutes for a real kick—they’re steep, and shear, and tight, and adrenaline inducing. The first, large couloir has a harrowing 10 or 15 foot cornice that rewards a speedy entry with a nice landing and gently scooped sides at the top for scrubbing speed. I will go back to Breckenridge just for the chutes.
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