Breckenridge Ski Resort: Shred Here at Least Once In Your Life.

Breckenridge was a place that didn’t impress me the first time I shredded there. However, it was an icy day and one of the locals I’d met called it Brecken fridge. I rode around trying to get my bearings, but I couldn’t find any powder on the mountain.

At the time, I was frustrated, and I could see if there was fresh powder and how awesome this place would be. However, I had trouble imagining it because I kept losing edge control on the ice. Toward the end of my first run, I considered getting some ice skates.

Then, after many bumps and bruises. I stumbled upon peak 6. At the time I had no idea it was a newer peak, but something about it grabbed my attention. The chairlift ride to the top took a while (I ate my whole sandwich on it) and I could see some epic terrain below.

What blew my mind was the amount of powder lying around. It was everywhere, almost like the wind had blown it all there. I’m not sure if this is a normal occurrence or a freak one, either way, I had a good time.

I checked out the trail map and realized peak 6 was bigger than my home resort, Afton Alps.

What You Should Know About Breckenridge.

Breckenridge is located in the Colorado Rockies. It’s about 80 miles west of Denver on I70 and will take around 1 1/2 hours to get there if the traffic is clear. Sometimes rock slides or bad weather can slow a driver down. Click Here for directions that come right from their site.

Be sure to check the weather prior to driving. Mountain winds can pick up pretty quickly and during the winter storms can shut the highway down.

What Type Of Terrain Does Breckenridge Have?

The beauty of shredding at Breck is the variability of the terrain. Honestly, I think you’d have to shred for a couple of days to hit everything and if you’re doing it during peak season, it’ll probably snow and everything will change. So pick a spot on the Breckenridge map (according to your skill level) and have an epic time.

Breck Beginner Terrain

A lot of the beginner terrain can be found on peak 9. This is found at the top of the Quicksilver Super Chair. The title “Super Chair” here is earned, and you’ll get to the top fast.

However, you’ll have to be patient, as the chair leads to most of the beginner terrain at the mountain base. Your wait times could be longer than on other chairs.

If you’re learning to shred or warming up, this would be the chair I’d recommend starting on. It’s all green runs to the bottom and there are a lot of slow zones as well. On these runs, you can perfect the basics and begin to increase your skills for intermediate riding.

Breck Intermediate Terrain

Graduating someone to intermediate riding can be hard to define. Usually, I ask if the person is bored on the green runs. If they say yes, they probably should be on the blue runs. Whenever you’re riding you want the runs to put a little strain on your skills. It’s the best way to get better.

There’s a lot of opportunity for intermediate terrain shredding a Breck. You could go higher on peak 9 and you’ll find some epic long runs there. Or you could make the trek over to peak 7. At Peak 7 you’ll find a lot of intermediate runs. My first time out there, I found myself shredding on a lot of these runs. They were full of fun terrain and epic views to cruise.

Whatever you choose, make sure you’re being safe and not riding above your skill level. Shredding in the mountains can be dangerous, especially when you are out of control. If you don’t know how to ride safely, read another one of my blog posts called safety first. It contains snowboard tips for being safe on the mountain.

Breck Advanced Terrain

Peak 6 has to be my favorite peak at Breckenridge. It’s one of their newest (if not the newest) peaks and I’ve never been let down there. Mountain riders have everything they’ll ever need on this peak, there’s powder, tree runs, and nice features (sorry no park) to play on.

Just writing about peak 6 at Breck makes me want to go for a visit, except I’m writing this in July, and going won’t help me at all.

To hit up peak 6 go up the Kenisho Super Chair (on the right of the map) you’ll have to ride at least two other chairs to get there, but it’s worth it, just for the view.

Terrain You Should Explore – And Important Places To Visit.

Below is my list of peaks that I love, and have great views. Check them out and add pictures in the comments if you’d like.

1. Peak 6 – epic shredding, and epic views
2. Wanderlust – Black Diamond – I had a good time riding through here, although I was in the trees so keep that in mind.
3. Peak 10 – I have some awesome pictures of me riding steep trails here. It was different and I liked that. It’s always refreshing to change things up.

Breckenridge Terrain Parks

I’m not really a park rider, however, the parks I saw at Breck looked like they were well kept and the kids were having fun. You can find all the parks by hitting up the peak 8 chairs.

Make sure you ride safely and wear a helmet. If you’re like I was once, and hated helmets. You might have issues finding one that’ll work. Check out my helmet buyers guide for tips & tricks for helmet purchases.

Breckenridge Chalets & The Ski/Snowboard School

There are a number of chalets at Breckenridge and I can’t possibly go over all of them. Basically, if you’re looking for a chalet. Just continue to ride downhill. Just be warned the chalets aren’t like the midwest versions. They’re small villages here. They have restaurants, bars, and restrooms located all over. If you brought a snack, find a picnic table. They’re located everywhere. Whatever you need you’ll be able to find it at the bottom.

Breckenridge Ski & Snowboard School

What if you’re not ready to shred? Whether you want to ski or snowboard Breckenridge can get you trained and ready to ride in no time.

On their website you can book lessons for the following skill/age levels:

• Adult Lessons
• Child Lessons
• Private Lessons
• Breck Guidelines

Click the appropriate link above to head over to the Breckenridge site.

Lift Ticket/Season Pass Options

Lift ticket pricing varies a lot due to the time of the season. Due to changing prices, I can’t post what it costs. However, I’ll post the link below so you can check what the cost of your lift ticket will be at Breck for the day you’ll be going. These will be updated towards the end of summer, and unfortunately, they usually increase.

• Daily Lift Tickets
• Season Tickets

If you’re planning on doing a lot of shredding, I’d highly recommend the season pass. It’ll save you a lot of pain in the pocketbook.

How Much I Love Breckenridge

The first couple of times I rode Breck, it didn’t impress me. My opinion has completely turned around in the last few years. With the discovery of peak 6, and some skill improvements on my end. Breckenridge has become a viable resort to hit up.

A couple of things I’m careful of whenever I go there (or any resort).

1. When did it snow last?
2. Has it been extremely windy (Breckenridge wind sweeps the mountain)
3. Did the temperature get above freezing? (this can affect conditions greatly, and where you want to ride on the mountain)

In conclusion, I’m a fan of Breck, and it took me a while to get there. Hopefully, I’ll make it out there this winter and get some awesome video footage.