Fun with Altitude

Whether you want to hit the slopes or go ice-climbing, DU's Rocky Mountain backyard offers many sports.

When the weekend finally arrives, DU students head for higher altitude. Winter, spring, summer or fall, the Rocky Mountains are a recreation wonderland filled with adventure.

And the Alpine Club is the University's oldest and largest student-run organization on campus. Every year, more than 400 DU students go on one or more of the 20-25 trips organized by the club.

Cold-weather sports

With more than 10 major ski resorts, Colorado is known worldwide for its champagne powder and incredible runs. You can find a resort that best matches your personality and skills at Colorado Ski Country USA, or you can try them all and pick a favorite.

Some student favorites include:

  • Keystone, Copper Mountain, Breckenridge and Vail are all within 90 or so driving minutes from Denver. Vail's world renowned back bowls and Keystone's night skiing attract skiers and riders from around the world.
  • Winter Park and Mary Jane tout competitively priced lift tickets and nationally recognized bump runs. And they're accessible via the Ski Train, which leaves from Denver's Union Station and drops skiers off at the base of the mountain.
  • Serious skiers and riders head to Arapahoe Basin and Loveland, with peaks soaring to above 13,000 feet. Both ski areas always are among the first in the season to open and last in the season to close, making possible late-October and mid-July skiing and riding.
  • Skiers and riders who are up for the longer drive can glide with the glitterati at Aspen/Snowmass or keep company with the cowboys at Steamboat Springs, known as a hotbed of freestyle skiing.
  • Snowboarders can find plenty of fun at most resorts' terrain parks, but those who want a serious challenge venture to Echo Mountain Park, an all-freestyle terrain area just 45 minutes from Denver. With nightlights to keep you boarding longer and 21 speakers to make jamming a cinch, the mountain is dedicated solely to acrobatic snowboarding and freestyle skiing. For the risk-averse, the nearby lodge is largely dedicated to video-gaming.
  • For those who would rather cross-country ski or snowshoe, state and national forests and parks provide a seemingly endless ribbon of trails and inclines.

Warm-weather recreation

Students enjoy a variety of desert activities like mountain biking and rock climbing in Moab, Utah, only a morning's drive away.

Colorado is blessed with 15 national parks, monuments and historic sites, as well as more than 40 state parks with over 4,000 campsites. DU students make the most of these public spaces for camping, hiking, biking, kayaking, fishing, rock climbing and white-water rafting—and more.

Of course, you're not considered a true Coloradoan until you've trekked up at least one of the state's Fourteeners. The Colorado Rockies are home to 54 peaks that are more than 14,000 feet high, earning them the affectionate nickname of Fourteeners. It's not uncommon to meet Coloradoans whose life goal is to hike them all and who train throughout the year for the exertion involved.


For more information about Colorado's natural playground, visit the Colorado Tourism Office.