Telluride is the home of expensive skiing and high end restaurants, but it can be enjoyed more cost efficiently. Just on the other side of the mountains to the west from Ouray via Ridgeway, CO, Telluride offers new world delight s to seasoned wintersports.
Accommodation
We stayed at the Victorian Inn. I think the Inn is the cheapest accommodation in Telluride at around $109.00 per night for a room including a light breakfast. If you opt for the Inn I would recommend making a reservation over the phone and asking for a 2nd or 3rd floor room. They have ‘basement’ rooms which get walled in by the snow in winter, which apparently can be a bit grim for winter stays.
Another advantage of staying at the Inn, and probably other places in Telluride, is that they can organise lift tickets with a 30% discount (approximately). They need two days to process the tickets, so if you book a room over the phone, ask about the tickets if you are going to ski too.
The climbing
My wife doesn’t climb, so to get a climb in we needed gear, an instructor and a place. To achieve these requirements I contacted the San Juan Outdoor School (SJOS). I spoke with Josh Butson, the owner and lead guide of SJOS to organise a half day of ice climbing. I focused on a half day because this was the first ice climbing adventure for my wife and if it all went wrong, it was only a four hour trip.
Due to Josh’s style and skill, the trip was brilliant. Josh picked us up at 1pm and drove us to Ames Falls, about 30 minutes away from Telluride. We hiked into Lower Ames Falls (WI3), a very short and easy approach. The ice was in excellent condition and we shared the Falls with one other party.
The guide book covering the area is San Juan Ice Climbs: A Guide to Select Ice Climbs in the San Juans by Damon Johnston.
The coffee
The best coffee I found in town was the Steaming Bean. It opens at 7am and the coffee is superb.
The gear
In Telluride, being a ski town, there are loads of stores for outdoor clothing. The only place I came across technical gear was the Jagged Edge.
The logistics
We decided to get to Telluride via Montrose. We chose Montrose because flying Conclusion to Telluride was far more expensive, i.e., return flights DC – Montrose were around $500.00 cf. DC – Telluride return around $1200.00. The Telluride express will pick you up from Montrose and drop you at your accommodation in Telluride for about $48.00 plus tax and gratuity (so about $100.00 return).
Telluride is a lot of fun and offers everything from ice climbing, back country skiing, resort skiing and more. I think cheaper options for accommodation are available out of town, but you would need a car. I would be happy to answer any questions or queries if anyone has any.
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