Resort height: 2660m
The mountains
Telluride slopes rise up on the southern side of its valley in three stages. First, comes a steep, wooded section immediately south of the old mining town, which is home to some balls-to-the-wall tree skiing and one of the steepest groomed slopes in the world - Bushwacker. Skiing or snowboarding it successfully will give your confidence a huge boost, and the fact is, it's usually so painstakingly-groomed that most competent intermediates will be able to handle it.
Further up the mountain, you'll find an area of gentler, tree-lined bowls which hold most of the easier intermediate skiing, as well as a number of super-smooth and underused beginner runs - while at the top lie a range of ungroomed chutes, couloirs, and tree runs best tackled by the experts. All in all, it's a beautifully-balanced package, but one that's limited in extent. There's more than enough for beginners, but most competent intermediates, as well as more advanced skiers and snowboarders, will get bored of it after three or four days. So don't, whatever you do, come here to rest on your laurels - if you want to ski or snowboard hard for a week, you should be prepared to buy some tuition and venture into new types of terrain, whether it's trees, powder, bumps, or the terrain park.
Getting there
In a word, getting to Telluride is a pain. But that only adds to the appeal, because the length of the journey puts most people off. As a result, you'll find this remote corner of Colorado blissfully uncrowded.
Rating: 
7/10
Après-ski
Together, a combination of Telluride's altitude and jet lag dent the enthusiasm of most British visitors for après-ski in the early days of a holiday. But once they adjust, they'll find there's plenty of fun to be had here. Most evenings kick off at the West End Tavern, and take in the bar at the New Sheridan Hotel, as well as the Smuggler's Brewpub. The range of dining options is extensive - Telluride is an upmarket resort, and food is taken very seriously here. Allred's, at the top of the gondola that links the old town with Telluride's purpose-built mountain resort, is the place for posh nosh.
Rating: 
9/10
Non-skiers
It's a long way to go for a non-skiing holiday, but most travellers won't complain when they get here. Telluride has, over the last ten years, acquired some of Aspen's glamour (as well as its celebrity clientele), and boasts a range of interesting book stores, coffee shops and art galleries which are the perfect place to hang out on a lazy, sunlit morning. The range of on-mountain activities includes cross-country skiing, horse-riding and snowmobile safaris.
Rating: 
4/10
Cost of living
Telluride is not the place to go for a cheap skiing holiday. It's a long and expensive journey, and once you arrive you'll find prices aimed at the well-heeled.
Rating: 
10/10
Attractiveness of the resort
Nowhere else does scenery, atmosphere and architecture come together so seductively - at least not in the old town. The purpose built mountain resort, set in the bowl above it, is rather more run-of-the-mill, but is super-convenient for families.
