Aspen Mountain

Aspen Mountain, known locally as Ajax, rises straight out of downtown Aspen; the Silver Queen Gondola leaves from the edge of town and climbs about 3,000 feet to the summit at 11,212 feet in about 15 minutes. The first lift opened on 14 December 1946, and in 1950 the mountain hosted the Alpine World Ski Championships, the first held outside Europe. It still hosts FIS World Cup races.

Aspen Mountain is a mountain for confident skiers: it has no beginner (green) runs at all, and anyone learning should ski Buttermilk or Snowmass, which are on the same ticket. The terrain is a mix of long groomed runs on the ridges, mogul runs and gladed gullies. In 2023/24 the Hero's expansion opened about 153 acres of new terrain on the east side with a new high-speed quad, the mountain's first major expansion since 1986.

The Sundeck at the summit has the main restaurant and views of the Elk Mountains; Bonnie's, on the upper mountain, is a long-standing lunch spot; and Ajax Tavern sits at the base of the gondola for après-ski. In January the mountain hosts Aspen Gay Ski Week, one of the oldest events of its kind. In summer the gondola runs for sightseeing and hiking.

Aspen Mountain is run by Aspen Skiing Company. One lift ticket covers all four Aspen Snowmass mountains, and the full Ikon Pass gives seven days shared between them, without reservations; the Ikon Base Pass does not include Aspen Mountain. For 2026/27 the mountain is scheduled to open on 26 November 2026, and it usually closes in mid-April.

Aspen/Pitkin County Airport is about 4 miles away, with free buses into town. From Denver, about 200 miles, take I-70 to Glenwood Springs and Highway 82, since Independence Pass is closed in winter.