Known to everyone simply as Ajax, Aspen Mountain rises straight out of the town centre and has the steepest in-town vertical of any major North American ski resort — 1,000 metres from the base at the Silver Queen Gondola to the summit. There are no beginner runs anywhere on the mountain; every trail is rated intermediate or above, and the steep bump runs on the east face (Bell Mountain, Walsh's, Hyrup's) are some of the most demanding lift-served terrain in Colorado.
The Sundeck restaurant at the top has 360-degree views across the Elk Mountains, including a direct line to the Maroon Bells. In summer the gondola runs for sightseers and hikers, and the bowl below the summit holds the annual America's Uphill mountain race in March, where competitors skin up the entire 1,000 metres of vertical from town. The Bonnie's mid-mountain restaurant is a long-standing lunch institution; book the strudel.