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I was already weak-kneed as a result of the rather stern induction speech from our burly instructor, yet here I was inside a yurt at 11,64 feet on top of Keystone's I'd been fitted with a 'transceiver' for the first time. This box-like device is strapped to your body and emits a signal so rescuers can find you, dead or alive, under a mass of snow, rocks, trees and anything else an avalanche cares to bring down the mountainside with it. If I was going to back out, now was the time to do it. But having travelled thousands of miles for the privilege of a day of cat-skiing, cowardice was simply not an option. Over the last three years, the activity has really taken off in Keystone, a delightful resort positioned metaphorically and geographically in the shadows of its bigger and more prominent neighbours, Vail and Breckenridge. The resort is in the unusual position of having several bowls, comprising more than 1,100 acres of steep and deep snowy terrain that are not serviced by lifts. This vast mountain wilderness was once only privy to skiers with legs of steel and the patience to undertake a lengthy hike. But now, thanks to a dedicated bunch of ski patrol staff and two trusty snow cats, powder runs to die for are yours for the ridiculously low price of $80 a day. At the current exchange rate, that roughly works out around £4 a run as the excellent guides from Keystone Adventure Tours aim to get in as many as ten different runs per session. Once you've got it, you'll have forgotten about the harsh introduction speech at the beginning of the day and you'll be executing perfect turns and whizzing through the trees in this most picturesque of play grounds. The guides are also brilliant: very knowledgeable, extremely capable on skis, and very amiable - apart from the stern induction speech of course. A fitting end to a magnificent day of skiing, can be found at the Alpenglow Stube. At 11,444feet at the top of Keystone’s There are many other thrills to be had within a short journey of Keystone. From here, you can access some of the more challenging trails in the resort such as Whale's Tail. The high altitude at Breckenridge means it has the kind of snow record (an average of 300 inches a year) that most ski resort directors in
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