🏔 The Wedding Ceremony – The best views come with a little adventure! We highly recommend flats or wedges—heels and mountain terrain don’t mix well unless you’re looking to lose them on the chair lift or sink into the dirt like a poorly placed golf tee. 🎉 The Reception – Once you’re back on solid ground, feel free to swap into your dancing shoes (or keep the comfy ones—no judgment). Get ready for great food, good music, and dance moves you may or may not regret in the morning!
The Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch sits at about 8,100 feet above sea level, which means thinner air, breathtaking views, and—if you’re not careful—feeling winded just walking to the bar. Altitude sickness can hit anyone regardless of physical condition or age. The most common symptoms include: headache, dizziness and nausea, fatigue, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, disturbed sleep. Staying hydrated is essential! We also recommend enjoying some healthy sugars and carbohydrates during the first day or two of your stay. We promise this will help as well! If you can, consider arriving early to give yourself time to adjust. We usually feel back to normal after 24 hours have passed. Here’s a few other ways to keep comfortable and avoid feeling like you just climbed Everest: ✔ Hydrate like it’s your job – More water, less regret. Trust us. ✔ Alcohol hits harder – Don't find out the hard way! When drinking, we recommend you alternate between a drink and a glass of water. One drink here = two drinks there! ✔ Pace yourself – Walking up stairs might feel like a cardio workout. That’s not just you, that’s the altitude. Take it easy and embrace the mountain pace. You’ll adjust quickly, but a little preparation goes a long way toward enjoying the weekend without feeling like you need an oxygen tank!
Before your trip, we recommend checking the weather forecast for Avon, Colorado (zip code 81620) at www.weather.com. Colorado has more than 300 days of sunshine each year, so we are hopeful for a beautiful, sunny wedding weekend, but the weather is often unpredictable and can quickly change in the mountains. The temperature during the day may reach up to 80 degrees or even warmer, but nights on the mountain can get quite chilly (40-50 degrees). At 10,000 feet, the top of Beaver Creek mountain, exposure to the sun is 40% greater than it is at sea level. Sunscreen (at least SPF 30) is recommended for all exposed skin, particularly the face, lips and neck. Be certain to protect your eyes with sunglasses. You will find Beaver Creek to be an arid climate, so hand lotion and lip balm are essential.