It’s day two at this altitude, and I’m wandering the historic mining town of Silverton, Colorado (2,840 metres above sea level) with a tampon hanging out of my nose.
Tissues just won’t stem the flow of blood, and save for sitting down with a plastic bag of snow on my face, this was the only solution my wife and I could think of to sort the issue quickly. My lips are cracked, and my face feels like a dry riverbed. I wish I’d known earlier just how crucial constant hydration is here.
That’s because the state of Colorado is an enigma. With an average altitude of 2,072 metres above sea level, Colorado is the highest State in the country. Roughly three-quarters of the entire country’s land mass that sits above 3,000 metres is in Colorado.
Among its breathtaking mountains, world-class skiing and burgeoning gastronomical scene, these are the six things you need to know before visiting the Centennial State. Picture: Jeremy Drake