What to Expect

There is one lift and you typically hike along ridgelines. We have guided and unguided skiing, depending on the time of year (see later questions). It is all advanced/expert skiing only.

Please bring layers… for everything from warm and sunny to cold and snowy mountain weather. Equipment made with waterproof material is encouraged.

Your backpack should have ski/snowboard carrying capabilities. We also rent avalanche airbag packs or regular ski/ride backpacks, K2 skis and Venture snowboards, Black Diamond beacons, shovels, probes, and ski poles, Smith goggles, helmets.

We do not rent boots or snowboard bindings.

There is no running water at the ski area, but there is bottled water for sale.

You need to have a beacon, shovel, and probe to ski or snowboard. We have these items for rent as a package including a Black Diamond avalanche beacon, which is very easy to use. Each item can be rented separately. We have avalanche airbag backpacks & non-float packs for rent (which the guides use) if you need a pack that carries your skis/snowboard.

Yes, you can use your own transceiver (avalanche beacon). We have a list of acceptable avalanche transceivers which you can find here:

https://silvertonmountain.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Acceptable-Transceivers-pdf.pdf

Please make sure your transceiver is on the list. Please also check the unacceptable transceiver list below. If your transceiver is on this list, we will not allow it to be used. You can rent one from us.

https://silvertonmountain.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Unacceptable-Transceivers-pdf.pdf

When it comes to gear, there are a million brands and types available to purchase. If you are considering bringing your own gear, here are some things to think about. Beacons – need to have three antennas, cannot be analog, and should be current with any manufacture provided updates. You can see our list of acceptable transceivers here. Shovels – must have a handle and must be made of metal, plastic bladed shovels will not be accepted. Probe – must be a length of 260 cm or greater.

As the sport changes and evolves so does the technology and equipment that recreationalists use. In the past few years avalanche airbags have become more popular, providing backcountry users an additional layer of safety. While airbags are not required, Silverton Mountain does have airbag packs for rent. Silverton Mountain does not have the ability to refill cartridges, nor do we rent single cartridges.

Please reach out if you have questions about the gear you plan to bring, or the gear that we rent out at office@silvertonmountian.com.

The fatter the better. Bring equipment you are comfortable with that way if you don’t like the rental skis (which never happens) then you have your old standby to trade into.

The best skis on earth… K2 super fat skis are available for rent. All of the best K2 powder skis are stocked. You can reserve them online and pick out a specific model when you arrive at the mountain. The size and fittings will be taken care of by our rental professionals when you check in. Please arrive at 8:15 for guided skiing if you need to rent skis.

Venture Snowboards: super tough boards crafted locally from sustainable materials. Please bring your own boots, bindings, and hardware if you are planning to rent a Venture Snowboard.

As exciting as it can be to ski Silverton, it is important to maintain realistic goals for your trip. Many days can be ‘all time best of my life’, but there can also be times when the premier lines have to stay closed due to avalanche hazards, etc. The film crews wait until perfect conditions of good snow stability combined with fresh snow (which is why it always looks so good on film). Those used to high speed lifts and banging out 30 runs in an hour have a tougher time adjusting to the Silverton pace. Those who enjoy the excitement of exploring new lines and quality over quantity find themselves right at home. Few go home without being enjoyably exhausted at the end of the day.

No. The guides will conduct a thorough safety briefing in order to familiarize those without avalanche experience.

No skins or snowshoes are needed. All of Silverton Mountain’s terrain is accessible by boot pack.

No. Although we have plenty of cliffs, unless you are looking to hit them you will be fine keeping your skis on the ground all day.

United and American fly in and out of Durango with several flights each day on each airline.

The Montrose airport has flights daily on United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, and Southwest.

Grand Junction has flights daily on Allegiant Air, American Airlines, United Airlines and Breeze.

The City of Durango is closer and easier to travel to and from. It is approximately 1 hour from the Town of Silverton. The airport is just outside of town, another 20 min. Montrose airport is 1.75 hours from Silverton. Driving from either direction requires driving over a mountain pass, and we recommend renting a 4-wheel drive vehicle if it is snowing.

Yes, Buckhorn Limousine can provide shuttle service from Durango to the Town of Silverton. There is no service, Uber or Lyft in Silverton.

Almost 2,000 feet

See our Schedule of Operation Page.

Lift stops uploading at 3 pm.

Seven is the youngest we’ve ever had at the mountain, and because there is a good amount of hiking, kids often tire fast. But they are welcome if they can keep up. Private guides are a good option for groups with kids. People under 18 need their parent to sign a waiver. You can contact us in advance.

Anywhere from 5-45 minutes along ridgelines, depending on grouping. There is also quite a bit of skiing right off of the lift that requires no hiking.

1 (sometimes that’s all you need)

We have lunch orders available for $19 a day, you can order in the morning. We have water, soda, beer, and limited liquor options at the mountain. Snacks and candy are available, but bringing your own food as a supplement is also a good idea.

Please check the Lodging Page. There are many different options.

Yes, you can camp on the road on the way to the ski area but you need to move your car if snows in order for the plow trucks to get through.

• Park your car.
• Put your boots on at the car.
• Leave your skis/ board near the lift.
• Check in for your lift ticket and rental gear at the tent.
• Come back down towards the lift and join a group.
• Stick together with your friends/ski partners.
• Hike and ski all day.
• Take lunch or breaks at the base as needed.
• Slug a few beers at the tent and get back to town for a meal and cocktails.
• Check out this blog post for a little more “exact” schedule.

The ticket tent opens at 8:00am. If you need equipment and/or are going in a guided group, arrive around 8am to get your gear and be ready to get in a group for when the lift starts at 9am. For an unguided day, the lift starts at 9am and you can arrive whenever you like.

See our Guided Skiing page for more information.

Private guides are available and it is a great way to go if you wish to travel with your own group and at your own pace. See Guided Skiing Page for more info and pricing.

8 or less. We can accommodate groups larger than 8 if you let us know in advance.

In the morning there is a self-classification process of fast and medium. This applies to both hiking and skiing. We try our best to match abilities. If groups are mismatched we try to keep extra guides on hand to switch people in and out. Please communicate with your guide.

3-7 runs and 6,000-14,000 vert. Most skiers are exhausted at the end of the day. Those used to high speed lifts and banging out 30 runs in an hour have a tougher time adjusting to the Silverton pace. Those who enjoy the excitement of exploring new lines and quality over quantity find themselves right at home.

Approximately 80 skiers or less.

Your Unguided Season Pass is good for unguided skiing only. However, if you have a Powder Upgrade it is also valid for discounted $89 standby tickets during the Guided Only Season. Please do not call ahead to check on availability for standby openings, just show up and “standby” until we know if there is space available.

Standby options are not guaranteed and are subject to daily availability at the last minute (hence standing by). This means waiting until all the full priced guided skiers and/or heli skiers have gotten on. If there is space in an existing group, we will fit you in. We can not formulate an additional group based on standby skiers, there has to be space in an existing group to get in on standby.

No, but if you are not a season passholder you can if you are concerned or traveling long distances.

Absolutely. Guides are available year-round, and we recommend skiing with a guide if you’ve never been to Silverton Mountain. The price is $229 during unguided season and includes the lift ticket.

We have a daily cap of 475 people.

See our Unguided Skiing page for more information.