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The Best Gear for Silverton Mountain

Silverton Mountain is one of the best places in the world to put ski and snowboard gear to the test. Much of the ski area is in the alpine, meaning your outerwear needs to be perfect to keep you in your element. The snow is usually deep and the terrain is always steep, meaning you finally have a reason to buy some fatties and put them to use every day of your trip here. A beacon, shovel, and probe are required to ski or ride every day we are open, and our guides train with their gear regularly, quickly finding critical flaws that may be unknown to those who leave their gear in their pack for most of the season.

With all of this testing going on, we think the following gear for Silverton Mountain is what you need to have the best time anytime you head to the ski area.

Skis & Snowboards

First off, the best things to strap to your feet are K2 Fat Skis or a Venture Snowboard. In particular, you’ll most likely see the K2 Pinnacle 118, the K2 Powabunga, and the classic K2 Pon2oon skis attached to our guides’ feet. Those who have skied here know that fat boards make everything better, from the somewhat deep days to the all-time deepest day of your life.

The guides who prefer one plank instead of two will most like be shredding the Venture Storm (recognize that graphic?) or the Venture Zelix. These are the toughest boards on the market and made in the town of Silverton, Colorado. Our staff couldn’t be more proud to ride such amazing snowboards, and since splitboards are not necessary to ride at Silverton Mountain, grab a locally made fat board and shred with the best.

For our 15th anniversary season, you’ll see our two-plank staff riding on Marker Bindings. These bindings are renown throughout the industry for setting standards and driving the industry forward. The Royal Family series feature wider platforms and adjustable anti-friction devices in the toe, allowing rubber-soled ski boots to fit without compromising the release when needed. You do not need touring bindings to ski or ride at Silverton Mountain, so don’t compromise quality for the descent and get the best bindings around to really optimize your turns.

Outerwear, Optics, & Gear

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The weather at Silverton Mountain is something fierce. From sub-zero temperatures during pre-dawn avalanche control routes to hot and sunny Springtime corn fiestas, our guides rely on The North Face day in and day out to keep them comfortable on the mountain. Using a mix of the Summit Series and the Steep Series (and always with Gore-Tex), our guides are always comfortable on the mountain at any time.

As for sunglasses, goggles, and helmets, our guides and staff have sworn by Smith Optics for years. You might have noticed that our guides almost never hike on the mountain wearing goggles, and some never wear goggles at all. That’s because Smith sunglasses are just so good. For those that do wear goggles and brain-buckets on the descent, the compatibility of Smith goggles and helmets is second to none.

The beacon, shovel, and probe you choose matters a lot. No one wants to be in a dangerous situation with unreliable gear. That’s why the Silverton Mountain staff relies on Backcountry Access (BCA) for the lightest, strongest, and fastest avalanche safety equipment. In particular, the Tracker 3 and the Float Pack system were added to the mix during the ’15-’16 season, much to the approval of the guides and patrol who train with this equipment throughout the entire season and beyond.

Don’t just take our word for it, all of these products are available for demo during your time at Silverton Mountain. Make your reservation, get the right gear for Silverton Mountain, and have the best trip of your life.

A Standard Guided Day at Silverton Mountain

A standard guided day at Silverton Mountain is probably one of the most unique experiences you’ll ever have skiing or snowboarding. It takes the best parts of backcountry skiing and snowboarding, snowcat trips, heli tours, and a day at your favorite ski area, rolls them together like the perfect breakfast burrito, and gives you a taste of something special. We think that if you try it once, you’ll be hooked.

Here is a general timeline of what a guided day at Silverton Mountain looks like. All times are relative, but you definitely want to check in at the tent by 8:15:

7:00AM: Wake up in Silverton. Need a place to stay? You can’t go wrong with our preferred lodging options.

7:15AM: Eat a good breakfast that will keep you energized for the day, and fill up your water bottle as there is no running water at the mountain. Dress in layers and put your beacon on while getting dressed to prevent taking off all your warm layers in the parking lot and getting chilled.

7:40AM: Gear up and start driving! Remember to follow posted speed limits in town and on the way to the ski area. Be sure to take it easy on the dirt & snowpacked road that is Highway 110. Donny the tow truck man usually makes decent money pulling fast driving skier cars out of the adjacent creek, and we would rather you save your money for services that are more fun (see heli skiing).

8:00AM: Follow the directions of the person parking cars, get a good spot (they are all good), and put your boots on at the car.

8:07AM: Grab your beacon, shovel, and probe, and head up to the tent.

  • Remember, it’s a tent, so if you walking into a shack you are in the wrong place. Look for someone in a red jacket and/or a radio harness if you feel lost.
  • Renting gear? Try to head up to the tent a bit sooner to accommodate the extra time needed to get kitted out.


8:10AM: After being greeted by our ridiculously friendly staff, fill out a yellow waiver located near the door. Don’t forget the back!

8:15AM: Check in individually with more of our friendly tent staff.

  • Want to add a lunch? Tell the person who checks you in and we’ll have it ready for you around midday.
  • Heli drop? Same thing. Tell the person who checks you in and get ready for another waiver.
  • Renting gear? Sign a green waiver, and follow directions out the back door to our demo center.
  • Everyone has to check in individually with a yellow waiver, so don’t try to check in someone not there. Make sure everyone in your crew comes to the tent and has beacon/shovel/probe with them.
  • In a group? Get together after each person checks in, and stick together for the next step.

8:25AM: Head back down to the lift. Someone in a red jacket and/or radio harness will ask you what your hiking speed is, and get you in a group of like-minded individuals. In a full group of 8? Stick together and tell the guides. Don’t be surprised if you get moved around a little bit if you’re not with a full group of 8, group members sometimes change during check-in to make sure we get the perfect mix of people and the perfect guide for the day.

8:35AM: Meet your guide. Our guides are world-class professionals who work hard to make sure everyone has the best day possible, so make sure you listen to them very closely, both during the safety talk and at every point throughout the day. Attentive listening makes us know you are ready for deep powder and technical steeps.

9:00AM: Board the lift for your first run of the day. You will probably have a chance to tell your guide at this point what your squad’s objectives are for the day, and they will start to schedule the perfect day for you based on conditions, desires, and available terrain.

9:10AM-3:21PM: On mountain! Have fun, but remember to always communicate with your guide what is going on with you and your crew.

3:38PM: Grab a frosty one back in the tent, you earned it. Check out all the great swag you can get in the retail area, do a little dance, and feel free to tip your guide at a level that matches the day you had. Only have a credit card? Ask the tent staff to help you out with the tip.

4:20PM: Last call in the tent. Make sure you make your final purchases for retail, food, and drinks. We recommend a bottle of water or two, especially if you are coming back the next day.

5:05PM: Welcome back to town. You are probably really hungry, so go get dinner at some of the delicious restaurants in town.

Hydrate and go to bed early if you’ve got another guided day at Silverton Mountain ahead of you, and hopefully you will get to see the most stars you’ve ever seen walking from the bar back to your hotel. Better yet, you’ll get to see big, fat snowflakes falling from the sky!

Rinse, dry, sleep and repeat.

Ready to book your Guided Day at Silverton Mountain? Check out our available dates and reserve now.

Still have questions? Need clarification? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions page and then give us a call at (970)387-5706. We are here to make sure you have the best day ever.

Think snow!