Purgatory, Colorado Teases Steep Glades and Cliff Lines Coming With New Lift

As work continues this summer on its new ColoradoCouloir chairlift, Purgatory Resort, Colorado, is offering a pre-season look at the kind of terrain skiers can expect to enjoy next winter.

The ski area, in a social media video, showed off the “steep glades,” “new gullies,” and “cliff lines” below the Colorado Couloir.

They also shared an update on the progress of the Colorado Couloir. At the time of the post late last month, tower footers were almost complete, with Skytrac Lifts and Leitner-Poma of America scheduled to help with tower installation in the coming weeks.

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You can watch the video of the new terrain at Purgatory Resort here.

Previously known as the Gelande, the Colorado Couloir got caught up in regulatory processes last summer, delaying the opening of the lift for the 2025-26 season.

But the lift’s now full steam ahead. In July, Purgatory detailed the terrain set to be accessed by the new lift, writing in a blog post, “This is steep, technical, unapologetic high-alpine skiing. We’re talking glades, tight chutes, and some of the most challenging terrain Purgatory has ever offered.”

Noted in the latest blog were seven new trails and connectors that Purgatory hasn’t yet shared the names of.

The resort said that the project isn’t only about adrenaline. The Colorado Couloir will depart from the Gelande parking area and head straight to the upper mountain. A map previously shared of the Colorado Couloir’s path showed it finishing near the Needles Lift. 

That creates a brand new access point to the mountain and eliminates the old shuttle ride. Previously, skiers could only start their days with a collection of lifts in the main base area. 

The fixed-grip triple chairlift climbs 1,625 vertical feet and, Purgatory added, hits a steep 60% grade. It also comes equipped with parts from Telluride’s Plunge lift, including chairs, grips, and internal machinery.

Once complete, Colorado Couloir will be Purgatory’s tenth chairlift (it’s also home to a few carpets). As of last winter, the ski area near Durango spanned around 1,600 skiable acres and 107 trails.

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