An Advanced Telluride Skiing Guide for Expert Skiers

Breathtaking mountain views, crisp mountain air, and both large and small towns perfect for a ski adventure. Choose Telluride, a place where you can enjoy your favorite winter sports in a quieter small-town atmosphere. If it’s your first time here, or it’s been a while since your last visit, you may need some help directing your ski or snowboard adventures. Around 41% of Telluride’s 2,000 skiable acres is reserved for adrenaline junkies who enjoy the thrills and challenges of black diamond-level slopes and Telluride ski trails. Take a look at our helpful Telluride Skiing Guide for expert skiers to steer you in the right direction!

Lift 14

Head further up the mountain to Revelation Bowl. There is an array of trails, including some of the most difficult trails, including Dynamo, Electra, Little Rose, and other steep and challenging runs begin.

Lift 11

Also known as the “Ute Park” lift, it connects you to double black diamond trails like The Roll, Rock & Roll, and Rockslide. Take any of these trails and connect to single black diamond Prospect Creek to lead you down to the base of the mountain.

Lift 10

A high-speed quad trail known as the “Sunshine Express,” it helps you make your way up the double black diamond Holy Cow trail. This trail will have you zooming down the mountain, past beautiful landscape, and finally to the base.

Lift 9

This lift gives you access to some of Telluride’s most well-known black diamond trails. Plunge is a single black diamond featuring a breathtaking view of the town of Telluride. Also accessible from this lift are double black diamond trails Kant-Mak-M and Spiral Stairs. These trails feature steep bump runs and other challenges.

Lift 8

If you’re interested in the thrill of nearly vertical drops, the short ride up this lift takes you to a handful of trails for the experience. You’ll reach trails like the single black diamond of Bail Out and Jaws. If you follow the whole of Bail Out, it turns into a blue square trail to the base of the mountain. From either trail you can veer off onto Cats Paw, while you can veer off to double black diamond trails Mine Shaft from Bail Out only.

Lift 7

The lift takes you to the trailhead for single back diamond Cimarron. Weave your way down and meet up with double black diamond North Chute, or single black diamond O’Reilly’s.

Palmyra Peak

The area is exclusively for experts. It boasts only black diamond runs, from single black diamond all the way up to the most difficult. Zoom down Roy Boy, Senior’s, Tram Shot, or Sunrise and meet up with Palmyra Basin to continue your path to the base of the mountain. The experience is as close as you’ll get to backcountry Telluride skiing while staying on resort slopes. The peak is a towering 13,150 feet!

Black Iron Bowl

Coming in at only 12,250 feet, the steep runs of the area are just as thrilling as those found on Palmyra Peak. Scattered around the area are a number of double black diamond and double black daimon EX trails. Challenge yourself with Mountain Quail, Lakeview, or Crystal, but build some extra confidence on the trail of the same name before conquering the EX Telluride ski trails. EX trails include Dihedral Chute, Dihedral Face, Westlake, Jello’s Bowl, and others.

Backcountry

Make your way to the very peak of the mountain. There you’ll find breathtaking backcountry skiing. The San Juan Mountains backcountry offers hundreds of miles of some of the most pristine and exciting skiing terrain. Blaze your own trails through the powder or take the “hut to hut” scenic trail through the Mount Sneffles Wilderness Area. You’ll follow the trail to five different backcountry ski huts connecting the towns of Telluride, Ridgway, and Ouray – each hut has even more terrain to explore. You’ll want to pack an avalanche safety kit, as well as other cold weather emergency gear like an emergency blanket before heading out.

Expert Accommodations for Expert Skiers

The staff at Lodging In Telluride are as expert at managing private ski accommodations as you are at Telluride skiing or snowboarding. We don’t miss a trick when it comes to offering you top-notch accommodations. We have units as small as one bedroom for your solo or sweetheart trip, all the way up to six bedrooms to bring all your expert ski friends! Warm up with a home-cooked meal prepared in the unit’s fully equipped kitchen. When the meal is done, enjoy breathtaking views from private outdoor spaces, or curl up inside and gaze out at mountain views as you warm yourself by a crackling fire. Unwind in generous private bedrooms or soak away aches in a spacious shower or bathtub. Choose a premium rental for perks like a hot tub, stainless steel appliances, wood floors, and more. You may even choose from our ski-in/ski-out rentals to make getting to the slopes even easier!