What a great experience for people with little to no experience in the backcountry! I was nervous about the avalanches, nervous about the terrain, just everything in general as we have never gone backcountry skiing but the whole operation ran very smoothly and we loved both days we went! They start by grouping people by activity level and aggressiveness desired, we fell into moderate for both. Different people in the our group in each but same awesome guide, shoutout to Cameron!! There's only one lift but the bus system and way they separate the groups is very efficient. The runs are amazingg and the I highly recommend the heli-drops. The next time we go back, we're definitely doing a 3 or 6 pack instead of just the one. The hiking is...brutal, at that elevation and when your legs are already tiring from going down the mountain, it was difficult for me. And I would consider myself a fairly fit person coming from Denver so already at a higher altitude to begin with. The second day seemed slightly easier than the first. The mountain is amazing, the town is adorable. As someone who wants to go in the backcountry but slightly nervous going without an expert, I really loved my experience. Our guide was so knowledgeable, asked for our preferences, and was super patient with me which I appreciated! I can't wait to go back! read more

Beautiful mountains. When we went it was covered with snow that too in May end. View from the town is awesome though. read more

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Silverton is kind of like heli skiing with a chairlift instead of a helicopter (though they have a 'copter, and you can go heli skiing too, but I'll get to that later). The first thing to know is that what they tell you is true - there is NO easy way down. If you're not totally comfortable in steep, deep, untracked pow, narrow chutes, trees, avalanche gullies, cliffy terrain, and corniced entrances you have to climb (or drop) into, and hiking up narrow ridgelines, you should stay the hell away. Second, you better be in damn good shape, because if all the hiking doesn't kill you, the altitude will. The base is at 10,400', and the lift takes you up to 12,300. From there, you'll be hiking for anywhere from 5 minutes to 1.5 hours or more (depending on how fast & crazy you are) to as high as nearly 13,500'. If you're cool with that, though, HOLEEEE SHIT are you gonna have fun. For the main part of the season, Silverton is guided skiing only - they break everyone up into groups of 8 people, and one guide for each group. Your guide will then take you all over the mountain, doing his or her best to find you some sick, untouched pow to tear up. You'll probably get 4 or 5 runs in a day, and be totally content with that (not to mention exhausted). Other things to know: you have to have an avi beacon, shovel, and probe. If you don't have your own, they'll rent them to you. The base area facilities are about as spartan as they get - a big yurt is the main lodge, where they'll sell you bottled water, gatorade, and beer. There's pit toilets out back, unlit and unheated. There's no running water. You can order lunch in the morning, and it's a basic deli sandwich, chips, snack bar, and water. (Tip - way better to bring your own). Now that may not sound like the most awesome destination, but you ain't there to get your apres ski on; you're there to ski some of the sickest lines in Colorado, without lift lines, without incompetent idiots in your way, and that's what you're gonna get. The guides are awesome, the views are incredible, and the terrain is unparalleled. Oh, and if you really want the fully top-to-bottom untracked experience, you can buy heli drops at $150 apiece, to take you to a ton of terrain the hikers can't get to. Silverton is only open 4 days a week, Thurs - Sunday, so the snow has a chance to refresh itself each week. So grab your fattest skis (seriously, your fattest; the guides are riding 130 under boot - pontoons and such), and do everything you can to get your ass in shape and ready for the altitude. Then go nuts. You'll love it. And look for Adam as your guide - the dude is awesome. read more

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I've visited Silverton Mountain for several years, in both guided and unguided seasons. Safe to say I'm a complete homer for the place. If you want to ride big lines, deep snow, fly in a helicopter, and have as close to a private ski area experience as possible, this is the ultimate destination in the lower 48. read more

This was a bucket list trip but now I will be back. One of my 5 best days ever. Add a Heli drop. It is WELL worth it. The mountain and the guides are amazing. We found awesome powder on every run and it hadn't snowed in two weeks. I can not recommend this place enough. read more

This is part of the reason why I live in Silverton. The combination of Silverton Mountain and the surrounding backcountry make San Juan County my favorite place to ski in the world. Silverton Mountain is open for unguided skiing from whenever they open (around December 1) till January 15th, then again from April 1 till the close (usually around the end of April). Between Jan 15th and April 1, you must ski with a guide in a group of no more than 8 people. This makes for a great experience, as they are able to do snow control on a run-by-run basis and give skiers more fresh tracks. The terrain is some of the most-challenging of any I've skied, and the guides are both very friendly and very skilled skiers and snow safety specialists. If you haven't been to Silverton yet, make sure to plan a trip in the winter and plan on at least a couple of days at Silverton Mountain. read more

Silverton Mountain - Silverton Mountain - 24 Feb 2007 - Ski Resorts Near Me

Silverton mountain is one of the top ski areas in the world due to its exceptional terrain and consistent snowpack. I'm hosting my bachelor party here with my ski buddies. I ski all over the world and Silverton is my favorite mountain. I would rather ski Silverton than ski Zermatt or Saint Anton. read more

I expect the mountain to be excellent, but I wouldn't know. (FIRST IMPRESSION) BEWARE!!!! It may be rare but be prepared to loose all you payed for this trip if both routs into Silverton are closed. Even due to no fault of your own. Without threat of a lawsuit they refuse to offer even the slightest incentive to ever come back...they are too cheap to even offer a free cup of coffee if we'll return next year. I may likely never go back. There policy is a perfect incentive to boycott this mountain forever. read more

Absolute no frills experience, but fantastic. If you are fancy, or need pampering, go elsewhere. I'm an experienced snowboarder and wanted to feel pushed and uncomfortable. Mission accomplished. Our guide was great and found us plenty of steeps and powder. Not gonna lie, was a bit puckered a couple times, but that was part of the goal. The hiking was real, but worth it. Buying a single heli drop was also absolutely worth it. read more

Great guides, friendly staff and an epic mountain. I thought I'd mind the hiking, but the guides mix up a couple long hikes with some short or no-hike options. You end up appreciating the sheer beauty of the climb on some of the hikes you'll do and it really does add to the adventure. The terrain is challenging but the guides are excellent. They gave great supports to members of our group who either weren't comfortable with the climb or needed some pointers on how to ski the terrain. Don't go expecting Vail pampering. Go expecting great terrain, fresh tracks, superb attitudes, and a mountain built solely around the riding, not the glam. And if you don't want to hike, they'll gladly sell you a heli drop! read more

Phenomenal experience at Silverton; bucket list MUST for any experienced rider/skier chasing steep and deep. Our group scored HUGE with recent snowfall and the team at Silverton took care of us in the best way. Krysta our guide was extremely knowledgeable of the terrain and safety procedure while being an awesome person to share the goods with. The team has a great way of farming the fresh; guides check in at the top of the lift to see which group has been where on the mountain meaning everyone got fresh snow and leftovers for the next few days. This is steep and deep guided sidecountry at its finest; make sure you can handle this type of terrain before signing up but man oh man is it worth it. read more

I wish I had skied here on a powder day and then I could have given it 5 stars. As is, we skied this great mountain on sunny blue bird day - that was cold. So, severe pucker factor sets in on the first run: very steep, trees and gully on chewed up mashed potatoes that had been refrozen into ... shall we say.... a very challenging ski surface. Had you taken a fall you would have had a very long ride to bottom. I chose my tele gear for the first run because I wanted to be comfortable on the hike up. This was a mistake. Switched to medium fat downhill gear - a little better but still not right. I think if you look at what the guides are skiing (big FAT long boards) you should take your cue from them. Fatter is better on this mountain - in almost any conditions. One should not underestimate this mountain and the terrain. If your not fit and ready to ski hard, steep, trees, and rocks, while 5-7 other people watch you -- then don't go. If you want to ski (or board) back-country terrain that typically your half a brain would say "no way.. this is going to avalanche and kill me" then this is your mountain. So the guides are great, the views and terrain fantastic, the lunch - only OK, the beer in the tent is good and the price is right for what you get. read more

i am fresh back from my 3rd annual trip to this amazing ski "resort".... there wasn't quite as much snow this year as compared to last, but it is really more about quality than depth... some places (peaks and ridges) are a little wind-scoured, but the majority of the mountain is deep with powder... the one lift is long and takes you up to over 12000 feet... after packing your gear onto your back, you hike along the ridges (for anywhere from about 10 minutes - over an hour), until you reach a good drop-in point... your guide will assist you and your group (no more than 8 to a group) to whatever sort of adventure you choose... the terrain varies from cornices and rock-drops, smooth steep powder bowls, and some really great tree lines... there are no signs attempting to limit these "runs" to being classified in the "circle, square, diamond"-type difficulties... if you have to think about how "hard" the run is, you probably don't belong at Silverton... facilities are extremely limited on the mountain.... THERE IS NO RUNNING WATER!!!, a huge yurt serves as the main "lodge", there are pit toilets, a school bus wedged into the snow is the rental shop... oh, and the yurt becomes a bar after the lift stops running... what a party!!! this year, there is HELI-DROPS!!!! for an extra $150, the heli will drop you at the top of any of the surounding peaks... our whole group did this, and let me tell you... this is not to be missed!!! the price was worth the heli ride alone.... and then the amazing fresh powder ride to boot!!?!! the guides are top-notch here... maybe there are some better than others, but i have always had great guides... this year we had "john" (there are at least 2 johns) on thursday, and "nate" on saturday... we really enjoyed riding with both of them... i can't wait 'til next year to return to the best "resort" in the country!!! read more

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My 19yo daughter and I went to Silverton Mountain 1/8/2022 and had a blast. It was our 1st back country experience and topped it off with 2 Heli drops. What an absolutely amazing experience. The guides were fantastic and we felt very safe with them. Thanks for a great time! read more

The morning was a major "cluster" with group assignments and getting gear lined up. I was prepared for rural ... but the bathrooms/lodge/no where to sit things were a little surprising. I am not a back country skier ... I'm a side country skier. The amount of time spent hiking would have been worth it if the terrain and snow had been way better. They really "farm" the powder at Silverton. Each guide is assigned certain areas to ski and they are very strict about the whole thing. That way they can provide fresh turns days after a snow storm. That's good in theory and all, but something happens to snow that has been baked and frozen in cycles. It sucks. I felt extremely controlled and was disappointed in the terrain that we skied. Our guide did not once ask us what we were interested in skiing. Being told to ski 3 feet to the left of the guided turns was a very painful experience. I never felt any rhythm with my group or guide. It was an overall disappointment. I would much rather travel to CB for some CAT skiing. Silverton IS one of the most gorgeous regions in Colorado, however being at elevation makes the hike-to-terrain .... hike-to-bus a drag. I am making all of my future trips to this area in the summer. I think it just really depends on the type of terrain you prefer to ride and the storm situation. I suppose it COULD be awesome ... I just didn't hit it on my trip. read more

One lift up. Unlimited ways down. Alright that's a bit of hyperbole, but this is hands down the best experience in Colorado if you're looking for intense runs in deep powder with no crowds. You'll know if you fit into this crowd if you ... a) don't mind hiking at 12,000' to get to amazing runs b) scoff at people who brag about the bowls at Keystone c) enjoy experiencing the purest form of something The unguided lift ticket is fine, but if you want to make the most of your day, I would highly recommend getting a guide. They'll save you aimless wandering time and get you right to the areas you want to go to. Also, get there a little bit early because you have to sign a few waivers before you hit the backcountry! I want to go back right now as I'm writing this read more

I will start with a disclaimer that I guess we got a poor guide (avoid Brennen). The whole experience was highly impersonal, the guide never learned our names or asked us what we like to ski. He basically just said "Follow me." He always dropped first, and he took us pretty much exclusively on tight steep trees. Riding up the lift you may observe that there is ample powder directly under the lift line, and if you ask your guide if you can ski the lift line, he will reply "Lift line is for the lifties." You sit there perplexed because you have paid $140 for a day ticket, and you have been skiing sun-crusted bowls and steep tight trees, and you find out the low-hanging fruit is preserved for the staff, who get to rip the mountain Monday-Thursday? If you are an experienced backcountry skier you may find yourself unimpressed. You are skiing with eight other people, and skiing one at a time takes for ever, for $140 you get maybe 5 broken up runs (because you have to stop every 500 yards to regroup (200 yards for steep tight trees)). If you have no backcountry experience, you'll probably be psyched! I second that the whole process in the morning is a total cluster. I may return to Silverton someday for an unguided ticket, because the Mountain is stunning and has some really cool terrain, but until then I don't care if I ever deal with another mountain guide in my life. Bonus: We got to ski with Chris Davenport! read more

Silverton Mountain - Ski patrol shack. - Ski Resorts Near Me

Humbling mountain. Silverton is a reality check for sure. No matter how good you are there is a run that will make you pucker. Make sure you communicate with your guide on the terrain you like to ride. The odds of getting it are high. There was a comment from another review saying the guide didn't ask what terrain the group wanted. I have never had that experience and I have been to Silverton several times. All the guides I have had were flexible but you need to speak up. They do farm the snow there for a couple reasons...safety - don't expect the ski were you want. There are a number of no fall zones AND they use skier compaction for avalanche control so lines need to be organized. They are only open 4 days a week so they also what to make sure everyone has fresh lines if possible after a dump. Based on safety procedures you will get 5-6 runs in per day. Awesome runs though. Make sure you show up in shape it's, not Keystone CO, you'll be hiking from 20min to 2 hours (longer if you want). Have fun be safe!! Silverton is a one of a kind experience all way down to the repurposed correctional facility bus that shuttles you back to the lift. read more

The perfect place to ski with little kids. Small, cheap and easy to navigate.

I absolutely would not recommend Silverton Mtn. We will book our future trips elsewhere. I made my reservation long before the mountain was open for the season. A work function came into conflict with the trip and I couldn't skip the work meeting. I found this out shortly after I made and paid for the reservation and contacted the mountain and tried to talk to someone about refunding the reservation that I made for Feb. This was in October. I was told that there was nothing that could be done and the mountain hid behind their policy claiming it was inflexible. I was told my options were to sell the reservation, reschedule the reservation, or just not use it. I understand the reasoning behind the policy given the weather dependent nature of the business. However, the attitude of the employees over the phone and lack of flexibility around it (no refunds, 5 months in advance, before the resort is even open?!?!) are preventing me from ever returning. I ended up selling the reservation for 1/2 price to a friend. I guess if you have to go, just walk up without a reservation. The weekend that we had reserved had PLENTY of open spots and from what I hear that's usually the case. read more

Bottom line: skip it. Ski the telluride back country instead. You'll have more fun and it will cost you less. I was really looking forward to this trip. I've been skiing in resorts and in the backcountry at spots all around the world. I thought the experience at Silverton would be memorable. It was - but for all the wrong reasons. Our guide (Sheldon) made us wait for her at the lift multiple times while she went to take car of her dog she said she left in the car. Whether or not that was true is irrelevant. Point is we were all ready to ski and our hired guide had us waiting around for her. Also, she just wasn't any fun. She yelled at us a few times for some stuff that seemed pretty minor. I'm all for skiing safely and being smart in avalanche terrain but at some point by just being there we have all accepted some level of risk. So there was no point for Sheldon to try to keep us completely in her control 100% of the time. It just got to an absurd level and was more of a power trip. She even joked at one point that she likes to stand on the high side of the hill when addressing the group to start the day so that it gives her more authority. Was it a joke? Maybe, but her actions sure backed it up. We were skiing Silverton for a few days so we tried other guides. Everyone was better than Sheldon, in my opinion. But ultimately she left such a bad taste in my mouth it tainted my opinion of the place. Wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Even if you go unguided (preferred) they apparently rope off most of the good terrain. So go ski the trees somewhere else and save yourself the disappointment. read more

Silverton Mountain is not for the faint of heart, nor is it for anyone that is not in great shape and an expert skier. But, if you are in good shape and ready for some strenuous hikes, then Silverton Mountain is a great adventure. Our guide (Dustin) was very nice, he listened to the group, told some great jokes and did a great job guiding us through the very steep and challenging terrain. There are no frills at Silverton Mountain, but there is fantastic back country skiing. read more

you can read about the skiing from everyone else the lodge is a serious gross sweaty locker room. old ratty goodwill couches and moldy plastic for a roof. they need to step it up. the lift unload is a major safety issue, even for a good skier. they need to fix it. i had to sign 3 different liability release waivers. they need to streamline it. refund for unused Helli drop will be processed in 6 weeks. WTF? way too long i know its a backcounrty experience and i am not expecting resort amenities, but the gear rental is in the back of an old school bus. read more

As legit as it comes. Step lines, pow, & sunshine. Chair tops out @ 12,000 ft & then the hiking begins (unless you opt for heli). Not for fat tourists in one piece ski suits, the après ski crowd, or someone who needs more than what may be the worlds stinkiest pit toilets. read more

Top notch experience! If you love to ski/snowboard steep, gnarly terrain and deep powder, this is a place you have to try. It is also a great place to learn about backcountry safety and to get an idea of what a heli trip might be like. The vibe here is very unpretentious. Everyone is here for a great ski/snowboard experience. My guide was very professional and made sure we had a good experience. read more

Went to Silverton on her second day of opening. I skied three runs and quit for the day and then did not not ski the following day. While this area is extreme and offers tremendous skiing, it is highly dependent on weather conditions. As they do not groom or maintain, the conditions are very, very variable. In my case, the weather has been warm the day before and baked the snow. The snow was crusty and very heavy. There were many spots where the coverage was insufficient and we had to forage around it. If I had continued to ski, I was risking injury. This is no different than going to British Columbia and having the same conditions/issues. Net - be cautious when scheduling a trip here and understand the current and future weather conditions. If they have fresh snow, go for it. read more

I haven't skied here, but I can tell from reading other reviews from the sugar-britches-ladies based in Littleton and Denver that they chose the wrong resort, they should go to Deer Valley or Aspen where someone can wipe their pansy-a$$e$ for them. Come on, you're purportedly a core skier, going to Silverton and expect magical conditions on the day after opening day? I live in TN, spent a winter in CO, and it doesn't take a neurosurgeon to know that the best skiing happens after March 1st or thereabouts, what did you expect? They don't groom? Whahhh whahh go to Keystone etc. Douche! The base lodge wasn't acceptable? You knew where you were going I expect, so what DID you expect? Don't you pansies have better things to do with your time than whine about the imperfections of lift-served back country? read more

The good: The views are amazing. The guides have a great attitude and will keep you safe. This is an adventurous place and you will be in the company of great skiers. You will get steep 40 deg runs though on most of the mountain they are very brief. The bad: They claim "Our base lies at 10,400' with a peak lift served elevation of 12,300'. There is hiking to 13,487', which means with a little effort you can get around 3,000' vertical drop." What they don't tell you is after you get your run down the culoir, across the apron, and down the rest of the fun stuff then about 1000' of your vertical is down a cat track to then catch a bus back to the lift. They are actually counting a bus ride as vertical-shame on them. Other than that their website gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect. I would add that you should not have the expectation that the purpose of your guide is to lead you to blissful powder runs. The purposes of your guide are : 1. Keep you and your group safe by picking your lines for you among other basic guiding skills. 2. Tell you where to ski so that you stack lines, and don't track up any more of the terrain than you have to so others can get fresh lines. 3. Tell you where to ski to help them compress the snow as an avalanche mitigation strategy. 4. Keep a great attitude and ensure a cohesive and positive group dynamic. I personally felt a little restrained by the guide and felt like I was working for the mountain instead of the mountain working for me. I expected fresh lines due to the limited number of people on the mountain, but even on a heli drop I was sent down a skied off culoir and was scolded for not keeping my line stacked close enough going down the apron. Heaven forbid I take advantage of the one good line of powder on the mountain the whole day. I have gotten more fresh powder and vertical in the first 2 hours of the day at major resorts on weekends then I did at a full day at Silverton. Do it once for the bragging rights, and hope for a powder day :-) read more

Silverton Mountain cancelled my already-paid-for helicopter drop two weeks prior to my scheduled backcountry excursion. Apparently they shipped all their Helicopters to Alaska. They informed me that I would be refunded, however I have yet to receive compensation for the cancelled trip. I have called three times: each time I was assured that I would be refunded but I have still not received my money back. At this point it seems rather predatory - taking my money, cancelling the trip, then refusing a refund. The guided ski trip was great, but I will not be booking any further trips to Silverton Mountain due to their lack of punctuality in refunding my account. I'm a student and 400 bucks is a lot of money to lose. read more