DURANGO, Colorado – Purgatory Resort’s new Colorado Couloir chairlift entered a new, highly visible phase of construction this week as helicopters begin flying lift components and building materials into the steep, roadless terrain on the mountain’s front side. The lift is on track to open in December 2026, weather and conditions permitting.
Previously known as the Gelande Lift project, the new lift will officially carry the name Colorado Couloir as a nod to the steep chutes, glades and technical terrain that it’s set to access. The new lift will also give skiers direct access to the upper mountain, removing the shuttle ride that was previously required.
“Colorado Couloir will give guests a new way to experience Purgatory this winter. It expands advanced and expert skiing on the front side of the mountain, creates a new access point from Gelande and helps us evolve in a way that stays true to what makes Purgatory special.” – Dave Rathbun, CEO of Purgatory Resort.
Because the lift line crosses steep, road-free terrain, crews are using helicopters to move concrete forms and other materials to the build sites. Timber clearing along the corridor is finished, and crews are now excavating foundations for towers and terminals.
Colorado Couloir will be a fixed-grip triple chair spanning 4,439 feet with 1,625 feet of vertical gain. The ride will take about 9 minutes and move 1,445 skiers per hour, with sections reaching a 60% grade. Seven new trails and connectors will open alongside the lift, though trail names haven’t been released yet. The new lift will reuse chairs, grips and other machinery from Telluride’s retired Plunge Lift.
Colorado Couloir stems from a plan first approved in Purgatory’s 2008 Improvement Plan Environmental Impact Statement and reaffirmed in 2019. The project is part of roughly $7 million in improvements at Purgatory this summer and more than $37.5 million announced resort-wide by Mountain Capital Partners.