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Upper Purgatoire Glades

Black diamond Cuchara, CO

Steepest pitch23°
Vertical308 ft
Length902 ft
Average pitch20°
FacesNE
Top10,442 ft

Upper Purgatoire Glades drops 308 vertical feet over 902 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 23° about 390 feet below the top. That's steeper than 14% of the 4,740 black diamond runs we've measured in North America, and the 19th steepest of 32 named runs at Cuchara. It faces northeast.

How well Upper Purgatoire Glades holds snow

Snow preservationExcellent

Facing northeast at an average 20°, Upper Purgatoire Glades gets about 59% of the winter sun that flat ground at Cuchara does, December through March. That's shadier than 85% of the runs we've measured, and the 4th shadiest named run at Cuchara. Its top sits at 10,440 feet.

Shaded snow stays colder and drier, so it holds powder longer after a storm and is slower to crust over or turn to slush in spring. Shading from ridges and trees isn't counted yet.

Upper Purgatoire Glades profile

under 25°25–35°35–45°45°+ Hover to follow the line on the map.

Where it is on the mountain

Runs like Upper Purgatoire Glades elsewhere

Nearby at Cuchara

Measured by ZRankings from 1-meter USGS lidar. Steepest pitch is the steepest stretch of about 50 vertical feet along the skiable line. Run lines come from OpenStreetMap and can sit a little off the skied path.