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Upper Switchback

Black diamond Stratton, VT

Steepest pitch23°
Vertical256 ft
Length1,081 ft
Average pitch14°
FacesN
Top3,174 ft

Upper Switchback drops 256 vertical feet over 1,081 feet of skiing, with a steepest pitch of 23° about 790 feet below the top. That's steeper than 14% of the 4,740 black diamond runs we've measured in North America, and the 32nd steepest of 112 named runs at Stratton. It faces north.

How well Upper Switchback holds snow

Snow preservationExcellent

Facing north at an average 14°, Upper Switchback gets about 56% of the winter sun that flat ground at Stratton does, December through March. That's shadier than 89% of the runs we've measured, and the 4th shadiest named run at Stratton. Its top sits at 3,170 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 Switchback 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 Switchback elsewhere

Nearby at Stratton

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.