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An excellent broad couloir that affords amazing spring skiing and a fun beginner ski-mo objective.


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Map Key

0.3

Miles

0.4

KM

Ski Line

12,618' 3,846 m

High

11,833' 3,607 m

Low

0' 0 m

Up

785' 239 m

Down

54%

Avg Slope (28°)

66%

Max Slope (33°)
Type: Backcountry or Sidecountry
Access is from the Pikes Peak Highway, which can close due to bad weather and has very specific hours of operation. Make sure you don't get ticketed!

Need to Know

The Pikes Peak Highway costs $12/person to get up the road.

Description

Park at any of the several pulloffs below Glen Cove and begin skinning up into the cirque. Little Italy is the very obvious couloir just right of the center of the cirque and left of the large bowl on the west side.

Keep skinning until it gets too steep and you get to the base of the couloir. The climb from here really only requires boots and poles, and kicking steps up the right side of the couloir is rather straightforward and easy.

This is serious avalanche terrain, so be cautious and know the snow conditions before you go. Pikes Peak often has a completely unique snowpack compared to the rest of the Front Range, so it is wise to dig a pit and assess stability before you begin climbing up the couloir.

Climb to the top, rip skins and let 'er rip down the 40-60ft wide couloir! It's a very straightforward ski, but as you get to the bottom and the couloir begins to bootleg skier's right, be careful of the convex rollover, which can be a trigger point for a slide in the lower section. You can ski this line all the way down to the bottom of the Cirque.

History & Background

This has long been a classic ski descent on Pikes Peak and rivals the Y Couloir for it's quality.

Contacts

Shared By:

Chris Dickson

Trail Ratings

  5.0 from 7 votes

#1

in Pikes Peak

#8

Overall
  5.0 from 7 votes
5 Star
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4 Star
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Ski Line Rankings

#1

in Pikes Peak

#7

in Colorado

#8

Overall
51 Views Last Month
12,209 Since Mar 18, 2015
Difficult Difficult

0%
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88%
13%

Photos

Looking up The Chimney, after an excellent day of skiing the lower half.
Mar 28, 2015 near Cascade…, CO
Looking up Little Italy from half-way down.
Mar 26, 2015 near Cascade…, CO
Looking down the lower half of Little Italy.
Mar 26, 2015 near Cascade…, CO
Fresh snow in May.
Jul 2, 2019 near Manitou…, CO
Skiing the lower half of The Chimney.
Mar 28, 2015 near Cascade…, CO
Looking up at Little Italy after an excellent March descent.
Apr 13, 2015 near Manitou…, CO
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Weather


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