FATMAP by Strava

Pirate -> Diggler

Durango

Purgatory

Step into black diamond terrain at Purgatory.

Mountain Biking Severe

Distance
4.3 km
Ascent
0 m
Descent
461 m
Duration
0-1 hrs
Low Point
2.7 km
High Point
3.2 km
Gradient
Pirate -> Diggler Map

Pirate begins directly from the top of the chairlift with a fast, rough entrance—letting you know exactly what you're in for! This rough-and-tumble black diamond trail is a high-speed mash-up of all sorts of challenging features. One of the biggest jumps in the bike park (as of the time of the 2023 season) is found near the top of the trail: a massive step-up jump with a near-vertical lip.

Description

But don't let that fool you into thinking this is a jump trail! While there are plenty of kickers spread throughout, Pirate is better defined by its steep root webs and rock gardens. In some places, you'll have multiple line options to choose from that have been skidded into the black, silty dirt in the forest.

There are also several more advanced features to watch out for, including two cliff drops. Both of these can be bypassed with a nearby ladder bridge. There are also other manmade wooden features, including a steep bridge crossing a road.

This trail combination gets easier as it goes on by dropping into Diggler. This intermediate trail is a true crowd-pleaser with its varied and accessible terrain. In some ways, Diggler is hard to quantify—in places, it is fast and flowy, and you'll find some great berms and optional kickers along the edge of the trail.

However, compared to a true flow trail, Diggler is a much more natural-style downhill trail. You'll pound your way through some rough rocks, blast (and slide) over root webs, and challenge yourself on a few flat corners. One iconic feature is a large boulder embedded into the trail that creates a perfect kicker!

This flowing benchcut trail also passes through, arguably, one of the most beautiful sections of forest on the front of the mountain. While it's difficult to stop and smell the (literal) flowers, this trail is a true beaut that's well worth savoring.

The run wraps up on Second Chance and Jump Trail. Second Chance is ultimately just a connector to reach the Jump Trail, but it's still quite an entertaining rip along a narrow bench with some exposure on the downhill side and a few rocks to negotiate.

Once you take the hard left turn to drop into the final Jump Line, be sure to pedal for the first gap jump! Once you have your speed up, you can carry plenty of momentum through this beautiful pack of tabletop jumps (with one hip). This is easily the best set of jumps in the bike park, with the biggest takeoffs and smoothest landings. They're also some of the largest hits in the park (as of the time of this writing), but they're still a long way from being "big" compared to other modern bike parks.

Difficulty

Severe

Widely variable, narrow trail tread with steeper grades and unavoidable obstacles of 15in/38cm tall or less. Obstacles may include unavoidable bridges 24in/61cm wide or less, large rocks, gravel, difficult root sections, and more. Ideal for advanced-level riders.

Medium Exposure

2 out of 4

The trail contains some obstacles such as outcroppings and rock which could cause injury.

Remoteness

1 out of 4

Close to help in case of emergency.

Best time to visit

between June and October

Features

  • Technical
  • Shuttle-run
  • Singletrack
  • In the forest
  • Drops
  • Jumps
  • Roots
  • Gap Jumps
  • Tabletops
  • Rock Rolls
  • Rock Slabs
  • Rock Gardens
  • Wooden Feature

Similar routes nearby

Guidebooks in this area