FATMAP by Strava

Pirate -> Missing Links

Durango

Purgatory

One of the most technical lines in the bike park.

Mountain Biking Extreme

Distance
3.6 km
Ascent
0 m
Descent
461 m
Duration
0-1 hrs
Low Point
2.7 km
High Point
3.2 km
Gradient
11˚
Pirate -> Missing Links Map

The combination of Pirate to Missing Links is one of the two most difficult runs on the mountain. In fact, there's some debate among local riders about which is more difficult: Missing Links or World Cup DH. Whatever side of the debate you fall on, there's no question that BOTH of these runs are extremely technical.

Description

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.

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.

The righthand turn off of Pirate onto Missing Links can sometimes be easy to miss. "Links," as it's commonly called, begins fairly easy with a fast, high-speed rip down a ski run. Don't let that fool you because once you duck into the trees, the difficulty ratchets up dramatically!

The crux of the trail drops into a boulder-filled mountainside offering multiple line choices—none of which are easy. There are some optional drops in here and a few lines that try to skirt around the most difficult of the boulders, drops, and steep chutes. Some of the best lines are in the middle, and while they don't look like the easiest ones, they set you up to plow straight off of some moderate drops to more predictable landings, allowing you to brake a bit before a flat zone in the middle of the mountainside where you can catch your breath. Due to the difficulty, this is a good spot to scout before you hit it.

After the first big set of features, the trail hits a small landing with a lefthand turn, where you can slow down and compose yourself before taking a righthander that drops into an even steeper chute! Thankfully, this chute is mostly clear of rocks, but it has gotten extremely eroded out, creating a more difficult line selection. Staying up on one of the sides is the best choice, but inevitably you'll need to cross the gully one way or another—the question is where. Lining yourself up for this one can be challenging, and once you drop in, there's little chance of slowing yourself down.

After another flat landing, Links crosses Diggler and drops into another chute, albeit shorter and not as steep as those that preceded it. This also provides an optional, more challenging ending to Diggler if you so choose. But after this final chute, it's a fast exit to the finish on Second Chance and the Jump Trail.

Second Chance is ultimately just a connector to reach the Jump Trail, but the trail character is decidedly different here, with a narrow bench, 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

Extreme

Very steep, difficult, narrow singletrack with widely variable and unpredictable trail conditions. Unavoidable obstacles could be 15in/38cm tall or greater, and unavoidable obstacles with serious consequences are likely to be present. Obstacles could include big rocks, difficult root sections, drops, jumps, sharp switchbacks, and more. Ideal for expert-level riders.

High Exposure

3 out of 4

Some trail sections have exposed ledges or steep ascents/descents where falling could cause serious 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
  • Tabletops
  • Rock Rolls
  • Rock Slabs
  • Rock Gardens
  • Wooden Feature

Similar routes nearby

Guidebooks in this area