The Purgatory Inferno Mountain Coaster opens Saturday at Purgatory Resort in Durango, Colo. Courtesy photo
The Purgatory Inferno Mountain Coaster. Courtesy photoMOUNTAIN News:
DURANGO, Colo. ― The only mountain coaster in the southwest region is opening Saturday. The Purgatory Inferno Mountain Coaster will be open during the summer and winter.
The Inferno Mountain Coaster is just north of the Twilight Lift 4 in the base area. The Inferno is 4,000 feet long with a 300 vertical drop and was created by the Aquatic Development Group. The ride includes nine switchbacks and one 360 degree loop. Individual carts can go as fast as 25 miles per hour and the track rises up to as high as 40 feet in the air in some areas.
“The new Inferno Mountain Coaster is an absolute blast to ride,” Purgatory Resort General Manager Elizabeth Howe said. “This thrilling new ride zips you through aspen trees with twists and turns revealing incredible views of the San Juan Mountains.”
The new mountain coaster employs a motorized pulley that takes carts uphill on a track and once the cart crests, then gravity whisks riders down, twisting and turning on a fixed track. Guests regulate their own speed with a handbrake.
“The Inferno Mountain Coaster is a fantastic new addition to all the other activities at Purgatory Resort, providing one more reason to visit the resort any time of year,” Howe said. “The new coaster is a fun ride for all ages, and it gives you the freedom to determine how fast – or slow – you want to go.”
Rides are $20 per person or part of the Summer Total Adventure Ticket. Individuals ages 9 and older (or 52 inches and taller) ride the cart by themselves.
Kids 3 to 8 years old must ride with an adult.
Purgatory is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 14. The coaster will operate again when Purgatory opens for ski season Saturday, Nov. 17.
The mountain coaster’s name is inspired from Purgatory’s historic theme which was originally derived from Dante’s Divine Comedy. Many ski trail names at the resort also follow this theme, including Styx, Pandemonium, Hades, Pitchfork, El Diablo, Limbo and more.
For more information, log on to www.PurgatoryResort.com.
