ASK AI: The 10 Gnarliest Ski Runs in the West

We asked AI what the top 10 gnarliest runs on the West Coast are. We think it did a pretty good job actually. Of course there are always misses. What do you think?

"The Dream Factory" (2012)

Corbet’s starts with a mandatory drop off a cornice that can range from 10 to 20+ feet depending on snowpack. The landing is blind, steep, and flanked by rock walls—if you mess up the entrance, you’re toast. Once in, it funnels into a narrow chute that widens to a mogul field, making it both physically and mentally punishing. It’s one of the most photographed, feared, and revered runs in North America.

Named after Shane McConkey himself, this cliffed-out face sits above the Silverado zone and is rarely open due to avalanche danger. The entrance involves a massive cornice drop—often 30+ feet—and the run-out is steep, tight, and flanked by rock. You don’t ski McConkey’s—you send it.

"Tight Loose" (2016)

This iconic ridgeline above KT-22 is freeride central, stacked with technical lines like Main Line, Chimney Sweep, and Center Line, all involving billy-goating, straight-lining, or threading rock gaps. But the crown jewel is The Chimney: a rarely-open, near-vertical chute with stacked cliff drops, poor visibility, and rock walls inches from your edges. Locals and pros alike view it as a rite of passage—if it’s even open.

These steep, narrow chutes (Alta 0, 1, 2, and 3) are hidden in the cliffs skier’s right off the Sublette lift. They require threading through rocks on 40-45° slopes with no room for error. They’re often bumped out, making the descent physically punishing and technically challenging. Locals know Alta 0 is the gnarliest—it’s more fall-line and tighter than the others.

After a short bootpack from the top of Loge Peak, this zone offers massive vertical drops, exposed traverses, and big terrain with avalanche danger. Lines like Temerity and Kessler’s start with spicy chutes or cliff bands and descend into wide-open powder bowls. It feels more like Alaska than in-bounds Aspen. Plus, the snow here can get funky, adding to the danger.

Rambo is the steepest cut run in North America, averaging 55 degrees from top to bottom. It’s narrow, icy, and often riddled with rock-hard moguls. It’s the kind of run where falling means sliding several hundred vertical feet. Crested Butte has plenty of rowdy terrain, but Rambo is the crown jewel of fear.

Accessed via a sketchy, icy traverse from Hidden Peak, the Cirque is a no-fall zone with big exposure on both sides. It serves as the gateway to ultra-tech lines like Great Scott, where skiers squeeze through rock-lined corridors on 45-degree slopes. It’s wind-scoured, variable, and pockmarked with shark fins. It’s a rite of passage at Snowbird.

One of the first “real” lines you see off the tram, Silver Fox starts with a sketchy drop or tight traverse through rocks, depending on the snow. Once in, you’re committed to a steep, rock-walled chute that’s often scraped clean and full of hidden hazards. The snow doesn’t stay soft long—this one’s as much a test of edge control as nerve.

A straight, narrow couloir in Nevada's Ruby Mountains, Terminal Cancer is a bootpack-access chute that's gained cult status. Averaging 50+ degrees and barely wider than your poles, it’s a tight, high-consequence line with big vertical and stunning aesthetics. It might not be lift-accessed, but it’s so iconic—and so puckering—it earns its spot on the list.

"Anomaly" (2006)

Though it’s outside resort boundaries, Cody is accessible from the Jackson Hole tram via a short bootpack and traverse—but it’s full-on backcountry. Lines like Central Couloir, Pucker Face, and Breakneck involve extremely steep, narrow couloirs with mandatory airs and death exposure. You need avy gear, knowledge, and confidence. It’s where pros go to test their limits on “in-bounds-adjacent” terrain.

Check out the East Coast picks—ASK AI: The 10 Gnarliest Lines on the East Coast.