At Killington Mountain Guides, we are committed to delivering the finest East Coast backcountry skiing experience, with a strong focus on the essential skills you can take anywhere in the world. Located next to Killington Ski Resort, we are fortunate to train throughout a long season, helping our clients master the art of backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. If you are seeking a truly unique Vermont ski experience steeped in local history, you have come to the right place.

Our terrain is located only a few miles north of the Killington Ski Area and next to a lost ski area of Vermont that operated in the 1940’s called the Retreat Ski Area. The founder Claus A. Bartenstein was ahead of his time. He was by profession a mechanical engineer, having immigrated from Friebug, Germany in 1928 and finally settling in North Sherburne (Killington) in 1946.  He and his wife ran The Retreat Resort, later The Circle B Camp, and finally Grindelwald Guest Haus, on the Elbow Road directly across Route 100 from where Bart's Hill Road is now.

“The Retreat Tow (also known as Bart's Tow) was a brief ski area that operated in Norrth Sherburne near Killington, VT. Claus A. Bartenstein was the founder of the area, and had always dreamed of opening up a ski area. In 1947 he started clearing the hill just above Route 100, and opened the area then. The rope tow was 600' long, and served six slopes and trails, including the 1200' long Christmas Tree Alley.  The Retreat Lodge had bunking space for 30 guests. A station wagon helped carry skiers from Rutland to the ski area and back each day.

The area closed in 1950, when the tow was sold to Pico. Claus A. Bartenstein dreamed of having his own ski area, and was a good friend of Brad Mead and Carl Acker, owners of Pico Ski Area.   In 1947 my Claude started clearing the mountain just above Route 100 (Bart's Hill Road was the walk way from the parking area and became a road of the town after the Bartenstien started selling building lots on the hill where the ski area had been.)  Claus A. Bartenstein, was also an accomplished artist and taught painting classes in Rutland.  He was selectman of the town of Sherburne for many years and also a charter member of the Sherburne Volunteer Fire Department.

 He then purchased a Ford Model A engine and transmission.  He then designed and built a stand for the engine and transmission along with a system of pulleys.  These were mounted on a cement base and a "tow house" with a warming hut built around it.  It was a rope tow utilizing a one (1) inch rope, telephone type poles with automobile wheels as pulleys mounted on the poles. Later on lights were installed for night skiing.  The cost for skiing at the Retreat Ski Area was $1 a day.  My brother and I both learned to ski on this hill and wore out innumerable pairs of mittens on the rope tow. “ - https://www.nelsap.org/vt/retreat.html

• Regular Guided Day Rates:

• First Person: $375

• Additional Person $175 

• Private 1 Person $475

• 1 Guide to 4 Clients Sno-Cat assisted Skiing and Touring $400 PP x 4 $1,600.00

  Reservations for Season 26/27 on sale now. killingtonmountainguides@gmail.com 802-746-8044