 Poster: A snowHead
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Any experiences/recommendations on a day trip cat skiing from whistler. I believe the lift company have there own outfit and there is powder mountain cat ski, anybody else? Would be pretty happy to travel a couple of hours (if easy enough by bus etc) for any other companies.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I've done a couple of days with Powder Mountain. Their area is a little way down the road back to Squamish but they pick you up in busses from Whistler. Terrain is pretty varied - some alpine, some trees. I haven't skied anything big and gnarly there, but it's fun skiing. You get a decent amount of skiing in and I think they have upgraded their cats since I last went which will speed up the uplift a bit. It's a nice alternative at busy times or if it hasn't snowed recently. I reckon it's better value than heli and it runs whatever the weather. The particular area where Powder Mountain operates gets about 50% more snow that Whistler IIRC so you can get some deeeeep turns
I think philwig has a connection with Powder Mountain so he may be able to give more up to date info
If you want to ski longer steeper things, I'd probably go with a mountain guide and do a day in the Whistler/Blackcomb back country - that way you aren't constrained by the abilities of other randoms in your group
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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We did a full day Cat skiing in Revelstoke. Really was excellent, everything was untouched powder, slopes where a really good, nothing obscenely difficult. a well balanced group of skiers, excellent guides who knew the terrain well. All in all a bloody good day, and well worth the money.
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heli would certainly be a experience but whats swaying it for me to catski (apart from heli being double cost) is the little break between runs, getting soft in my old age! I have never had a problem with broad range of abilities in a group (as long as i am not the tale end charlie) everybody is out to enjoy themselves at the end of the day!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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For me Cat skiing wasn't as intense as Heli, a well-chilled day, no skiers trying to prove anything, no one posing.. just fun. definitely on the list next time I'm in Revelstoke.
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@WASHOUT, powder mountain your best bet with the ease of transfer from whistler , much better chance of running if weather closes in etc , but wouldn't worry about heli skiing in whistler being frantic or gung-ho at all , each time ive been its very mearsured and safety first operation , with plenty of time to rest up between lifts , in fact if snow on the heavy side , i.e normal conditions in the area the tee skiing can be just as tiring as terrain dictates your lines a little more , as Arno said though snow depths around powder mountain are usually deeper and un skied for longer . if you do opt for a heli drop the zones further north departing from Pemberton are so good and give you a real out there experience than the zones around whistler
another option is https://snowcats.ca/about-us/ , stunning tenure and very cool adventure but lodge rather than day based
or this https://altusmountainguides.com/blog/general/tantalus-range-skiing/ with a heli bump and touring option , so very big lines here or just the most amazing glacier skiing next to a major highway that's not in Alaska !!!!
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| Arno wrote: |
| ... I think philwig has a connection with Powder Mountain so he may be able to give more up to date info... |
This is true.
I spend a lot of time in the interior heli skiing, but I also have an interest in Powder Mountain, which has been owned by a bunch of my snowboarding friends until recently.
I've ridden there a lot over the years in both cats and heli. I also have mates in Altus Guides if that helps. Oh, and Whistler Heli.
"The lift company" (Vail Resorts) own the entire village including much of the retail, and they bought up Whistler Heliskii some years ago.
They run that in a tenure just north west of Whistler village. Powder Mountain is an independent company which has the tenure south west of the village down to Vancouver. Powder Mountain runs both cats and heli.
Recommendations? Do your research (check the operators' web sites), and decide what you want.
It snows a lot in Whistler, and the coastal climate means often heli can't fly. So book your trip early so you're ok should you be bumped.
Cat trips are also weather dependent - sure, they can drive you out there when the visibility is zero and the snow's been rained on, but you'd want a refund because you're paying for more than that, so they don't.
Powder Mountain doesn't bill until the evening before your trip[1]. I mostly ride cats in Whistler because I get more vertical that way.
If you have any private questions then PM me.
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[1] But check with them if this matters - I don't make the policies and it may change for all I know.
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