Ski Club 2.0 Home
Snow Reports
FAQFAQ

Mail for help.Help!!

Log in to snowHeads to make it MUCH better! Registration's totally free, of course, and makes snowHeads easier to use and to understand, gives better searching, filtering etc. as well as access to 'members only' forums, discounts and deals that U don't even know exist as a 'guest' user. (btw. 50,000+ snowHeads already know all this, making snowHeads the biggest, most active community of snow-heads in the UK, so you'll be in good company)..... When you register, you get our free weekly(-ish) snow report by email. It's rather good and not made up by tourist offices (or people that love the tourist office and want to marry it either)... We don't share your email address with anyone and we never send out any of those cheesy 'message from our partners' emails either. Anyway, snowHeads really is MUCH better when you're logged in - not least because you get to post your own messages complaining about things that annoy you like perhaps this banner which, incidentally, disappears when you log in :-)
Username:-
 Password:
Remember me:
👁 durr, I forgot...
Or: Register
(to be a proper snow-head, all official-like!)

2 Months in Canada

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hey Snowheads,

I'm planning to spend Dec - Feb in Canada. I've been to Whistler 12 years ago and obviously had a blast. I'm now usually going to smaller ski towns and my favourite stuff is quite steep lift access off piste but i do a bit of touring too.

I'm looking ideally for a smaller whistler but still with fun nightlife and amazing powder.

My search has led me to places like Revelstoke & Golden (Kicking horse). But I've just seen the epic pass does Whistler for just $900/ season Shock

Given my criteria, can anyone give recommendations?

And if you've been to Revelstoke, is the skiing as good as they say? And how's the party scene?
latest report
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Sidog, Regards Revelestoke skiing, no idea what they say, Toofy Grin but havent been disappointed each time we've been Madeye-Smiley
Its not a party town tho - more low key tbh. Most Canadian towns will be the same, as they arent resorts.

You say you usually go to smaller ski towns - where ? Gives an idea of what you know / like.
latest report
 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?
I went to Revelstoke Christmas 2019, the snowboarding/skiing was great, good snow, lots of off piste and touring, awesome tree riding.

The nightlife was fairly non-existent tho.

I went to Banff on the same trip which had better nightlife but I preferred the snowboarding in Revelstoke.

I did a day at Kicking Horse which had tons of expert terrain but I didn't stay the night so not sure of nightlife.
ski holidays
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
@Bones On a short trip I go to Alagna, Crevacol, Passo Tonale, Kaprun. And I go to Zell am see for longer stays which is actually not so small.
snow report
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@Sidog, you already have this mostly figured out. Rev/KH is it for your skiing criteria, and Whistler for your nightlife. Since you can fix the nightlife part on your own better than you can fix terrain or snow, I have you in Revy or Golden.

When making such decisions I often consider what I'll be skiing if off-piste conditions are poor. R/KH are not good places to cruise, but when you get a clear/cold week you could check out Sun Peaks or Silver Star.
snow report
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
@Sidog, My daughter has just arrived in Silver Star for the season, it has a great "Backside", is only 2 hours from Revelstoke and Sun Peaks with Big White 90 mins down the road too. Would suggest you base yourself in Vernon for ease of access. There are lift pass combinations for all of them but I'm buggered if I can work them out. We're heading there for a fortnight in Feb.

One thing to be aware of though is the Canadian COVID mitigation rules. As a result of them, the "Staff" at Silver Star are not going to be living on the mountain this season, but have taken over some establishments in Vernon. That would suggest that is where the nightlife will be.
ski holidays
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Quote:

seen the epic pass does Whistler for just $900/ season


Yep the pass is cheaper but the accomodation is over double so overall probably going to cost more to do Whistler.

Quote:

fun nightlife


Can't speak for revy, but golden is a bit meh for nightlife. Some decent parties during freeride world tour week but outside that it's just a small town with a couple of bars and no "proper" nightclubs. Not to say you can't have fun, but if you are expecting anything close to Whistler you will be very disappointed. The same is true for pretty much all the interior ski resort towns.

Quote:

quite steep lift access off piste


Kicking horse has you covered for steeps, I think they claim 50 odd different chutes, plus 2 faces used for the freeride world tour - that's all inside the boundary so avy controlled. For out of bounds stuff but no touring you can keep hiking the ridge out past T2. If you have touring gear you can drop the backside of ozone, then tour up Rudy's and drop the north side (here's a photo back of ozone is the far ridge and Rudy's is the closer ride - https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-a-man-backcountry-skiing-kicking-horse-backcountry-golden-british-43942343.html)
You have two further ridges molars and repeater if you want to continue and make a day of it. Terrain is always steeper rocky chutes on north of ridges and more mellow open skiing on South sides. From any of these it's possible to ski back to resort along a traverse track (flat in places, but definitely no transition to skins needed).

However, for the best touring you have Rogers pass between revy and golden. Probably the best touring spot in British Columbia. Not unusual to run into some big name pros there filming lines.
snow conditions
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Quote:

R/KH are not good places to cruise


KH is not awful for cruising. 1200m vertical and some nice groomers on the lower mountain which are pretty much empty. Granted you probably wouldn't want much more than a day or two, but at that point get the touring gear out and enjoy pretty much untracked slackcountry.
latest report
 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
RedandWhiteFlachau, She'll have a great time - SS is a great little gem, as you say it does have a great 'backside'.
Just have to watch out for the XC trails at times Embarassed Got a bit of a repremand from an XC patroller after we went astray through some trees - it ended well eventually Toofy Grin

Never much going on in Vernon, but might liven up if they are all staying down there - some were based in Vernon the other year. Often used is The Village Green Inn, cheap and ideally placed for SS access. We had a king suite for the costly price of £28 / night Madeye-Smiley
snow report
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Sidog wrote:
Hey Snowheads,

I'm planning to spend Dec - Feb in Canada. I've been to Whistler 12 years ago and obviously had a blast. I'm now usually going to smaller ski towns and my favourite stuff is quite steep lift access off piste but i do a bit of touring too.

I'm looking ideally for a smaller whistler but still with fun nightlife and amazing powder.

My search has led me to places like Revelstoke & Golden (Kicking horse). But I've just seen the epic pass does Whistler for just $900/ season Shock

Given my criteria, can anyone give recommendations?

And if you've been to Revelstoke, is the skiing as good as they say? And how's the party scene?


We were based in Golden a couple of years ago and did Revelstoke a couple of times. The skiing in KH was the best skiing I've ever done in my life. Next to no queues even on powder days and some of the terrain is bonkers (in a good way). Absolutely no night life to speak of, particularly when compared to Europe. I think if you stayed up at the lifts it might be a bit different to actual Golden mind you.

Revelstoke has much more of a nightlife and feels like a bit more of an established ski town. The skiing and snow were great whilst we were there but based on skiing alone I'd probably spend a significant amount of time in Golden/ at KH!
snow conditions
 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
I have a ski trip booked for mid December myself and I'm starting to get pretty nervous about this new variant!
ski holidays
 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
RosigLol It's gonna be a nerve-racking few weeks.

Thanks all for the tips. Revelstoke is leading the line Very Happy

Kicking horse trail map looks mad and if i'm not staying there, will have to pay a visit. Revelstoke map also looks awesome.
ski holidays
 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Yeah I found KH to be extremely quite and the quality of snow seemed to be a lot better - from memory I think it stayed consistently cooler whereas Revelstoke thawed and so could be choppy at times. You could go to either and really struggle to have a bad time for sure! We are heading to Big White all being well and will definitely try to get over to one of them for a day.
snow report
 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
We went to KH and didn't enjoy much, the queues at the bottom gondola were wild, gets less snow than Revelstoke as on the east side of the mountains. Others have obviously enjoyed it though.
I've loved Revelstoke each time I've visited.
I don't think there are bad choices here Wink
snow conditions
 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Quote:

We went to KH and didn't enjoy much, the queues at the bottom gondola were wild


I've only been precovid so can't comment on how things are right now, I did hear some horror stories about no mixed groups in gondola meaning probably some insane queues.

Pre covid average weekday it's pretty much unheard of for any kind of line up. In fact it was pretty normal to not even be sharing gondolas. Of course on a big powder day or holiday you are going to get a line and they can be pretty significant - it's an obvious bottleneck. OP liked Whistler and i wouldn't say kicking horse is any worse in regards to line ups.
snow report
 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@boarder2020, I think RCR are now mixing groups in gondolas. Everyone skiing has to be fully vaccinated and masks in enclosed spaces
latest report



Terms and conditions  Privacy Policy