You may be looking for a full day of powder skiing, or you may just want to try backcountry touring out for the first time - whatever ski adventure you are looking for, let us know and we'll make it happen.
All our trips are fully catered and guided by professional Ski Guides, and will take you into some of the best kept secrets behind the Whistler resort area. Take advantage of the incredible knowledge that our local Ski Guides have and stop skiing in other people's tracks! To ensure the best snow conditions, specific destinations will be selected the day of the trip based on where the good snow is, and where the other skiers are not! A typical day of backcountry skiing with our ACMG Guides will get you 3,000' - 4,000' vertical!
Details for Whistler Backcountry Ski Tours
 |
|
Dates
Ski tours depart daily at 0800 based on current conditions. We will do our best to accommodate last minute bookings, but a minimum of 24 hours notice is required to guarantee availability.
Cost
$235. + gst. 2 people minimum required. 10% discount for all dates booked more than 2 weeks in advance. Special prices are available for group bookings and Instructional programs, please contact us directly for more options.
Included in your cost, Whistler Ski Guides will supply the following on all Backcountry tours:
- Alpine Trekker Touring adapters for your own alpine skis
- Snowshoes and poles for snowboarders
- Catered gourmet lunch (with a thermos full of the hot beverage of your choice!)
- G3 climbing skins
- G3 probe
- G3 Avi-tech shovel
- SOS avalanche beacon
- Tatanka 25 litre backcountry Skiing/Boarding pack
- and, of course, the expert guidance of our local ACMG guides!
Lift pass on Whistler/Blackcomb for backcountryacess is not included. Backcountry lift passes are available for $35.
Prerequisites
If you can ski, you can tour in the backcountry with Whistler Ski Guides!
We separate our general groups based on ability levels and fitness, though if you wish to have a group of skiers together for a day who are at different levels we can certainly accommodate that.
For those seeking a full day of turns in the backcountry, we recommend that you are a strong intermediate or advanced skier with some experience in off-piste or powder conditions. Your day will be spent touring in the backcountry, so you should be physically fit and accustomed to touring or hiking in backcountry conditions (of course, we will be breaking the trail though!).
If you are looking for a general tour into the mountains and glaciers of the backcountry around Whistler, basic skiing skills and a moderate level of fitness will suffice.
Please contact us directly to discuss your fitness level if you are unsure if backcountry skiing is appropriate for you or anyone in your group.
Location
Our tours will head into a variety of pristine alpine bowls and glaciers in Garibaldi Park adjacent to the Whistler and Blackcomb ski areas. Daily skiing objectives will vary based on current conditions, but generally are accessed from the top of the ski lifts on one of the two resorts.
 |
Objectives
What else? Our objective on these tours is to get you out and explore the backcountry with as much skiing as you can handle! We will start off first thing in the morning with a review of current conditions and equipment check before finalizing the route plan and heading out along the high alpine ridges behind Whistler and Blackcomb. This is your day, so we will be consulting with you on an ongoing basis to make sure we choose skiing objectives that you are most interested in to ensure you get the best Whistler Ski Guides experience!
Of course, along the way our Guides will also be there to teach Avalanche Safety skills, coach you on skiing technique and generally help you improve you backcountry touring skills and confidence.
Equipment list for Whistler Backcountry Ski Touring
Whistler Ski Guides supplies the following on all programs (as required):
- Alpine Trekker Touring adapters for your own alpine skis
- Snowshoes and poles for snowboarders
- G3 climbing skins
- G3 probe
- G3 Avi-tech shovel
- SOS avalanche beacon
- Tatanka 30 litre backcountry Skiing pak
The following personal equipment is all that is required by you:
conditions while descending.
Logistics and meeting place
You will be contacted by our office or your Guide the day before the tour to arrange the specific meeting place and other details, based on the daily objective.
Typically, a day of backcountry ski touring will start with a meeting at 07:45 at one of the pre-arranged meeting locations (in the Whistler Village near the base of the gondola's, or at the Base of Blackcomb). After meeting your guides and other tour participants, checking gear and discussing objectives, you will then catch the first lift up onto the mountain.
Your day will be spent touring into the glaciers and backcountry of Garibaldi Provincial park, with a return to the ski area scheduled for approx 3:30 pm in order to ski down and be at the village base by 4:00.
Late winter and spring tours may be extended to return later in the day at special request.
Related Programs
For a wide variety of other high quality Mountain related programs offered with ACMG Guides, please click here to visit the Canada West Mountain School website, or via phone at 604.878.7007 or toll free at 1.888.892.2266.
E-mail WSG