When it snows in Whistler, it snows even harder at Powder Mountain
Catskiing. We traditionally get double to triple the snow from a storm cycle than
Whistler Blackcomb. That means if you want to ski or ride powder on
your trip to Whistler, you want to come skiing with us.
The anticipation starts when you meet up with the maximum of 11 other
people in your group. You'll be talking about all the turns you're
going to make; how much fun you are going to have; all the face shots
you're going to get; all the stuff you are going to jump off.
Sitting in the cat as it climbs up the mountain you look out the
window. You'll see the snow getting deeper and deeper as you get closer
to the powder runs, giving you butterflies. Seeing huge mountains all
around brings back the feelings you had the first time you ever went
into the mountains. Excitement, anticipation, nervousness, and best of
all exhilaration.
Stepping out of the snowcat at the top of the run, whether it's your
first time ever in a snowcat or your 100th trip, seeing all that powder
with no one around to track it up other than you and the other people
in your group is something you'll remember forever. Clicking in your
bindings after listening to the guide describe the run you are going to
take makes you so excited you feel like a five year old on Christmas
morning.
The days, weeks, and months of waiting for this exact moment are over:
you're finally here. You drop into the run and sink your first turn.
It's everything you've dreamed of. It's the best thing ever, and it's
only the first turn of the first run of your first day.
At the end of the day you check out the photos from the day at our base
lodge before you ride back in the Powder Mountain 4x4 vans to Whistler.
Boisterous laughter and shouts of "great run"; "It was so amazing"; "I
didn't think it was going to be that good or that easy"; change to
silences that fill the van with just as much enjoyment as the laughter
did moments ago. People you didn't know at the start of the day have
now swapped email addresses and phone numbers to make this magic happen
again.
You realize that the silence in the van is everyone thinking:
"This was the best day ever!"
Value
At $499.00 Cdn +HST for a full day catskiing or catboarding is
your best bet for getting the most untracked snow for your money. A day spent skiing at
Powder Mountain Catskiing is a full day spent skiing. The average day is 7-9 runs
. We are as happy to ski more than the average as you are. There is no charge for
extra runs. You won't find a better powder day in Whistler.
The photographer who rides with you all day catches most of the action that goes down every day.
$75.00 Cdn for every photo they shoot of you in a day is a bargain. Every
photo is burned in high resolution on a CD we mail to you.
Flexibility
Regardless of your ability we can choose the perfect runs for you. With two
certified guides and our relaxed pace, it's the ideal choice for those who want to
learn to ride powder OR for those who can shred with the best. Relax in the cat for a breather, or go for max vertical.
Terrain
Powder doesn't last long in Whistler. At Powder Mountain Catskiing, we never run out of powder. With a maximum 24 people skiing the 4,300 acres and five peaks, we run out of legs before we run out of fresh powder. Our powder is fresh,
not farmed. Catskiing is like the best day ever on Whistler Blackcomb, just without
the crowds and the hardpack.
Booking Reliability - We Ski Every Day
Snowcats can take people skiing in all conditions, so snowcat skiers don't get shut down
due to weather like heliskiers do. When you book a seat and spend months looking forward to getting
the powder skiing you have dreamed of, you get it. You don't get shut down at 8 am because it's
too windy or snowing too hard. It means when it's dumping, you're skiing. Some of the best
days we have are when it's snowing so hard helicopters are unable to fly. The harder it snows the
better the skiing. Instead of being stuck in Whistler Village, waiting for the the top lifts to open,
or the helicopters to start flying, you could be in one of our snowcats being taken safely into the
mountains and skiing what could be your "BEST DAY EVER".
Accessibility
Catskiing is for everyone. If you can ski Whistler Blackcomb, you can ski with us.
We have runs from green circles to black and double black diamonds.
No matter where we go there is an easy way down. Almost anyone can catski, and
have a blast doing it.
Safety
Your safety is our prime concern. We constantly monitor snow and weather
conditions throughout the day so you can be as safe as possible in the backcountry.
Everyone wears a transceiver and is trained to use it during our
safety orientation session.
Quality
This is the Whistler you came for... No lift lines no crowds and great snow all day.
There is no snowcat that can compare to the power, reliability,
comfort and speed of the Pisten Bully Snowcat.
A couple of years ago we made a huge investment and sold all our
Bombardier cats and entered into a lease purchase agreement for Pisten Bully 300's from
Cold Smoke Leasing Co. We went from a really good day being 9 or 10 runs to an average
day being 9 -10 runs. The old record for most runs was 11. Now it's 15. That's why we
made the investment to run Pisten Bully snowcats. The new cats are so fast that our
old "fast cat" the Pisten Bully 280 was sold last year because it just
couldn't keep up. We wanted everyone to have the same experience, epic powder
skiing from a Pisten Bully 300.
It's also nice that the Pisten Bully’s offer superior comfort and reliability when it
comes to getting up the mountain to get the untracked snow. The cats have bucket coach
seats in all our passenger cabins. The bucket seats really let you relax on the way up
the mountain in between runs. It's amazing how much less energy you use over the
course of a day not having to hold on to the seat in front of you and just settling
back into your seat. Some guests said it made their day. Every one said they had
more energy to ski. That was cool, we just wanted them because they were more comfortable. Classic!
To ensure that your ride up is as comfortable as
your run down is fun, the passenger cabins are especially designed for your
group of 12, 2 guides and photographer. The cabins are heated so even on the coldest day, catskiing is
a warm fun powder adventure. When it’s minus 20’ and the snow is a good as it will ever
get, having a heated 10-15 minute ride up for your next run will make
you ready to really charge on each run. It might ruin you on chairlifts and t-bars forever. With
the cabin's big windows, you get the best
view of the surrounding peaks that have made this part of the world
legendary.
On the first run of the day it takes about 25 - 40 minutes depending on
which peak we are skiing, to get up to the peak from our base lodge -
about the same time it takes to get from the village to the top of 7th
Heaven on Blackcomb. We have done extensive route work and road cutting
in the last two years to make the run up from our base lodge as fast
as possible. No matter how powerful and nice the cat is or how comfy
and relaxing the seats are... we're here to ski and ride. We want that
first run to come as quick as possible.
After the initial run to the peak the runs come quickly. Your average cat time is 10-15 minutes
per run. This gives time to catch your breath, grab a snack or a drink,
compare face shot stories with your new best friends, and be ready and rested to hit it when you
get to the top.
Our Photographers Will Make You Look Like A Rock Star
Not to blow our own horns but the photography is outstanding. The coolest thing
is that 75% of the photos on this site are photos of our guests. Our photography crew
does an amazing job, whether it's sunny or a full on blizzard, the crew come home with the shots that make you look like a rock star.
The Photographer Shoots All Day
Each cat has an assigned photographer that is with you the entire day, not just for a run or two. They chronicle
the whole day because we understand that this is a day you have been dreaming of and an experience that no matter
many times you've been, it always amazing and filled with moments where you think, "Man! I wish I had a picture of that".
The photo crew strive to get all those moments. Your day never ends because of the photos - you can re-live
that perfect turn or slash forever.
At the end of every day when you get out of the cat at the bas lodge and have a cold Whistler Beer Powder Mountain Lager in your hand or a water, we have a slideshow showing all the photos shot during your day with us. There's nothing better than having your best day ever and then seeing the photographic proof.
You Get Every Picture Of You - Not Just One
Your CD filled with every photo, in high resolution, of you shot during your day. You also receive all
the communal and scenic shots from the day. The best photos are uploaded to
our Facebook Fan Page
in low resolution with a watermark so you can share them with all your friends.
The perfect reminder of how great your day was and the worst reminder for your friends
that they missed it.
Photo Charge to Chronicle Your Day
The photographer charge is $75.00 Cdn per person.
To get the most out of your day there are a few things you can do to make it even more fun.
Up to Two Weeks In Advance
- Contact Summit Sport Rentals
for your rental fat skis or powder snowboard. You definitely want to be skiing on
fat skis, or riding
a dedicated powder board.
Burton
is one of our sponsors and they make great powder snowboards. Half the effort, twice the fun.
Tell Summit you're coming with us and they will set you up with the right gear. The money it costs for
rentals is worth every penny when you have the best day ever because you had the right tool
for the job.
- Drop us a line if you have any special dietary needs. Our lunches are awesome. No
matter what your needs we will make you a great lunch.
The Day or Evening Before
- Get a hot wax done on your skis or board and your day will be so much better. You
don't get as tired and you have more fun when you glide instead of having a slow board or skis.
- Pick up your rentals from
Summit Sports and
scope out our office, so you can roll up half asleep the
next day and look like a local.
- Visit us at 4154 Village Green
to sign your waiver.
The Day of your Trip
- Meet at 4154 Village Green at 07:45 am.
If you need to buy breakfast before you go, arrive early. It's right
beside Starbucks on the Village Stroll so the coffee is ON.
- Dress for the weather, like you would for a regular day at a ski resort.
We ski runs in the high alpine and tree runs in the sub alpine. Layering is
always the best way. Having the correct clothes will help you have a great day.
- Bring an extra sweater/goggles/gloves if you like. It's better to have it
and not need it than need it and not have it. You can stash extra gear in the cat.
- We have healthy hearty sandwiches on board as well as snacks for you to
nibble on, plus bottles of water. Keeping your energy up with great food and hydration is
a big part of staying warm and having energy to ski and ride our great snow.
- Bring a friend, so when you get home you have someone to re-live the epic day
with. Your friend can also back you up on your stories when no one believes how
good the snow was and how much fun you had.
The best thing is to remember you aren't at a ski resort. There is no rush.
And it's Only friends on a powder day.
ResortQuest Whistler Accommodation Rentals - Browse the very best vacation lodging
selection that is available in the areas of the resort during all seasons.
Choose the perfect Whistler accommodations for your entire group and enjoy each day
in the beautiful mountain resort located in scenic BC, Canada.
07:45 am
Meet at 4154 Village Green,
to check in and sign your waiver.
Be dressed and ready to ski. We drive you and your equipment to our simple
base lodge. The Powder Mountain base Lodge is 20 minutes south of Whistler on
Highway 99 at the Chance Creek turn off.
8:00am
Departure: don't be late.
8:30am - 8:45am
At our simple base lodge we have a cozy fireplace and bathroom
facilities. After a short talk on the day's proceedings and a safety
briefing regarding snowcat procedures, we load up the snowcat and head
out into the backcountry.
9:15am - 9:45am
You step out of the snowcat and begin a quick safety orientation.
After that, it's time to get our first taste
of the day's snow. You will be at 6,500 feet altitude, clicking into
your bindings for the first run of the day. The first run is always a
mellow one to let everyone get warmed up. This allows the guides to get
an idea of the ability level of the group. The groups' ability and snow
conditions determine what kind of terrain and runs we will be riding.
3.00pm - 3:30pm
The end of your day depends more on the energy level of the group, snow
and weather conditions etc, than what time it is. We may ski down the cat
road as a fun alternative to riding home in the snowcat. If you are
feeling tired, you can also get back in the snowcat at any time on the
ski-out for a ride home.
4.00pm
You return to our Base Lodge and re-live the day checking out all the
photos from the day, then transfer into our
4x4 vans and head back to Whistler.
4:00-4:30pm
You are usually back in Whistler by around 4:30. Sometimes the weather makes
for a slower drive back.