Focus On: Spring in Whistler
Continuing with our “Focus On” series, we now move into late spring in the Sea to Sky (BC) corridor to our Whistler trip with the Worldwide Cyclery crew from May 31 to June 5th. We’ve been running spring trips to Whistler for the last three years and the weather and trail conditions are tough to beat: typically cool weather, perfectly tacky (and maybe a bit wet) trails and virtually no one is around. This year’s spring trip is in partnership with the guys at Worldwide Cyclery, which means Jared and Liam will be riding with the groups, and they’ll probably bring a bunch of sweet WWC swag with them too. They’ve been known to give out some pretty cool stuff, in case you’re wondering.
Technical Level: Intermediate +
Fitness Level: Intermediate – Advanced
Summary: Our Whistler trip is THE trip for our advanced riders, or our upper intermediate folks looking to improve their skills to a new level. The area is a virtual playground for mountain bikers, with terrain and tech that will challenge the best riders anywhere. Between the three locations, there’s enough challenging black trails to push your limits and help you find new ones. Definitely bring your A-game for this one.
From slabs to skinnies to flow trails to steep backcountry lines… this trip will throw it all at you. Sometimes even on the same day! Expect to be challenged beyond anything you’ve likely ridden before, on features you probably didn’t think were rideable. But it’s all about progression, and you’ll leave for your home trails a much better rider than when you showed up on Day 1!
Expected Itinerary: For this trip, we’re going to break it down a bit differently… because there are SO many trail options in each of the three towns, we’ll go into a little detail on how that will break down, and what you can expect from that perspective. Generally speaking, if the weather cooperates for our trips we’ll spend two days in Whistler, two in Squamish, and one in Pemberton. One caveat with this trip: the WWC guys requested an option on the last day for the Whistler Bike Park. If you choose, you can rip lift-served laps with Jared and Liam vs doing one last trail/enduro ride in the Whistler Valley.
Squamish: We started our expansion into BC with our trips here in 2022, and we were in love ever since we scouted these trails last fall. Squamish is the Disneyland for advanced-level mountain bikers with steeps, slabs, tech, and flow all built into the same ride. We’ll start you out easy on some “BC blues” (the equivalent of tough black trails in the US) to let you get the hang of things, but then we’ll get into it with black trails like In-N-Out, Entrails, and Credit Line. The descents in Squamish tend to be a little shorter, but they pack a lot of punch for the effort.
Whistler: Whistler is the perfect tech compliment to Squamish… the trails in Whistler tend to be a little longer/bigger and more raw, featuring old-school tech and steeps vs the slabs of Squamish. There aren’t any shuttles available in Whistler (other than the bike park, which we won’t be riding), so you’ll have to earn your turns the old fashioned way: by climbing up before dropping down. But trust us, with descents like Chipmunk Rebellion, Hey Bud, and Working Class all the effort is totally worth the reward on the way down. These trails blew us away… there’s a reason some of the best riders in the world call Whistler home.
Pemberton: Just 20-30 minutes down-valley (north) from Whistler, Pemberton offers an entirely different style of riding and a perfect compliment to the coastal BC vibe of the other two. Pemberton tends to be a bit drier than it’s neighbor to the south, and so the terrain mimics that: more rugged, steep, and raw than most of what you’ll find in Whistler or Squamish. Expect steep chutes, some fun slab riding, and descents that seemingly go on forever.
Expected Weather: Early June in the Sea to Sky corridor usually means temperate weather in the 60-70’s and an occasional chance for rain. Don’t worry though, the dirt gets better with moisture, and the slabs are still as grippy as ever. But still, make sure you bring a good rain jacket and maybe some rain paints on this trip. If you sign up, we’ll keep you updated with a up-to-the-minute forecast before the trip so you’re prepared!
The Final Word: This incredible trip is all about progression and pushing yourself, so be prepared. This trip is most definitely for our advanced/expert riders! You’ll be riding trails unlike you’ve ever seen before, with features and sections that you’ve only viewed on YouTube videos. Everything is SO well-designed and built though, that you’ll be amazed at what’s possible on a bike.
