New Trip Announcement: Sea-to-Sky, BC
That’s right… we’re taking our Squamish trip and making it even better for 2023; we’re now combining Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton into one! After scouting Whistler and Pemberton this summer, we fell in love… and with the proximity of the three towns, we decided to combine all three into one 6-day trip! We’ll ride two days in Whistler, two in Squamish and one in Pemberton to give your tech skills the ultimate challenge… who’s up for it?
For this trip we’ll be based in Whistler; the plan over five days of riding (6 total including our “welcome day”) will be to spend two in Whistler, two in Squamish, and one in Pemberton… to us, the perfect combination of each location, and it’ll allow us to show you the best of the best without hurrying through the trail systems. The diversity of trails in the Sea to Sky corridor is something we’ve been admiring for years, and once we sampled the goods in Squamish in 2022, we knew we had to bring you back for more. With this trip, we’ve made that leap.
This trip is for advanced to expert riders only. The trails we ride are gnarly, steep, technical and fast. Expect large slabs, consistently steep terrain, big exposure, man-made features, and just about anything else you can dream of. This trip is all about the descents, although we will have to climb to earn our turns. We’ll start one Squamish day with a shuttle, but otherwise expect to climb 2-3,000′ over the course of each ride.
A BREAKDOWN OF THE THREE LOCATIONS:
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: New for us in 2023, 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 Pura Vida, Microclimate, and Dark Crystal, 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. At the end of each Pemberton day, we’ll be sure to hit the brewery right at the bottom of the trail system, which will cap off an incredible day of riding!
Other Relevant Trip Information:
Which bike should I bring (or rent)? We’d recommend an enduro-style bike that you don’t mind pedaling a good amount each day, but also one that’s fully capable of handling the chunk and tech. From our fleet this year, we’d go with something like the GG Smash, Propain Tyee, or Revel Rail 29. Something with 150-160mm of rear travel and a 160-170mm fork would be ideal.
Where should I fly into? There are two main options for flights, depending on your travel schedule: Vancouver (~2 hours) and Seattle (~4.5 hours).
How does this compare to other Chasing Epic trips? If you’ve done our Squamish or Revelstoke trip in 2022, then you’ll absolutely love this one. If not, we definitely rate it at the top of the list in terms of technical difficulty. Easily a step above trips like our Monarch Crest Enduro and Fruita/Moab. If you’re looking for a challenge that will surely take your game up a level, this is it. If you’re unsure of whether this trip is for you, shoot us an email.
Do you have a trip itinerary? We don’t- but you can check our Sea to Sky destination page below for an example itinerary. With trail conditions and weather constantly changing, each specific trip itinerary will be different… just like all of our trips. We like to make sure we’re giving you a menu of the best trails available at the time of each trip.
Anything else I should know? This trip is legit. First off, the trails themselves will challenge just about everyone; they’re steep, rugged, raw, and unrelenting. But at the same time, it’s SO rewarding to ride these trails and push your limits, and come away a much better mountain biker. Additionally, 5 days of riding is tough, and you need to be prepared and in shape. Our trips aren’t meant to be relaxing vacations… we love to push you (and ourselves) because we know great things happen when you’re willing to step outside your comfort level.
We’re currently working to finalize our 2023 schedule, but we already have our dates set for the new Sea-to-Sky destination: June 3-8 and September 19-24. We’re planning to release the 2023 calendar in early to mid October, so stay tuned for more details. Until then, you can also get more information on our destination page:
