# Tips for a Whistler first timer?



## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

There are glades of fresh new snow everywhere after a good overnight snowfall. They last about ten minutes. If you want to ride Whistler/Blackcomb, here are some suggestions:

1. Go during the week (although weekends haven't been as bad this year as previous seasons for some reason)
2. If overnight snow is expected, buy Fresh Tracks tickets and get to Whistler base by 6:30 am. You can buy them at the time, but it would be more convenient to buy them in advance.

The thing about Whis though, is that even though the freshies get chopped up quickly, the fresh snow still lasts for most of the day. It's just chopped up. And you can find pockets here and there if you don't just stick to the middle of the piste. And no, you don't have to go backcountry (nor should you if you're not used to the place). Your GF can probably ride the whole day off the Emerald chair without getting bored. There's everything from beginner mellows to some hairy steep mogul fields that all empty onto that chair.

For you, try Crystal chair on Blackcomb if you're okay with being one mountain over (can make meeting for lunch difficult).

And download the Epic Mix app. Good for finding out where you are.


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## 16gkid (Dec 5, 2012)

Powder days are amazing at whistler, but get there super early!, lots of gnarly terrain that you can get in trouble in and its lift access too, no need to go out of bounds. Ill be riding midweek 3/2-3/6 if you want to take some laps. should definitely do at least one fresh tracks day, its awesome if you hit it in the right condition.


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## LightninSVT (Dec 31, 2010)

Thanks for the tips. I fly in late night 2/25 and will be there from 2/26 to 3/1 so mostly mid week riding. I have the Epic Pass so I'm not sure if it's possible to get "fresh tracks" tickets. It doesnt look like any snow is expected until Friday, which should make Saturday packed. 

Thoughts on paying almost $400 for a guide? My gf found this dude Alan on Whistlersbest.com that claims he'll take you to all the fresh stashes but I don't know... Is it worth it? I really don't want to ride groomers for 4 days.


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## Mike256 (Oct 13, 2013)

$400?? Maybe if you get your money back if it’s not a day full of freshies, in which case you’ll get your money back in whistler.. seriously though skip that bs. If it’s a powder day as others said definitely go fresh tracks. It’s fun on a non powder day too just for the hell of it.


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

You get Fresh Tracks tickets at the window at the Village gondola, right by the entrance. Or in customer service.


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

Here's the thing: Depending on how good a rider you are, you could ride for 4 days, do a different run each time, and not have to repeat. Some of those runs are pretty gnarly, though, but even if you stick to single blacks and below, you're not going to be getting bored. It is simply not possible to "use up" Whistler in a week. Your only real risk is if the conditions go to crap, and that would be a problem with or without a guide.

If you do feel like you need a change, there's usually a Whistler Host or two hanging around the major spots like the Peak to Peak stations. They're volunteers, and their only duty is to answer questions and share their knowledge of the mountain. Spend 2-3 minutes with one of them, and you'll get lots of suggestions for things to try.


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## 16gkid (Dec 5, 2012)

Ive spent 12 days at whistler since Vail bought em, and I still dont feel like I know the place at all, it is YUGE! and hell no to the 400 dollar guide, thats almost the cost of a snowcat day up there!


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## buller_scott (Jun 10, 2018)

Donutz said:


> For you, try Crystal chair on Blackcomb if you're okay with being one mountain over (can make meeting for lunch difficult).


Ah, thank you for the nostalgia - I remember doing lap after lap of Crystal chair after coaching was over, when I was a kid attending camp/training. 

OP, this area is LOTS of fun - multiple rounds of trees > cat track > back into the trees > cat track > more trees > ride out, rinse and repeat.


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## timmytard (Mar 19, 2009)

LightninSVT said:


> Thanks for the tips. I fly in late night 2/25 and will be there from 2/26 to 3/1 so mostly mid week riding. I have the Epic Pass so I'm not sure if it's possible to get "fresh tracks" tickets. It doesnt look like any snow is expected until Friday, which should make Saturday packed.
> 
> Thoughts on paying almost $400 for a guide? My gf found this dude Alan on Whistlersbest.com that claims he'll take you to all the fresh stashes but I don't know... Is it worth it? I really don't want to ride groomers for 4 days.



I will be your guide for the cost of a lift ticket.
Which I could probably find for cheaper on craigslist?


TT

Plus it's my birthday on March 3rd


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## Oldman (Mar 7, 2012)

Here is an excellent post on some key aspects of Whistler. This was passed along to me from a fellow poster a number of years ago and I was forever grateful for the insight as I too was a first timer back then. You will have an awesome time!

Blackcomb:

1) on a warm sunny day, catch the last chair to the top of seventh heaven.

1a) buy a beer on the patio at the horstmann hut when you get to the the top. 

1b) take some pictures of the splendid landscape and views around you

1c) wait, take your time

1d) wait some more

1e) wait some more (all this time the mountain is draining out the rest of population)

1f) by now you should have been on that patio for 45 mins (maybe that's two beers, maybe you smoke a cigar while you're up there too)

1g) get back on your board, you've now got 5000 vertical feet almost all to yourself, don't go back down seventh heaven but instead take the Green Line back to the Rendezvous lodge and then you can take whatever route you want. 

1h) if you don't mind overpaying for your drinks, ride out to blackcomb base and have a Sidecar on the patio or in the Mallard room at the Fairmont, otherwise go to Garibaldi and drink cheap beer on the patio there

1i) sometimes if you're lucky and stay up there long enough you will meet some groomers on the way down and get to ride corduroy for your last run

other must do's:

go to Mountain equipment coop and buy the whistler guidebooks, there's one advanced and one for regular riders, detailed photos and ratings of every run at whistler and lots of unmarked ones, read that book before you go and you'll be extra stoked.

-when you go to seventh heaven take the expressway green not the seventh avenue green, the seventh avenue green is a horrid cat track that's not even flat, its like a ten minute traverse on one edge, if you're a goofy rider your calves will be burning

-rock and roll/twist and shout/backstage pass off the crystal chair supposed to be among the best blues in north America

-access the glacier off the showcase T-bars - the middle part is typically groomed and it's a steep blue. if you go left or right of that blue area its steeper

-seventh heaven is also good in the morning, and the middle section of seventh is a good area to go off the trails to look for snow that's not tracked out, and if it's too much for you it's not that far to get back to groomers. 

-jersey cream wall off the jersey cream chair, to your right when you ride on the chair is a pretty steep pitch that's not very long. Try this out, and depending on how you feel about that you will then have a sense of whether you want to go on the steeper stuff, it's a good way to get a taste of steeper terrain where you can still bail out; most of the steep stuff at whistler blackcomb once you're in it you're committed, for example spankys' ladder has no easy way out.

-my favorite place for lunch is the glacier lodge on blackcomb

Whistler side:

-expect some long shitty flat terrain on whistler side, it's not optimized for snowboarders, and some runs are not cut down the fall line, but rather across

-symphony and harmony bowls are must do's, also be sure to do a run down harmony ridge, great views. Towards the bottom of harmony ridge you can go skiers left into the boomer bowl, another good way to try out some of the steeper terrain but not crazy steep, and not too long a run if you find it's more than you bargained for 

-take the peak chair to the top and do the Saddle, it's a long blue, if there's fresh snow either side of the saddle can be nice, if no fresh snow it is often tracked out on each side

-take the peak chair and do upper peak to creek for sure, check the grooming report before you do lower peak to creek, if it's not groomed it can be literally miles of moguls - if you're ok with steeper terrain, make a right turn off the upper peak to creek into whistler bowl, Monday's, etc, or a bit later make a right turn into the bagel bowl. Hit the wall first as described above on blackcomb side to get a sense of whether you will enjoy the steeper terrain or hate it. 

-dave murray downhill and lower franz both leave you in creekside where you can have a beer at the iconic Dusty's, and both are fun runs to charge down

-if you can handle an early morning get the fresh tracks ticket, have breakfast on the hill and get either fresh snow or fresh corduroy ahead of the mob. this is a good way to get you final day in, come off the hill around noon, dash to the airport and fly out at 4 or 5 pm


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