Is whistler an Olympic standard resort? Most definitely! Here’s what we thought of a weeks riding there in April 2008.

There are 3 areas in which you can stay at the resort. Whistler village is at the centre of both mountains and hosts the majority of the action. Whistler creek is further around Whistler mountain and has it’s own gondola up, however to get to Blackcomb side you will need to either get the bus or ride down to Whistler village. Blackcomb base is around the other side of Whistler village, slightly closer to the action than Whistler creek. We stayed at Cascade Lodge in Whistler village, a short walk or bus ride to the lifts. We had an awesome room with en suite, balcony, an extremely comfy bed, kitchenette and washing machine. The staff were really friendly and helpful and always greeted us with a smile. The only downside was having to buzz the 24hr reception to let us in, whilst drunk in the middle of the night, because we forgot the code required to get back in after 11pm. Good for security, but not so great for drunken idiots.

The mountains have a total of 38 lifts accessing over 200 runs, 2008/2009 will see the opening of the new peak to peak gondola linking the 2 mountains together. There really is something for everyone. Beginners will find plenty of easy runs to practice on, many of these can be found on Whistler side, which seems to be more family orientated. For the intermediates there are some nice runs along harmony ridge and the saddle although watch out for white outs up here, you may want to check the conditions before you head up. If you’re after some space some nice quiet blues can be found on the far sides of Blackcomb on ridge runner or 7^th Heaven area. The more advanced riders after more challenging runs on Whistler mountain, should head up the peak chair to upper peak to creek for a good choice of blacks. Also check out Dave Murray down hill to creekside. Blackcomb has some nice blacks around the glacier express, and I would highly recommend hiking the glacier. To get to the glacier head up blackcomb gondola then across to the glacier express followed by the showcase t-bar. This takes you to the bottom of the 5-10 minute hike up to the glacier followed by 5 min hike out at the bottom. I am not a keen hiker myself I would much rather traverse across the mountain to find fresh tracks than take my board off and hike, however, I consider this one worth it and would happily do it again. We were there towards the end of April and even though it was spring conditions on the majority of both mountains, the glacier felt like mid winter and consisted of a nice powder bowl with plenty of fresh tracks to be had.

Boarders who are into their park riding will love this place it has 6 parks and 1 super pipe, spread across the 2 mountains. including a learner park for beginners. The beginners terrain park and the super pipe can both be found on Blackcomb side. There are also plenty of natural hit and glades to be found across both mountains.

Nightlife is good here with a wide range of bars and restaurants covering practically every market and budget. You will find what your looking for here no matter what your after. We went during the Telus ski and snowboard festival in April. This is a great time to visit the resort but make sure you book early as it is very popular. There are events on all week both on the slopes and off. We caught some of the snowboard super pipe and saw some awesome bands for free including Julian Marley and The Trews. This is a huge event every year and is well worth going for, whether you want to party for the week or just get some good family entertainment for your apres ski.

Whistler Blackcomb has far too much terrain to cover in a week possibly even in a season but rest assured there is something for every level of rider and every type of winter holiday. They are gearing up for the 2010 winter olympics so there are constant improvements being made to the area and its facilities. With all this attention Whistler/Blackcomb is set to continue to be one of the best resorts in the world, so what are you waiting for?

For more information on Whistler/Blackcomb visit their official site. http://whistlerblackcomb.com

]]> http://www.snowchasers.co.uk/archive/2008/09/07/canada-%e2%80%93-whistlerblackcomb/feed/ http://www.snowchasers.co.uk/archive/2008/08/05/beware-the-pesky-parrots/ http://www.snowchasers.co.uk/archive/2008/08/05/beware-the-pesky-parrots/#comments Tue, 05 Aug 2008 09:46:24 +0000 admin http://www.snowchasers.co.uk/archive/?p=131 Kea are a parrot species found only on New Zealand’s South Island. They are a browny green colour with bright red under their wings. These little monsters like to cause havock in Alpine resort car parks where they can entertain the crowds with their antics. They munch on bits of cars, they are quite partial to rubber seals and windscreen wipers and will steal any loose items that they can carry.

The Kea are a protected species, that are considered to be one of the most intelligent birds in the world. Their social and inquisitive nature means they are happy to hang out and have fun amongst the resort crowds, entertaining with their mischievous acts. Beware of these pesky parrots and be sure not to take your eyes off your beanie.

For more information on how to act around Kea visit the Department of Conservation website: http://www.doc.govt.nz

Kea attacking car

Treble Cone is said to be the best resort on New Zealand’s South Island, they boast the longest groomy and the most intermediate and advanced terrain. We visited the resort in July 2008 and here’s what we thought.

We found Treble Cone to be a well run resort with plenty of challenging terrain. The average annual snowfall here is good for New Zealand standards so if it’s powder days you’re after you have a good chance of getting some here. Whilst we were there they didn’t get any fresh snow and as it was early in the season the base was fairly thin. Regardless of the thin base the groomed terrain was in good condition throughout the resort and made for some good smooth cruising. The non-groomed terrain was full of rocks and moguls. If you’re into that you would have an awesome time here at the start of the season, but it’s really not my thing. My opinion on this resort is that although it is a little on the small side it would be awesome on a powder day.

For the beginners amongst you don’t worry, whilst the resort does cater well to advanced and intermediate riders, they have not forgotten the beginners. At the bottom of the resort near the 6 seater VW chair lift there is a reasonably sized learning area with a magic carpet. Easy rider is a long windy green run that goes right from the top of the VW chair lift back down to the base. From the Easy Rider run there are a few blues that are on the milder side allowing for gradual progression.

For the intermediate riders there are plenty of blue runs from the top of both the VW chair and the top of the Saddle chair. Be warned that some of them, such as cloud nine, may be full of moguls, so it’s worth checking which ones have been groomed. For the more advanced of you there are a couple of nice black runs out towards the Matukituki Basin.

Advanced riders who prefer not to hike have plenty of non-groomed terrain along with some chutes around the saddle track and some mild challenges on the Drop Off and Payback from the saddle chair. Those that are up for the hike should try Tims Table, Hollywood Bowl and Motatapu chutes from the top of the Saddle chair or Hidden valley that can be accessed from either the Saddle or the VW 6 seater. There is also the Super Pipe and a good selection of boxes, rails and jumps in the terrain park, as well as plenty of natural hits.

The drive up to the resort as with most of the NZ resorts is up a decidedly dodgy access road. I would not recommend driving up it unless you are a confident driver carrying snow chains as it is unsealed with no barrier and steep drops off the edge. Buses are available from Wanaka and there is talk of them building a gondola in the near future to take people from the car park. Treble Cone is located in Mt Aspiring National Park just over 100km from Queenstown and 30 minutes from Wanaka.

The night life in both Wanaka and Queenstown is good with plenty of bars and restaurants to choose from. Many of the season riders flock to Wanaka every year with Treble Cone passes, this makes for a good riding community in the town. There are plenty of parties and lots of fun to be had.

On the whole a good NZ resort with plenty for everyone, although it is on the expensive side. The drive can be a bit of a downer if your not confident in those types of conditions so hopefully they will build the gondola soon. Until then check that the resort and access road are open before you leave.

For more resort information see:http://www.treblecone.com

]]> http://www.snowchasers.co.uk/archive/2008/08/03/new-zealand-%e2%80%93-treble-cone/feed/ http://www.snowchasers.co.uk/archive/2008/07/31/rail-jam-central-christchurch-9th-august-2008/ http://www.snowchasers.co.uk/archive/2008/07/31/rail-jam-central-christchurch-9th-august-2008/#comments Thu, 31 Jul 2008 09:32:27 +0000 admin http://www.snowchasers.co.uk/archive/?p=79 Export Gold are holding their 2nd Annual Rail Jam on Oxford Terrace in Christchurch on Saturday 9th August. There are loads of cool prizes to be won from the various sponsors, including a car with a boot full of goodies. Make sure you get your registration in before 2pm on the day, this can be done either at the event or online

http://www.540s.co.nz

Mt Hutt has had well over 1m of snow in the last week and are going to ship some down to christchurch for the rail jam.  The heats start at 2.30pm, with the main competition being held at 5.30pm. This is set to be an awesome event to watch with plenty of entertainment put on for the spectators (here’s hoping the weather holds for it). See you there!

To register now or get more information go to http://www.540s.co.nz

Learning to ride in Kimberley (day 2)

Snowboarding Canada 2008

Fernie Griz Days Jib Jam 2008

Snowboarding in Fernie 2008

]]> http://www.snowchasers.co.uk/archive/2008/07/27/snowchasers-videos/feed/ http://www.snowchasers.co.uk/archive/2008/07/20/canada-lake-louise/ http://www.snowchasers.co.uk/archive/2008/07/20/canada-lake-louise/#comments Sun, 20 Jul 2008 01:27:25 +0000 admin http://www.snowchasers.co.uk/archive/2008/07/20/canada-lake-louise/ There is a new version of the Lake Louise resort review available on the new snowchasers site

Lake Louise has a reputation as one of North America’s best ski resorts, is it worthy of it? Here’s what we thought of it in April 2008.

Lake Louise is located in Banff national park on Alberta’s side of the Rockies. There is easy regular access from Calgary airport with a transfer of less than 2 hours. You then have the option of staying in Banff or Lake Louise village. When we arrived at the start of April the resort still had another 3 weeks until closing, so we were expecting reasonable conditions. What we found when we got there was a very thin base with large areas of grass and rock showing through. Lake Louise is a well run resort so all the very thin and naked areas were closed off, while the rest was very well groomed and maintained. There were plenty of runs open on all 4 mountain faces allowing for a good week of riding. The 4 sides are serviced by a gondola and 7 other lifts consisting of both chairs and T-bars, opening up over 4000 acres of ridable terrain.

With the conditions being so crap while we were there we ended up spending most of our time on the groomies. The world cup men’s and women’s downhill provided us with a days entertainment the rest of the time we spent exploring the larch area and the south face. There were plenty of mogul runs for those of you that are into that and all the pistes are very well maintained. On the whole I think this is a good resort for everyone from beginners to advanced riders.

Over the last couple of years RCR (the company that run the resort) have done away with all the big jumps and the pipe. However they have kept the rock garden (accessed from the top of the Larch) and still have a large and extensive rail park. If you know where to look there are plenty of natural hits around the resort, so those of you who like riding freestyle will have to hunt them out. For the powder hounds the back bowls are supposed to be awesome after a fresh dump, although I can`t really comment as there were no fresh dumps while we were there, they were reasonably large and fairly steep bowls that I’m sure would be great on a powder day.

We found that the conditions can be unreliable so pray for powder and you should be able to keep yourselves entertained for a good week. Longer than a week beginner to intermediate should be OK but the more advanced of you will probably get bored with it, you may have to start putting some effort into hiking to find the new challenges. However if you chose to stay in Banff rather than Lake Louise village you do have the option of buying a lift pass that covers Lake Louise, Sunshine and Norquay. That may be worth considering if you are going for a couple of weeks or more.

We stayed in the Hillside Bungalows in Banff which was a self contained cabin only 10 mins from the centre of town and it’s night-life, and just across the road from the bus stop. It served us well although it did get a little cold at times and the bathroom was so tiny you could barely move. Lake Louise while much closer to the hill has very little to offer besides awesome views and the proximity to the resort. There are a couple of places to grab a drink and something to eat but you will find the prices here can be rather inflated. Saying that if you are completely minted consider staying at the château on the lake it has everything you are likely to need in a seriously posh setting. Staying in Banff will mean that you have to endure a 45 minute bus journey to and from the resort for your riding. It will however reduce your accommodation costs and give you access to a large number of bars and restaurants ranging in price from reasonable to extortionate.

So in summary, while Lake Louise has a lot to offer all levels of riders it can be an expensive place to stay or will leave you a 45 minute bus ride away. As with all resorts the weather and conditions can make or break your holiday, our experience was very icy with a ridiculously thin base so pray for a good season with plenty of powder and you should be OK.

For official information on the facilities and prices at Lake Louise check out. http://www.skilouise.com

What it looks like with a reasonable base

]]> http://www.snowchasers.co.uk/archive/2008/07/20/canada-lake-louise/feed/ http://www.snowchasers.co.uk/archive/2008/07/02/canada-%e2%80%93-fernie/ http://www.snowchasers.co.uk/archive/2008/07/02/canada-%e2%80%93-fernie/#comments Tue, 01 Jul 2008 23:22:47 +0000 admin http://www.snowchasers.co.uk/archive/2008/07/02/canada-%e2%80%93-fernie/ There is a new version of the Fernie resort review available on the new snowchasers site

Fernie is renowned for it’s high level of average snowfall. Is the powder really that awesome?

Situated in the south east corner of British Columbia the closest airport is Cranbrook, although due to limited flights it can be cheaper and easier to transfer from Calgary. Fernie has 12 lifts servicing 112 runs. With a good level of average snowfall, powder days are good although many runs are not open after a large dump. Avalanche control have a lot to do here.

So what’s this powder really like? Powder days tend to be busy on the hill causing queues, especially for first lift, as many people take the morning off work for dumps of more than 10cm. The mild climate means the snow is wet, causing the runs get tracked out and bumpy fairly early in the day. If you are lucky enough to get first tracks it’s worth it, if not it’s hard work riding the moguls created by the morning rush. That said if you happen to be in the queue when they open either the Currie, Ceder or Lizard bowls you could be in for an awesome waist deep run.

They have one park, which is rails only, as RCR (the resort management) have decided to do away with jumps this has caused some what of a debate in the town as to whether they have done the right thing or not. Natural hits can still be found around the mountain if you know where to look and there are plenty of trees. Fernie has a good selection of runs and terrain to keep you entertained during your stay for everyone from the advanced riders to families, it is easy to find new challenges every day. The terrain is fairly steep and has a good variety of blue, black and double black runs. Apart from crowding caused by the regular avalanche closures there is usually plenty of room on the slopes and limited lift queues. Queues tend to occur over national holidays and weekends when people from the local towns and cities migrate to Fernie for some riding or skiing.

In terms of accommodation there is a choice of whether to stay in the town or at the resort 3 miles down the road. Most of the bars and shops are in town. Ski bus runs every hour for $3 each way or in the evening from the resort to and from town $1. Make sure you book early as due to it’s size and popularity, there is limited accommodation in Fernie. We booked a condo in town, as it worked out cheaper and put us closer to the night life. Fernie has a reasonably good, although slightly limited night life with 5 pubs to choose from in town and 1 at the resort. There is also a good selection of eateries around the town, and a couple on the resort. The popularity of the resort means that the prices here are inflated as with most ski resorts, beer, food and accommodation can be a little pricey.

On the whole Fernie is a good reasonably well run resort with plenty of powder. Unfortunately the grooming of the runs is limited, as is the terrain suitable for beginner to intermediate riders. Due to the amount of powder here avalanche closures are a constant fixture. For all those total beginners out there, the powder levels allow for a softer landing whilst learning. And for those who want a good challenge and who don’t mind a very strong antipodean feel this is a good resort. We did a season here and did not get bored of the hill, the Griz (snow god) blessed us with over 10 meters of powder.

For more information and images of Fernie see www.fernie-canada.com

For official information on Fernie’s facilities and prices check out. http://www.skifernie.com

Opening of the Currie Bowl

]]> http://www.snowchasers.co.uk/archive/2008/07/02/canada-%e2%80%93-fernie/feed/ http://www.snowchasers.co.uk/archive/2008/03/22/thank-you-ski-patrol/ http://www.snowchasers.co.uk/archive/2008/03/22/thank-you-ski-patrol/#comments Sat, 22 Mar 2008 18:22:12 +0000 admin http://www.snowchasers.co.uk/archive/2008/03/22/thank-you-ski-patrol/ I was cruising through the powder having a great day when, the end of my snowboard dug into the powder and stopped dead, unfortunately my body didn’t stop with it. I squealed in pain and lay face down in the snow holding my knee. My boyfriend had to take his snowboard off and climb back up the hill to get to me. He was asking if I was ok and if I needed ski patrol, “No I’ll be ok in a minute” I replied. My boyfriend undid my bindings so I could take my feet out and roll over. 5 minutes later I tried standing up and found it was ok, so I strapped my snowboard back on and continued very cautiously down the cedar bowl to the T-bar.

I watched people riding the T-bar and debated if I could make it, the last thing I wanted was to get ski patrol so I gritted my teeth and rode the T-bar to the top. The next step was to ride down a blue run to the boomerang lift to get me back up to one of the main runs leading back to the base area. The boomerang is a 3 man chair with no foot rest, this was a painful ride but I made it and managed to dismount at the top and skate along the cat track to the run where I could put my board back on. This was an awesome powder day and I was determined that I could carry on riding I just needed a rest. I heel edged down the bear run as it was very tracked out and bumpy, and made it to the cafe half way down.

At the cafe we had a cigarette and a hot chocolate. I limped around for a bit until my boyfriend said we need to take a look at it and see if it’s swollen. I pulled the leg of my trousers up and displayed a very swollen knee, by this point I was in a lot of pain. I looked at my boyfriend holding back the tears in my eyes and said I can’t ride down. This was a very depressing decision to make, I have never needed ski patrol before and hopefully never will again. My boyfriend went to the top of the nearest lift (just round the corner) and asked them to radio it through, before he had got back 2 ski patrollers had turned up. I knew I couldn’t ride down but I could stand up and I really didn’t want to be strapped into a stretcher and skied down. One of the ski patrol men came over and introduced himself then asked exactly what had happened, how bad it was and could I stand up on it. Once he had seen me stand and the fear in my eyes about the stretcher he said I`ll tell you what, as you can bear weight on it we’ll get you a skidoo. If my knee wasn’t so painful I would have hugged him.

Within 2 minutes a skidoo was there ready to take me down the hill, I limped over to it and they strapped my snowboard onto the back. The guy driving was very nice he told me to hold on and said he wouldn’t go too fast. As soon as he got onto the easy run to the bottom he opened it up. Wow those things go quick even after my ordeal and the embarrassment I was feeling I still had a smile on my face by the time we got to the bottom. When we arrived at first aid he checked out my knee and advised that it was just a sprain with no serious damage. They gave me a bandage and an ice pack and filled in some paperwork. My boyfriend ordered a taxi and took me home.

All in all a bad day on the slopes turned into a good experience. I had always been scared of what would happen if I had to be rescued by ski patrol, they were all very nice and friendly and did not make me feel any more embarrassed than I already was. I am glad they didn’t put me in a stretcher although if they had needed to I`m sure they would have made the experience as easy and as light hearted as possible. Thank you ski patrol!

Choosing a snowboard is an important task that requires some time and research. Firstly you need to know your height and your weight, your riding level and the types of terrain you are likely to be riding.

Many riders will prefer to have 2 or 3 boards for different conditions. For example I am 5′41/2” And within the average weight range for my size. I would ideally own 3 boards a 148 for jibs, tricks and hard terrain. A 152 for average conditions all mountain riding and a 156 for those deep deep powder days. In many circumstances it is not convenient to carry 3 boards everywhere, check the conditions and style that you are likely to be riding.

So after you have considered these questions you will have to work out what is best for you. For the beginners out there I would probably go with the mid size board for all mountain riding. Some hire shops and retailers will offer you a board that, when stood on it’s end, comes between your chin and nose. Don’t forget to check your weight, if you are above or below average for your height you will need a longer or shorter board. Most boards will have a weight chart stuck onto them in the shops, it is worth going and having a look at some. Remember to take into account any equipment that you may carry with you as this will add to your weight, particularly if your considering back country riding.

The other factor that needs to be checked out is your foot size, when you stand on a board in your normal stance you should be aware of overhang at the front and back of the board, toe and heel drag can cause no end of problems for your riding style. You should have no more than 1/2” overhang, if there is more than that look for a wider board.

Choosing a snowboard is not a straight forward task, make sure you take your time and do as much research as you can, it will be worth it. I have provided some useful links below for more information.

http://www.theboarderline.com/lengths.html

http://www.burton.com/LTR/LTR_new_rider_info.aspx

http://www.abc-of-snowboarding.com/buying-guide/buyingsnowboards.asp

http://www.ridesnowboards.com/boardfinder/

Technical info on board structures

http://www.romesnowboards.com/product/tech/board/