“The teamwork aspect of the event was certainly the best part in my view, giving each person on a team a specific role to play is key because at the end of the event all roles come together for the finished product. As a group, the key benefit was teaming people up who generally do not have the opportunity to work together. Overall the event was run very well and with excellent professionalism – I do believe we got value for the money.” Home Depot
WHISTLER cat skiing TOURS
Whistler's best cat skiing trips!
When it snows in Whistler, it snows even harder at Powder Mountain. We traditionally get 60% more snow in a storm cycle than Whistler & Blackcomb mountains. That means if you want to ski or ride untracked powder on your trip to Whistler, you want to come Catskiing 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, and 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 see the snow getting deeper and deeper as you get closer to where you will be skiing or snowboarding, 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.
Make this the year you go for it! come Cat Skiing with us in Whistler.
Going skiing or boarding while you’re in Whistler? Looking for lift tickets, lessons or rentals? check out our Whistler lift tickets and get organized for your adventure this winter! We also have discounted lift tickets for groups of 25 or more please call 1800 565 8735 for prices and package information for your group.
A Typical Day
7:45 am - Meet at the Longhorn Saloon and Grill in the Carlton Lodge, at the base of the Whistler and Blackcomb Village Gondolas, to check in and sign your waiver. Be dressed and ready to ski except for your ski boots. 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. With The Longhorn being right at the base of the gondolas, while you are sipping your complimentary coffee or hot chocolate you can watch everyone race for powder as you saunter over to the Pan Pacific Mountainside with your guide for your ride down to our lodge. Please be on time. Time wasted is skiing wasted. You can never get back turns you missed.
8:00 am - Departure for "Your Best Day Ever" from the Pan Pacific Mountainside Hotel. 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.
9:15 am - 9:45 am - You step out of the snowcat and begin a quick orientation is to make you feel comfortable and to ensure you are familiar with our safety procedures and equipment. 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.
3:00 pm - 3:30 pm - 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 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.
4:00 pm - 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.
4:30pm -5:00 pm - You are usually back in Whistler, dropped at the Pan Pacific Mountainside around 4:30. Sometimes the weather makes for a slower drive back.
Reasons To Go
Value
At $499.00 Cdn +GST 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. 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.
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.
How Good Do I Need To Be?
Snowboarders: There is no need to be intimidated about going catboarding if you can link turns with proficiency on a blue run. If you can do that you are ready to start catboarding. Riding powder on a snowboard, if you have never done it, is one of the easiest things to get the hang of. Our more relaxed experience lets you concentrate on enjoying the day and learning to ride better. Our guides who are fully certified instructors can help you with tips and pointers throughout the day so you'll quickly get comfortable in powder snow and ride better. You will learn so much about riding powder from them that you will be an expert in no time.
If you don't have a powder specific board such as a Burton Malolo or Fish we recommend using one of our demos or renting one from Affinity Sports (locations throughout Whistler). They make learning to ride in powder the easiest thing ever. The correct board is everything. You won't use all your energy fighting with your board to stay afloat.
Skiers: You should have intermediate skiing ability with experience in a variety of conditions including powder, trees and steeper terrain. Our more relaxed experience lets you concentrate on enjoying the day and learning to ski better. Our guides are all fully certified ski instructors who can help you with tips and pointers throughout the day to help you get comfortable in powder snow and ski better. Untracked snow is great for learning to ski in powder.
We highly recommend that you rent fat skis from Affinity Sports in Whistler. They make skiing or learning to ski powder easier and take less energy than regular skis. Rent some. You'll be glad you did.
What's Included?
Cost is $499 per person
Departs daily at 7:45 am from December until the end of April
7,000 to 10,000 vertical feet with 6-10 runs being average
Return transportation in our 4X4 vans from Whistler Village
Lunch, snacks and beverages
Designed for intermediate to advanced skiers or boarders
No powder experience necessary!
No charge for extra runs
Guiding & instruction with two certified guides per group of 12 people
Use of transceivers and a mountain safety orientation session
Prices in Canadian funds and do not include tax
Optional Extras
At the end of every day we have a slide show showing all the photos shot during your day with us. There's nothing better than having the best day ever and then seeing the photographic proof. The photographer charge is $75 per person. For that price you receive a 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.
Refund Policy
Full refunds are provided to those who contact us at 1.877.PWDR.FIX or 1.604.932.0169 up to 24 hours in advance . No refunds for any reason within 24 hours prior to your trip departure.
Private Tours
If you want to call all the shots, we can provide you with your own private snowcat complete with drivers, guides and seats for up to twelve. Ski or ride as much or as little as you like. A private cat costs $5489 a day (Canadian funds, not including tax).
Gear
We recommend Affinity Sports for all your ski rental needs. Just tell them that you are going catskiing at Powder Mountain and they will set you up with the perfect ski for the deep powder that we are famous for.
The Snowcats
We use fully equipped Piston Bully 300 Snowcats especially designed for catskiing. They have comfortable bucket seating for twelve, two guides and a photographer, as well as panoramic view windows for checking out the peaks and runs that have made cat skiing at Powder Mountain legendary.
WHISTLER cat skiing
