Revelstoke or Whistler?

[XXX-er]

blew into revy from rogers pass unannounced & found good dirtbag accomadation a 75$ motel room with micro wave /beer fridge & a hot tub full of pot smoking alberta rednecks in the p-lot ALL only 2blocks from downtown ... I am betting this would not be available in whistler ?

[skinnyskier]

to be fair - there is absolutely nothing like the Chalet Bakery of Revelstoke in Whistler

I've only been to the Modern when in Revelstoke, so I guess I've missed out. But, moving to coffee I say Whistler wins. The Lift Coffee Company in the old Behind the Grind space has really upped the coffee level for Whistler. On a good day you can get Caffe Artigiano/JJ Bean level espresso there.

[Shaggy]

blew into revy from rogers pass unannounced & found good dirtbag accomadation a 75$ motel room with micro wave /beer fridge & a hot tub full of pot smoking alberta rednecks in the p-lot ALL only 2blocks from downtown ... I am betting this would not be available in whistler ?

Yeah, Revy (and most other mountain towns actually) are awesome for that. They have the traditional main drag row of budget acoms as you roll into town.

On the other hand, rolling up to Whistler unannounced is a sure fire way to spend the night in your car, unless you shell out $200+ during the winter. There are no dirtbag motels in Whistler. The Pem-hole in Pemberton is pretty dirt bag, but that's 30 minutes away.

Your best bet if you ever do try would be to go to the visitor's center at the Greyhound bus loop and ask for the hostel list. Let your fingers do the walking and start calling down the list, you may get lucky and find one that had a no-show or cancellation. They're mostly dorm rooms so less privacy, but do have full kitchens and some have hot tubs. These places are usually booked months in advance during winter and some give priority to certain groups of people (ie: UBC/AMS Lodge obviously gives priority to UBC students), so not something to be relied on.

[azphi]

I'd like to chime in as well, not to beat a dead horse but, it really boils down to what you are looking for. I had the chance to ski both this year. We are talking about two entirely different beast!

Whistler, well extablished, excellent access to excellent terrain (inbounds). This is a place that you can ride a chair or t-bar to anything you see. The village and overall scene is super nice, 1st class. The snow I experienced was more coastal, almost sierra cement style. Obviously this chnges with each storm but, it is a coastal range. IMO, if you are looking for some sweet accomidations, great nightlife, and awesome terrain - Whistler.

The Stoke, new, poor access to great terrain (you earn you turns), natural. I mean come on, they only have two chairs. Better snow (interior not coastal). Way more local scene. The first night at the Village Idiot (local watering hole) I already new half the people from seeing them at the mountain. Basically no luxary accomedations, although the Nelson Lodge seems nice but, it is the only thing...again new.

Overall it depends what you are looking for. personally, if I was a single guy I would go with Whistler, better social sceen, more chicks. If you are in it just for the ride and don't mind hiking then Revelstoke. Either way you can't lose!

LouPenya

[XXX-er]

Yeah, Revy (and most other mountain towns actually) are awesome for that. They have the traditional main drag row of budget acoms as you roll into town.

On the other hand, rolling up to Whistler unannounced is a sure fire way to spend the night in your car, unless you shell out $200+ during the winter. There are no dirtbag motels in Whistler. The Pem-hole in Pemberton is pretty dirt bag, but that's 30 minutes away.

As was pointed out if you want a big party with australian hotties ...whistler

on the other hand if you want to party with sledders ...revelstoke

I spent almost 6 weeks in whistler volenteering at DH races as a way to dirtbag it ...couldnt wait to leave

I spent quite a bit more at the olympics but also ate better BUT I did the pontiac cup DH & WC DH in 2008 ... 2weeks for 150$ and I am betting that is some kind of record

[grapedrink]

As was pointed out if you want a big party with australian hotties ...whistler

on the other hand if you want to party with sledders ...revelstoke

I spent almost 6 weeks in whistler ...couldnt wait to leave

are you trying to tell us something big guy?
it's ok, we won't judge

[XXX-er]

Partying could take many forms with male/female/small animals /midget cheerleaders so my answer is very generic, very inclusive of any and all perversions ...so go crazy with your imagination

I seen a ton of expensive sleds on pickup trucks parked at the bar in revy ... logical reasoning is that lots of sledders are partying in Revelstoke

whistler on a regualr basis is a zoo, if you like the zoo go there, at least during the olympics the cops kept the public out and I didn't need to deal with them

[john c]

so......at this point it looks like revy has the best hot tub sex with closeted gay Alberta slednecks and the best muffins at the local bakery. Whistler has the best chicks with the best skiing. But it sounds like the snow is heavy in Whistler for all the fags who have not figured out rocker yet.....160-130-140 for those who need a clue. Ok, so if you want to put your steaming hot, hot tub cock in a gay alberta sledneck's freshly chlorined muffin ass then revy is the place to be. If you have stepped into this century and ride rockered skis and are not gay then Whistler is the place. As for the coffee scene. I prefer to smoke crack in the morning so this does not register and is a wash.

advantage whistler. bottle of violence can be had at either place, again, a wash.

dorks. I'll be at Rogers. That old forest burn line down the east side of the pass is sick. the one that you go up the railroad tracks then work north to and is 4000 feet long? pe tor told me it was a classic after I skied it in overhead conditions and I would agree.

[LeeLau]

That old forest burn line down the east side of the pass is sick. the one that you go up the railroad tracks then work north to and is 4000 feet long? pe tor told me it was a classic after I skied it in overhead conditions and I would agree.

End of Tupper traverse - actually in the guidebook

[john c]

Don't think it was the end of Tupper traverse? The burn outside the park boundary. actually drive down a CPR road and over a bridge to get to it. There was a heli landing on top but they were not dropping the big east faces for obvious reasons. Usually not really in cuz it is pretty low elevation. actually lower than the town of Golden by the bottom I beleive. 06/07 it was and epic. The tree bombs during the peak that year were the biggest I have ever seen. early January. But I don't know, I have never looked at a guidebook.

[LeeLau]

ah ok - its the one by the heli landing below the Great Cdn Heli lodge? You scored then. It needs good snow down low like you said

[john c]

well then that may just be the one. I would not have called it a classic if it wasn't. And p tor definatly would not call it a classic if it was not one....

4000 feet sustained 45 degree through burned trees with pillows the whole way. This line compares favorably to the best you could ever do off a heli in AK. I would not be running my mouth about this but it is only in once every 6 or 8 years. And when it is you still have to find it through some blind bushwhacking. And it is a good place to die in an avalanche so you best be graduate level.

[DanoT]

Whistler has green garbage bags with their logo on them and the arm and neck holes already cut. That is way too prepared for rain. They still call it powder even if you can make snow balls out of it. At least in the Lake Tahoe area they call it Sierra Cement.

The Whistler village is really a city with a skyline. I also consider Whistler to be a great shopping mall that you can ski at, sort of like BC's answer to the West Edmonton Mall!

Revelstoke Mountain Resort (RMR) has many problems:
Big vertical but much of it is way too low elevation. Reliable skiing in B.C. starts around 4000' (1200 metres) above sea level. The base at RMR is 1600' and the lift system was not laid out with this in mind. They need a chair at about the 4000' level that feeds the Stoker Chair at the 5300' level.

RMR has Snowcat roads that intersect most of the runs about every 500 vertical feet--worse than Blackcomb. You have to slow down for these roads and they often have intermediates on them crossing the runs because there is almost no intermediate skiing at RMR.

I'm not sure what housing rental rates are like at RMR but 2 years ago they where advertising in the Vancouver newspapers for studio condos for sale at Nelson Lodge in the "mid five hundreds". That is more expensive than Whistler and about the same as downtown Vancouver which is among the priciest in Canada.

I have skied beautiful light powder at Whistler but you get two runs and then it is skied out. Friends of mine that live in Whistler don't even buy season passes, instead they have snowmobiles that they use to access the back country. Many smaller mountain towns like Revelstoke and Rossland have local populations that on powder days don't show up for work, or businesses don't open, until 11am or noon. So these mountains get skied off rather quickly.

I prefer to spend my winters at a resort that has among the least amount of competition for powder and some of the driest, lightest snow in Canada. Sun Peaks Resort is known mostly as an intermediate heaven but has lots of black diamond as well as double blacks under the under utilized Burfield Chairlift. Although the chair is slow running it is over 10,000 feet long and covers 2900' vertical.

[LeeLau]

DanoT. I used to own a place at SunPeaks. Don't take this the wrong way (I know you will) but its lame terrain and even lamer backcountry access and an even worse snow shadow then Mackenzie.

However, the bike park there is good and the food at Masa's is also good

[azphi]

Whistler has green garbage bags with their logo on them and the arm and neck holes already cut. That is way too prepared for rain. They still call it powder even if you can make snow balls out of it. At least in the Lake Tahoe area they call it Sierra Cement.

The Whistler village is really a city with a skyline. I also consider Whistler to be a great shopping mall that you can ski at, sort of like BC's answer to the West Edmonton Mall!

Revelstoke Mountain Resort (RMR) has many problems:
Big vertical but much of it is way too low elevation. Reliable skiing in B.C. starts around 4000' (1200 metres) above sea level. The base at RMR is 1600' and the lift system was not laid out with this in mind. They need a chair at about the 4000' level that feeds the Stoker Chair at the 5300' level.

RMR has Snowcat roads that intersect most of the runs about every 500 vertical feet--worse than Blackcomb. You have to slow down for these roads and they often have intermediates on them crossing the runs because there is almost no intermediate skiing at RMR.

I'm not sure what housing rental rates are like at RMR but 2 years ago they where advertising in the Vancouver newspapers for studio condos for sale at Nelson Lodge in the "mid five hundreds". That is more expensive than Whistler and about the same as downtown Vancouver which is among the priciest in Canada.

I have skied beautiful light powder at Whistler but you get two runs and then it is skied out. Friends of mine that live in Whistler don't even buy season passes, instead they have snowmobiles that they use to access the back country. Many smaller mountain towns like Revelstoke and Rossland have local populations that on powder days don't show up for work, or businesses don't open, until 11am or noon. So these mountains get skied off rather quickly.

I prefer to spend my winters at a resort that has among the least amount of competition for powder and some of the driest, lightest snow in Canada. Sun Peaks Resort is known mostly as an intermediate heaven but has lots of black diamond as well as double blacks under the under utilized Burfield Chairlift. Although the chair is slow running it is over 10,000 feet long and covers 2900' vertical.

i'm a newbie here....soo i wont through darts but, come on

LouPenya

[polarbear28]

Spent several days hitting up kicking horse and revelstoke this winter. Underwhelmed is the only word I can use to describe the scene @ revy. It was so hyped up going there I was expecting Silverton on steroids, but it deff was not. But $2 beers @ the local "gentlemans establishment" (and the strangest one i've ever been to) are always a plus.....now talent, that was a diff story!

[Eldo]

...the under utilized Burfield Chairlift. Although the chair is slow running it is over 10,000 feet long and covers 2900' vertical.

A few years ago I got on the Burfield chair on opening day and when I finally got to the top it was closing day. True story!

[digitaldeath]

I have skied Whistler, never Revelstoke- go to Whis Blackcomb it is the Truth-
way scarier than JHOLE, Kwood, Abasin
whistler is like DONALD TRUMP revelstoke like brett michaels- used to be cool and coverage is questionable

[DanoT]

A few years ago I got on the Burfield chair on opening day and when I finally got to the top it was closing day. True story!

Eldo most new people to Sun Peaks agree with you and only ride the Burfield Chair once and there in lies its beauty. There really is something to be said for a fixed grip chair that takes longer to ski off powder lines and longer for moguls to form.

All the old time Sun Peaks locals love the fact that we got big time development, instant Alpine village, 7 Hotels, condo and housing development all about 2 to 3 KMs down the road and we still have our "private" black diamond mountain under the Burfield Chair. There is a run from the top of Mt. Morrisey that leads to the Burfield Chair called "Back in Time". It is the most accurately named run at the resort.

[Shaggy]

Sun Peaks over Whistler or Revelstoke? really? Sun Peaks is an eastern mountain stuck out west. I've always wondered how it gets any snow at all, considering Kamloops 40 minutes to the south is pretty much a desert.

[DanoT]

Sun Peaks gets 18 to 20 feet of snow in an 18 to 20 week season and I consider that to be adequate on a not very rocky mountain that has had a ton of summer grooming done on the runs (stumps pulled, rocks picked, grass planted). Many coastal skiers have never experienced the dry interior powder and don't even realize what they are missing. Sun Peaks is also considerably drier -air and snow pack- than Revelstoke.

Just about any mountain skis great if there is fresh pow, but what if your ski area criteria includes how the mountain skis when it hasn't snowed in a week or more? After all even a place like Whistler, which gets 29 to 30 feet of snow, still has more non-powder days than powder days.

So I am quite content to ski high speed cruising runs on a dry easy carving snow pack when its not snowing. And then ski lesser, drier amounts of pow with way less fellow skier competition when it is snowing.

Put another way: I prefer to ski where the ski area base temp is normally -6C to -12C. That is way colder than the normal Whistler Village temps.

[LeeLau]

We can agree to disagree. Cruising Sun Peaks gets pretty boring. And I watched that Sun Peaks snow report pretty closely for 3 years. You're exaggerating the amount of pow (I use that word advisedly) that Sun Peaks gets.

To me terrain is king. And Sun Peaks is one big yawn in that regard. Big White, Silver Star, even Scrapex has better terrain then Sun Peaks. But hey = if you're into groomers then I can see why you don't mind SP

[DanoT]

LeeLau
If you find SP a yawn then you probably have never skied Expo, Challenger, Chief, Chute, Hat Trick, Freddy's Nightmare, Big Headwall and other black runs. One day of riding the Burfield Chair and I can turn your legs into spaghetti.

[LeeLau]

Dan = I skied Sun Peaks before there was Morrissey. When it was tod. I'm not getting into a dick measuring contest with you. The mountain's terrain is pure shit. I'm glad you like it. good for you

[rugbydave]

Everyone should move to Sun Peaks, especially jafas