Imagine getting on a machine and heading into the backcountry of the Coast Mountains. Snowmobiling in Whistler is like nowhere else we’ve ever driven a sled. With fresh powdery snow, high climbs, and deep valleys, it was a tour that kept us on our toes and satisfied the adventure lovers in us.
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Snowmobiling Whistler
There is no better place to celebrate winter than in Canada, than Whistler, British Columbia. After fresh snowfalls, tourists and locals alike hit the trails not only to ski and snowboard but to snowmobile Whistler as well! Canadians know how to embrace the cold baby!
It had been a great snowfall the night before and now that it was the weekend, we were warned that the trails on Cougar Mountain were going to be busy today. Surprisingly we barely saw another soul.
Our Whistler Snowmobile Tour
We had booked our snowmobiling trip with The Adventure Group (aka TAG) located in the heart of Whistler Village. A shuttle picked us up at a central location and whisked us out to the middle of the forest to begin an enchanting trip through snow-covered evergreen trails.
We arrived at the lodge just as giant snowflakes started to fall making the scene feel even more like a fairytale than it already was. The weather was balmy, the snow was accumulating quickly and we were excited to get on the sleds and enjoy the afternoon.
All Abilities and Experience Welcome
The Snowmobiling Tours in Whistler offer trips for all abilities. When booking a snowmobile tour in Whistler, you can choose advance, intermediate or beginner. We chose the intermediate Whistler snowmobile tour.
Neither Dave nor I had been snowmobiling since we were teenagers, but we’ve had our fair share of motorized vehicle adventures in recent years. From driving quad bikes, to dune buggies and driving zodiacs in the Alaskan waters, we felt confident behind the wheel of a sled, so we signed up for an intermediate trip through the trails.
What it’s Like to Snowmobile Whistler
The intermediate tour was an excellent choice as there were some great climbs and super descents and we reached great speeds. This wasn’t your average trail ride puttering along at 10 km an hour, this was a thrill ride through the mountains man. We didn’t feel that we needed more from our snowmobiling adventure at all. Except for more time because we had so much fun!
We started with a quick refresher course on how to start and stop the machines and within minutes we were on the trail. I loved the fact that the guide didn’t take it easy. We’ve been on a few ATV tours in recent years where we put-putted along bored out of our minds. In Whistler though, the snowmobiling was fast and furious and we weren’t stopping unless someone got stuck.
Getting Stuck on the Trail
Yes, I Deb got stuck in a snowbank. I was at the front of our line of 4 following our guide and he went over a bit of an intimidating snowbank. He made sure to hit all the snowbanks, hills, and slopes that were in his way, so I followed suit. One was just a little too steep and a little too deep and I chickened out half way through. Oops.
Note to self, never slow down when deciding to drive over a snowbank. If only I would have committed to going through, but instead I let go of the gas and got stuck. I had to flag down our guide for him to come back and push me out. I felt a little foolish, but at least I didn’t roll the thing. Dave naturally went over every obstacle with ease.
Beautiful Scenery in Whistler Backcountry
The scenery was absolutely beautiful. When the snow started to fall down in huge fluffy chunks, we felt like we were in a winter wonderland. When it’s clear we were told that we would see huge mountain vistas on this excursion. But we already got that when snowboarding on Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, so we were quite content with our fairytale setting. We loved snowmobiling through the thick flakes. It felt like Christmas, only better!
To find out more about snowmobiling in Whistler visit the Adventure Group. Prices start at $129.00 per person
Our trip to Whistler is brought to you by Expedia.com Winter holidays can be just as exciting (if not more) than a Caribbean vacation. Check out all their winter trips and give a ski or snowboard vacation a try during your next holiday.
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WELL, I NEVER TRIED THIS SNOWMOBILE…
READING THIS I THINK THIS WOULD BE AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE, SOME OF MY COUSINS HAVE ENJOYED THIS SNOWMOBILE THEY USE TO SAY THAT IT IS REALLY AN WOW, MOMENT… AS I WAS HAVING NO IDEA ABOUT THIS I WAS NOT INTERESTED IN THIS. NOW I FEEL LIKE WANT TO RIDE SNOWMOBILE…
THANK YOU FOR SHARING SUCH AN AMAZING ARTICLE…
That looks like so much fun and a bit different from my last experience of snowmobiling with record low temperatures in Finland, I’ll tell you all about it over a beer one day.
Such fun!! We went snowmobiling in Whistler last winter with Canadian Wilderness Adventures. It was a night tour where you make your way up the mountain and have an awesome fondue dinner in a mountain restaurant before making your way back down. So beautiful to see the mountains at night and such an adventure! http://www.canadiansnowmobile.com/csa/winter/fondue.html
What an awesome adventure! Cold, but oh so fun!
Ive never gone snowmobling but oh my god, its on the list now! This looks amazing and so much fun!
We have however been to Whistler and LOVED it! It was only a day trip while staying in Vancouver so we’ve promised ourselves to go back and spend more time in this beautiful area. I think when we go back, we will definitely have to give this a go!!
Hi Nicole, glad you made it out to Whistler, even if only for a day. It’s beautiful isn’t it. Snowmobiling is so much fun, I’d love to do a hut to hut snowmobile trip next year.
The only time I’ve gone snowmobiling was 13 years ago at Lake Tahoe. It was a lot of fun. However, I was a little tentative about it too. They were a lot of fun and the scenery was beautiful. Maybe it’s time I try it again and let loose a little this time 🙂
Definitely! I think that you’d totally be a wildcat on it. If you’re anything like the way you ride a mechanical bull
;-)I felt the same way, I thought I was going to be tentative, but I ended up letting her rip. Following the guide gave me the confidence to go for it.Funny as it may sound, since I’ve been living in a tropical island for a while now, away from Calgary, sometimes I miss the snow. Snowmobiling sounds thrilling and something I’d like to try.