Jan 15, 2010
Author: Andrew Hardingham
Revelstoke: The place that hurts your feet. I know that’s a horrible way to start a post when the place I’m speaking of is really incredible to ride. Anyone who knows a good mountain knows they hurt your feet. At a good mountain your arches burn, your legs turn to Jello, and your toes turn black because you never take a break. That’s exactly what Revelstoke is: a really killer mountain. Even if you do take a break consider that Revelstoke’s longest run, The Last Spike, is 15.5 km long. It’s no wonder I ended up drinking so many Ceasar’s. Lodge time is almost mandatory here. But trust me when I say, all the pain in the world is worth it when your riding Revelstoke Mountain.
Aww, look at the little guy, he's all tuckered out (if Revy didn't tire him out all that logo placement must have).
I arrived on a Monday after a huge snowfall. This would normally mean the hill would be tracked out. Especially when every local I know told me how hard they rode the last two days. But that’s not the case in Revy. It snows here so much that you can’t see the houses most of the time. The 1713 metre veritcal is so long it would take five days on a crowded weekend to even start to track it out. And even if that many people came to ski and weekends were five days long it would snow again before any real tracking happened. There are tree runs galore, tight or wide open and cliffs intermingled between every switchback with landings you can dive head first into—if you’re an idiot. But seriously, the place has it all if you truly love riding big, steep, and deep.
Big, steep and deep option 1 out of 1, 000, 000.
Big, steep and deep 2 out of 1, 000, 000.
Revelstoke, if you haven’t been or heard already is the kind of place you go to get away from city crowds. It’s a quiet town with a huge ski bum population of snowboarders and skiers that are only in it for the party and pow. I know right now you’re saying, “There are so many places like this in western Canada,” but what sets Revelstoke apart is the steep vertical and consistent powder. Revy gets more snow than any other hill I’ve visited and it’s rare to get stuck on a flat. Actually, when a flat spot did find its way into my day I found myself welcoming the moment. It was a chance for me to take a break and smell the Cedar.
When I ride at Revelstoke Mountain I make sure every second run is a cat track run because it’s the only way to last in this viscous leg-devouring world. And why not when you consider the cat drivers here actually groom cutouts to play on. I’ve never been on a longer cat track switchback run with this many features. I call it the Revy park its so much fun.
Revelstoke only has two chairlifts and a gondola but access is not limited. These few lifts take you to everything you need as an intermediate or expert and with 100 metre max hike you can access some incredible backcountry.
I always gauge a mountain on three things:
1-Snowfall: Revy has lots and lots of it. And it doesn’t go all wet and shitty for a while either. Revy has an average snowfall of 10 to 18 metres on the annual.
2-On hill gnar: There plenty of cliffs and chutes that you don’t need to hike to or hike out of.
3-How far away it seems: Revy is in the middle of it all, yet still to far away for the masses. One day perhaps it will become blown out but for now Revelstoke is killing it OG style.
Places to stay/sleep: Grumpy Bear house.
Places to go to booze: The Cabin, Outabounds nightclub, and the Rockford Bar&Grill at the base of the hill for food and a Ceasar (sk for KiKi).
Places to eat: Great White North, for a killer burger.
Shred Shops: Society snow and skate 313 mackenzie ave (250) 837-4785
Jeff Keenan gettin' some.
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