about

When it snows in Whistler, it snows even harder at Powder Mountain Catskiing. We traditionally get double to triple the snow from a storm cycle than Whistler Blackcomb. That means if you want to ski or ride powder on your trip to Whistler, you want to come skiing 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; 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'll see the snow getting deeper and deeper as you get closer to the powder runs, 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.

Stepping out of the snowcat at the top of the run, whether it's your first time ever in a snowcat or your 100th trip, seeing all that powder with no one around to track it up other than you and the other people in your group is something you'll remember forever. Clicking in your bindings after listening to the guide describe the run you are going to take makes you so excited you feel like a five year old on Christmas morning.

The days, weeks, and months of waiting for this exact moment are over: you're finally here. You drop into the run and sink your first turn. It's everything you've dreamed of. It's the best thing ever, and it's only the first turn of the first run of your first day.

At the end of the day you check out the photos from the day at our base lodge before you ride back in the Powder Mountain 4x4 vans to Whistler. Boisterous laughter and shouts of "great run"; "It was so amazing"; "I didn't think it was going to be that good or that easy"; change to silences that fill the van with just as much enjoyment as the laughter did moments ago. People you didn't know at the start of the day have now swapped email addresses and phone numbers to make this magic happen again. You realize that the silence in the van is everyone thinking: "This was the best day ever!"

Value

At $499.00 Cdn +HST 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 like heliskiers do. 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. Some of the best days we have are when it's snowing so hard helicopters are unable to fly. The harder it snows the better the skiing. Instead of being stuck in Whistler Village, waiting for the the top lifts to open, or the helicopters to start flying, you could be in one of our snowcats being taken safely into the mountains and skiing what could be your "BEST DAY EVER".

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.

Quality

This is the Whistler you came for... No lift lines no crowds and great snow all day.

There is no snowcat that can compare to the power, reliability, comfort and speed of the Pisten Bully Snowcat.

A couple of years ago we made a huge investment and sold all our Bombardier cats and entered into a lease purchase agreement for Pisten Bully 300's from Cold Smoke Leasing Co. We went from a really good day being 9 or 10 runs to an average day being 9 -10 runs. The old record for most runs was 11. Now it's 15. That's why we made the investment to run Pisten Bully snowcats. The new cats are so fast that our old "fast cat" the Pisten Bully 280 was sold last year because it just couldn't keep up. We wanted everyone to have the same experience, epic powder skiing from a Pisten Bully 300. 

It's also nice that the Pisten Bully’s offer superior comfort and reliability when it comes to getting up the mountain to get the untracked snow. The cats have bucket coach seats in all our passenger cabins. The bucket seats really let you relax on the way up the mountain in between runs. It's amazing how much less energy you use over the course of a day not having to hold on to the seat in front of you and just settling back into your seat. Some guests said it made their day. Every one said they had more energy to ski. That was cool, we just wanted them because they were more comfortable. Classic!

To ensure that your ride up is as comfortable as your run down is fun, the passenger cabins are especially designed for your group of 12, 2 guides and photographer. The cabins are heated so even on the coldest day, catskiing is a warm fun powder adventure. When it’s minus 20’ and the snow is a good as it will ever get, having a heated 10-15 minute ride up for your next run will make you ready to really charge on each run. It might ruin you on chairlifts and t-bars forever. With the cabin's big windows, you get the best view of the surrounding peaks that have made this part of the world legendary.

On the first run of the day it takes about 25 - 40 minutes depending on which peak we are skiing, to get up to the peak from our base lodge - about the same time it takes to get from the village to the top of 7th Heaven on Blackcomb. We have done extensive route work and road cutting in the last two years to make the run up from our base lodge as fast as possible.  No matter how powerful and nice the cat is or how comfy and relaxing the seats are... we're here to ski and ride. We want that first run to come as quick as possible.

After the initial run to the peak the runs come quickly. Your average cat time is 10-15 minutes per run. This gives time to catch your breath, grab a snack or a drink, compare face shot stories with your new best friends, and be ready and rested to hit it when you get to the top.

Our Photographers Will Make You Look Like A Rock Star

Not to blow our own horns but the photography is outstanding. The coolest thing is that 75% of the photos are of our guests. Mike Crane runs our photography program and does an amazing job. No matter how hard it's snowing, or even if it's a full on blizzard, Mike and his crew come home with the shots that make all our guests look like rock stars.

Photographer Shoots All Day

Each cat has an assigned photographer that is with you the entire day, not just for a run or two. They chronicle the whole day because we understand that this is a day you have been dreaming of and an experience that no matter many times you've been, it always amazing and filled with moments where you think, "Man! I wish I had a picture of that". Mike and the photo crew strive to get all those moments. Your day never ends because of the photos - you can re-live that perfect turn or slash forever.

At the end of every day we have a slideshow showing all the photos shot during your day with us. There's nothing better than

You Get Every Picture Of You - Not Just One

Your 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. The best photos of the day are uploaded every night to our website and to our Facebook Fan Page in low resolution with a watermark so you can share them and send ecards to all your friends. The perfect reminder of how great your day was and the worst reminder for your friends that they missed it.

Photo Charge to Chronicle Your Day

The photographer charge is $75.00 Cdn per person.

To get the most out of your day there are a few things you can do to make it even more fun.

Two Weeks In Advance

• Contact Affinity Rentals at one of their 7 locations for your rental fat skis. You definitely want to be skiing on fat skis. Half the effort, twice the fun. Tell them you are coming with us and they set you up with the right stuff. Ask for the K2 Coomba's, Spatula's or the Fischers. Tell them you are coming with us and they will make sure you get the right skis. The money it costs for the rentals is worth every penny when you have the best day ever because you had the right skis for the job.
• We all ride Burton Malolo or Fish boards and we highly recommend you rent one. It will change your life. They are the best powder boards we've ever ridden... and we've been riding since 1980.
• Drop us a line if you have any special dietary needs. Java at Nestors makes our lunches and they are awesome. No matter what your needs they will make you a great lunch.
• Book one of our photographers. Nothing is better than having the best day of your life and having the pictures to prove it. Just about every photo on our site is a guest (the rest are the guides) in the midst of an epic day. The photographer is $75.00 for the day. We sort all the photos from the day and we send you on CD a copy of every photo of you from the day.

The Day or Evening Before

• Get a hot wax done on your skis or board and your day will be so much better. You don't get as tired and you have more fun when you glide instead of having a slow board or skis.
• Pick up your rental fat skis from Affinity and scope out The Longhorn Saloon and Grill in the Carlton Lodge, so you can roll up half asleep the next day and look like a local.
• Stretching before you go and when you come home will make your body happy. You'll also ride better.

The Day of your Trip

• Meet at The Longhorn before 8:00 AM. We'll have the coffee and hot chocolate ready.
• Dress for the weather, like you would for a regular day at a ski resort. We ski runs in the high alpine and tree runs in the sub alpine. Layering is always the best way. One of the great things about catskiing compared to heliskiing is you can leave your pack in the snowcat. Having the correct clothes will help you have a great day.
• Bring an extra sweater/goggles/gloves if you like. It's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
• Snack throughout the day. We have healthy hearty sandwiches on board as well as baked snacks for you to nibble on. Keeping your energy up with great food is a big part of staying warm and having energy to ski and ride our great snow.
• We have bottles of water in the cat so you can drink whenever you feel the urge, or bring your own hydration pack. Dehydration takes away your energy.
• Bring a friend, so when you get home you have someone to re-live the epic day with. Your friend can also back you up on your stories when no one believes how good the snow was and how much fun you had.
• Don't feel as if you have to rush. Relaxing and enjoying the day is the key. The cat will be there to pick you up because it's your cat. Slow the pace down, get some pictures, admire the view and make some great runs with your friends.
• The lead guide sets the line down the mountain to the pick up or meeting point. The second guide AKA "The Tail Gunner" makes sure that everyone in the group knows what's going on, and points out the sweetest lines. This is really nice if you are learning to ride powder as they can give you tips that will make the learning curve that much quicker. The Tail Gunner skis or rides down last making sure everyone went in the right direction and also makes sure that everyone is safely down to the cat.

The best thing is to remember you aren't at a ski resort. There is NO RUSH. And it's Only friends on a powder day.

There is nowhere better on earth to get married than on top of a mountain surrounded by your friends and family. Powder Mountain Catskiing has many sites that are perfect for your nuptials. Snow covered trees in the quiet of the forest. Mountain tops with views for miles. We can make your special day everything you've ever dreamed of.

Wedding packages can be designed for whatever budget you have to work with. In the past we've had the groom and guests arriving by snowcat to the wedding location, with the bride and her father arriving in a helicopter. Another version had the guests arrive in three snowcats, followed by the groom in one helicopter and the bride landing in a second. The weddings take place with the couple surrounded by friends, family and everything you need for a great day of skiing and snowboarding after the ceremony.

We also do weddings in the summer. Alpine flowers, majestic peaks and beautiful alpine forests, lakes and glaciers are just some of the vistas that are available for whatever wedding scenario you can imagine.

Give us a call to discuss your wedding plans.