Sleigh Rides

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Hitting the Peaks

With winter activities galore, Vancouver’s snow-capped mountains offer more than just spectacular scenery

By Kristina Urquhart

Meghan and Mat take a break after a satisfying trek on Grouse Mountain’s snowshoe trails. Photo by KK Law

Grouse Mountain
One glance south from the top of Grouse Mountain and you’ll see why it’s one of Vancouver’s most photographed views. On a clear day, the city stretches out below you; on a foggy day, it looks as if you’re about to ski into the clouds. Skiers and snowboarders carve fresh powder through snow-dusted trees on the mountain’s 26 runs or practice tricks in two terrain parks. Get a different—but equally exhilarating—kind of adrenaline rush on the four groomed trails in the Munday Alpine Snowshoe Park, where you can attend clinics to learn to master this popular winter activity or embark on a fondue snowshoe tour. If you’re not quite tuckered out, take a two-hour tour on five ziplines or lounge in a Sno-Limo as an experienced guide pushes you down the mountainside. Make like Canadian figure skating darling Joannie Rochette and practice spins and turns on the 743-square-metre (8,000-square-foot) skating pond. Cap off your snow day with a picturesque sleigh ride through the mountain forests, then warm up with a hot chocolate by the fire in the Peak Chalet.

Cypress Mountain
This venue shot to fame last February when it hosted the freestyle skiing and snowboard competitions during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The mega mountain is home to 53 runs (including four double black diamond), nine lifts and the North

A snowboarder on the half pipe at Cypress Mountain. Photo by Insight Photography courtesy Tourism BC

Shore’s tallest skiable peak at 1,646 metres (5,400 feet). Feeling gutsy? Unleash your inner Alexandre Bilodeau on the moguls run (gold medal not included). If you prefer Nordic over alpine, Cypress is the only mountain in Vancouver with cross-country ski trails. Get your heart pumping on 10 kilometres (six miles) of self-guided snowshoe trails or indulge in a snowshoe fondue tour. Tubing is fun for the whole family—there’s a separate sliding area nearby for tots aged three to five.

Mount Seymour
Snow bunnies hit the slopes at this alpine paradise, a favourite for its four terrain parks with features like jumps and rails. Ski or snowboard 39 runs of varying difficulty or traverse 10 kilometres (six miles) on the Discovery Snowshoe Trails on your own or with a guide. Fondue tours are offered here, too—inquire about the Valentine’s Day chocolate fondue snowshoe tour at 7 p.m. on Feb. 14. Kids and adults alike love zooming down the peak at high speeds, whether in the tube park or the eight-run Toboggan Park. If you haven’t packed your own toboggan, purchase a sliding carpet for a dizzying spin down the mountainside.

For more details on local mountains, click here. For information on Whistler Blackcomb, ask your concierge for a copy of Where Whistler or click here.

Horse Drawn Sleigh Rides

Sleigh Ride with Holiday on Horseback

Dash through the snow on a one-horse, two-seat sleigh and jingle all the way. A Holiday on Horseback cutter ride is pure romance, with mountain views, a meadow that’s home to elk and hot spring marsh with birds all winter. Snuggle under buffalo hides, and indulge in liqueurs and Callebaut chocolates. Alternatively, Brewster Lake Louise Sleigh Rides feature picturesque lake and glacier views, plus the lights of Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise if you go after dark. Both also offer traditional sleigh rides for larger groups. —JN

Take It Outside

Think Whistler has just skiing and snowboarding? Think again

By Sheri Radford

Making tracks in the fresh powder with snowmobiles. Photo courtesy Tourism Whistler

Snow bunnies already know about the incomparable snowboarding and skiing—everything from downhill and cross-country to para- and heli-skiing—on Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, but those not addicted to schussing also find plenty of outdoor fun.

Tubing is ideal for klutzes of all ages, since no skill whatsoever is required. As long as you can sit in an inner tube and obey the law of gravity, you’re good to go.

Ziplining requires a bit more ability, since you have to walk (or roll along in an all-terrain wheelchair) between launching platforms. But guides take care of the difficult parts, such as getting participants into full-body climbing harnesses and helmets before clipping them onto the ziplines.

Adrenaline junkies choose the thrill of bungee jumping or snowmobiling, while those looking for an old-fashioned winter experience opt for outdoor ice hockey, horse-drawn sleigh rides, snowshoeing or dogsledding. (Whistler may not have the Iditarod, but it does have lots of eager huskies ready to recreate the experience.) And, of course, a simple snowball fight is always appealing.

What’s the best part about a long day spent outside in the cold? Warming up inside, with a hot chocolate and a crackling fire, afterwards.

For activities listings, click here.