A Perfect Mountain Biking Holiday in Whistler

Situated about 120 km north of Vancouver on the Highway 99 is Whistler, acknowledged as the 'Natural Year-Round Playground.' With its soothing mountain air, pristine clear lakes, and luxuriant emerald forests, Whistler is a mecca for a host of recreational activities during both winter and summer.

During the winter, Whistler becomes a sought after destination for enjoying skiing and other activities like snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and sleigh riding. When comes to summer activities, the activities that can be enjoyed here are endless from golf, tennis, and staking to boating, fishing, and canoeing. Aside these activities, Whistler renders world class facilities for mountain biking.

As per the level and expertise of bikers, different types of mountain biking trails are available in Whistler, such as, downhill tracks, technical single track, cross country, paved valley track, and wide single track. For novice, one of the best trails to start with would be the 35 km long Valley Trail. This trail serves as a commuter trail, and a bike riding through it leads to some of the picturesque lakes, parks, and neighborhood destinations.

Another popular biking trail in Whistler is Lost Lake Park, which is surrounded by pristine alpine lake. Located within easy reach of almost all facilities in Whistler and Blackcomb, Lost Lake Park consists of a series of mountain trails, each of them rendering single as well as wide single track with plush nettle. This trail is most suitable for beginners who want to take mountain biking lessons quite easy. However, the trails found in the park are not only for beginners but also for advanced riders. For riders seeking adventure and fun, the park offers trails such as the Frank Zappa single-track.

In Whistler, beginners can also take advantage of the Whistler Interpretive Forest's network of trails that are exclusively designed for novices, such as Highline, Far Side Trail, Riverside Trail, and Ridge Trail. Some excellent trails are available around Cheakamus Lake, which in turn is a part of the spectacular Garibaldi Provincial Park. However, the trail is packed with hikers during the summer season.

For intermediates, Whistler has some excellent options for mountain biking in the form of Trash in Function Junction, Big Timber trail in Kadenwood, and Green Lake Loop that runs across the eastern side of the Green Lake, from Lost Lake Park to Wedgemount. There are also a couple of trails, especially for intermediates, outside the boundaries of Whistler like Brandywine Falls cross country trail that runs through the Whistler Interpretive Forest, which in turn consists of a blend of double and single tracks.

Whistler is also home to a continuum of expert trails including Industrial Disease. Also, Whistler boasts of a good number of epic trails such as the 42 km long the Flank Trail and the Rainbow Trail.

Apart from these, Whistler has to its credit some excellent parks that are exclusively designed for mountain biking. Of which, one of the most popular is the Whistler Bike Park, whose highlights, among many others, are over 200 km of lift serviced trails as well as mountainous pathways, jump park areas, access lifts including Whistler Gondola and Garbanzo Chairs, and dirt trails via canopied forests. Dirt Jump Park, within the Rebagliati Park, is also a great facility in Whistler for mountain biking. Above all, an association operates here exclusively for the development and maintenance of trails in Whistler, namely, Whistler off Road Cycling Association (WORCA.)

Despite anything, your mountain biking holidays in Whistler is not complete without taking a mountain bike riding through Comfortably Numb, which is the longest as well as most challenging single track trail in Whistler. However, a ride through this trail is recommended for technically advanced and experienced bikers. Among the highlights of the trail are long climbs, challenging rock faces, elevated bridges, and picturesque views.

There are certain prerequisites in order to make your Whistler Mountain biking holidays perfect and enjoyable. First of all, a clear plan must be devised for enjoying mountain biking in Whistler. Determination of your budget for your mountain biking holidays is another thing to take into consider for a perfect mountain biking holiday in Whistler.

Equally important for mountain biking holiday is packing, ie, you should bring all necessary equipments such as bike, helmet, knee and shoulder pads, and apparels that go with the climatic conditions of the regions. A lot number of rental shops are in the vicinity to supply necessary equipments for an enjoyable mountain biking.

A plethora of mountain bike friendly hotels and resorts can be found across Whistler and Blackcomb regions. There are also some resorts and hotels, providing excellent packages for a perfect mountain biking vacation. Packages are mostly inclusive of assistance of expert staff, guided camps, and private lessons.