Adventure Magazine

c a n a d a
WELCOME TO WHISTLER
There are a few things that make up the
best mountain biking in the world. Friends,
terrain & town and Whistler has all of these
in spades. In New Zealand our biking
mecca is Rotorua, in Canada it’s Whistler!
Whistler is one of the largest resorts in
North America, with some of the best liftaccessed
park riding with epic downhills
and wicked cross country trails. Plus an
abundance of lakes and parks where you
can swim, hang out on a beach and hire
kayaks or paddle boards.
With two villages that give you the choice
of Whistler’s bright lights or Creekside’s
mellow pubs and cafes. Canadian
hospitality means even if you’re there
on your own it won’t be for long. We
love staying at Creekside as it’s a bit
quieter than Whistler Village, has a nice
atmosphere, direct gondola to the top of the
bike park and is close to 2 beautiful lakes.
The terrain is huge with over 4900 vertical
feet of lift-serviced trails separated into four
main zones:
Fitzsimmons Zone
The original and the best, containing trails
of all levels, the Fitz is where biking dreams
become real. Home to Whistlers’ most
famous lines, A line, B line, Dirt Merchant,
Canadian Open DH and 5 skills centres this
zone is a must ride.
Garbanzo Zone
Known as the big brother of Fitz,
this zone is above the Fitz zone
and caters to high-level riders with
steeper technical terrain on trails
like Goats Gully, as well as long flow
trails with jump features like Blue
Velvet.
Creek Zone
The newest zone is accessed
directly from the Creekside Gondola
and is recommended for advanced
and expert riders. This zone can be
used to ride back down to Creekside
or access the Fitz or Garbanzo
Peak Zone
For advanced riders, requiring an
extra lift and ticket. This is a must
ride area for at least one day as
it gives you 5,000 feet of vertical
descent from the top of Whistler
Peak. The Top of the World trail
starts at 2182m and descends
736m over 6km through Whistler’s
stunning alpine environment.
Another trail you can do is Top of
the World to Khyber, Kashmir, Kush
and Big Timber which is 16km’s, with
1857m of descent from the top of
Whistler to the Creekside base! Epic!
Beyond Whistler Bike Park there
is a maze of cross-country trails to
explore. It’s best to hit up a local
bike shop for the most up-to-date
map or download Trail Forks on your
phone so you don’t get lost. Local
ratings do err on the hard side so if
you’re riding blue’s expect them to
feel like black trails. With 250km’s of
trails, it’s easy to find something for
everyone.
78//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/#237
Top of the World Trail, Whistler, BC, Canada