Sun Peaks and Grandvalira added to Ikon pass

[Tony S]

Also checked Kamloops flight from here in DC area out of curiosity.

Requires Air Canada with 2 stops, most with some combo of Toronto, Ottowa, Montreal, Calgary, or Vancouver. At least 10.5 hours and most options 1-3 hours longer.

Flying to Kelowna gives you some 1-stop routes (the return to DC is faster, but going out, the 2 stop routes are faster). But you have a nearly 3 hour drive to the resort then.

And that's before they change the flight on you.

REALLY getting tired of having every carefully cherry picked nonstop or one stop flight turned into a three leg, fourteen hour continent-circling shit show by the airline a month after I book it. As you were.

 

[DanoT]

If going on a B.C. Powder Highway type tour involving a rental car, I suspect you are better off flying to Seattle or Spokane. It will for sure be cheaper and likely more convenient.

 

[Gary Stolt]

I generally ride with @Gary Stolt - he might have a bit of trouble driving to that one,

We have a deal. I bring the car, scott drives.

 

[ksampson3]

You need to stop at Red (Ikon) on the way to Revy and Whitewater (non Ikon but gets 39' of snow annually and should not be missed).

Thanks. I took your advice and I changed my plans to include skiing at Red for a couple of days before heading up to Revelstoke. One thing that surprised me, though, was the lack of lodging at Red. I looked at what was available at the mountain and in Rossland and they isn't much. Looks like I'll be paying out the ass for a condo on the hill - unless anyone has any other good suggestions.

 

[DanishRider]

Am I the only European that are thinking that they are over-selling Grandvalira a bit ? One of Europes biggest ski resorts?!?!

 

[dbostedo]

Am I the only European that are thinking that they are over-selling Grandvalira a bit ? One of Europes biggest ski resorts?!?!

Well, it's 18th on this list:

Europe: biggest ski resorts - biggest ski resort in Europe

All 3951 ski resorts in Europe sorted according to size (total slope length), map: biggest ski resorts in Europe (Top 10), slope length Europe

www.skiresort.info

And that only counts 75 lifts and . If the current access is really for 123 lifts, then it would probably be even a bit higher on the list.

 

[David Chaus]

Thanks. I took your advice and I changed my plans to include skiing at Red for a couple of days before heading up to Revelstoke. One thing that surprised me, though, was the lack of lodging at Red. I looked at what was available at the mountain and in Rossland and they isn't much. Looks like I'll be paying out the ass for a condo on the hill - unless anyone has any other good suggestions.

I’ve stayed at this place which is a old-school lodge with a hearty breakfast included, and it’s literally accross the parking lots from the base of Red. It’s also a fun place for large groups, or meet people from around the world, lots of Brits, Aussies, Austrians, etc. Prices quoted are in CAD$ http://ramsheadinn.ca/

My Start-Of-Long-Road-Trip-That-Includes-Two-Gatherings will be at https://www.prestigehotelsandresorts.com/locations/rossland/overview/

Or check Trip Advisor, there’s a couple of other relatively inexpensive motels.

There are lots of Air BnB’s in Rossland. Rossland is under 3 miles (I’m sorry, 4.5 km, eh?) from Red and it takes 5-10 minutes to drive. Even when staying at the resort, we still drove into Rossland for the variety of restaurants and the vibe of the town. Interestingly enough, people from town will drive to Red to party at Rafter’s which is the top floor of the main lodge. Think Mangy Moose without the wall-to-wall crowding, instead just the right amount of crowding with very polite people.

Thing is, Red has been very much an independent and local’s-oriented resort. The properties like the Josie boutique hotel and the Nowhere Special hostel, along with mid-mountain Constellation cabin rentals, are a new thing, along with some condos in development. They’re still trying to keep things from getting so big it changes the flavor of the place. It remains to be seen what the impact of being on the Ikon pass will be since last season was the first with Ikon and the borders were not as open as they are now.

 

[ksampson3]

David,
Thanks for the beta. I'll dive down the lodging rabbit hole tonight.

Also, how is parking at Red on the weekend? Does it fill up, so you need to be there before a certain time? Do they charge for parking? Etc.

Looks like our first day there will be a Sunday.

 

[DanishRider]

Well, it's 18th on this list:

Europe: biggest ski resorts - biggest ski resort in Europe

All 3951 ski resorts in Europe sorted according to size (total slope length), map: biggest ski resorts in Europe (Top 10), slope length Europe

www.skiresort.info

And that only counts 75 lifts and . If the current access is really for 123 lifts, then it would probably be even a bit higher on the list.

Just found the info on the Grandvalira website, and apparently it stretches over several resorts, which makes a lot more sense. Essentially it gives access to all major areas in Andorra, and not only Grandvalira.

from the website:
Grandvalira Resorts has more than 300 skiable kilometres across 3 ski resorts: Ordino Arcalís, Pal Arinsal and Grandvalira. Grandvalira Resorts is the largest and most modern skiable domain in the Pyrenees and one of the biggest in Europe.

 

[David Chaus]

David,
Thanks for the beta. I'll dive down the lodging rabbit hole tonight.

Also, how is parking at Red on the weekend? Does it fill up, so you need to be there before a certain time? Do they charge for parking? Etc.

Looks like our first day there will be a Sunday.

No charge for parking AFAIK and they have plenty of parking. I’ve been there over Xmas when parking wasn’t a problem. Most of the skiers are locals rather than tourists and locals will line up on powder days of more than a few inches. I think they may have the “10cm rule” where it’s just taken for granted that people will be missing from work for the morning.

I imagine it was pretty sparse during Covid, not sure what will happen with borders fully open and the Ikon Pass. Though, I can’t imagine that the unwashed hordes will descent upon Red like a plague of locusts.

 

[DanoT]

No charge for parking AFAIK and they have plenty of parking. I’ve been there over Xmas when parking wasn’t a problem. Most of the skiers are locals rather than tourists and locals will line up on powder days of more than a few inches. I think they may have the “10cm rule” where it’s just taken for granted that people will be missing from work for the morning.

I imagine it was pretty sparse during Covid, not sure what will happen with borders fully open and the Ikon Pass. Though, I can’t imagine that the unwashed hordes will descent upon Red like a plague of locusts.

I don't have a ton of days at Red, but I thought the parking was pretty tight and they really encourage folks to arrive from Rossland via shuttle bus.

Nearby Whitewater, like most other resorts have an unwritten 15cm skip school or work to go skiing for the morning rule. However because Whitewater gets so much snow, the locals are jaded and don't show up if the overnight snowfall is less than 15cm.

 

[msutherland]

Oh No, there goes the quiet laid back Sun Peaks.

OTOH, you can't name a mountain that spreads skiers out better than Sun Peaks and it's still not very convenient to get to (the convenient part starts after you get there as the village and runs and lifts are very well laid out).

Revy is 3 hours away and Vancouver Airport 4.5 hours, in good weather.

In the past there have been direct flights in winter, LAX to Kelowna, and then it is a 2.5 hour drive to Sun Peaks or about the same in a slightly different direction to Revelstoke. Both relatively good driving in winter as the roads are valley bottom, approx 1000'asl with no mountain passes.

I'm not sure if it still runs but the Ikon Pass may increase demand for a Saturday bus connection, SP to Revy ski bus departing from and returning to SP.

Im planning a March 6-12th trip this year. I love the old school ski hills as opposed to the big Mega resorts. Historically speaking is the Snow still decent in the first couple of weeks of March?

 

[David Chaus]

Sun Peaks is not exactly an old school ski hill. It used to be when it was Tod Mt, but Sun Peaks today has a modern planned ski village and infrastructure. It has everything a mega resort has, on a smaller scale. Since it's not Whistler, it's not crowded, simple as that.

Whitewater is old school, Red still kinda is.

Snow will be probably be decent great in early March at all of these places. These resorts close the first or second week of April due to lack of people, not lack of snow.

 

[Andy Mink]

Also checked Kamloops flight from here in DC area out of curiosity.

Requires Air Canada with 2 stops, most with some combo of Toronto, Ottowa, Montreal, Calgary, or Vancouver. At least 10.5 hours and most options 1-3 hours longer.

Flying to Kelowna gives you some 1-stop routes (the return to DC is faster, but going out, the 2 stop routes are faster). But you have a nearly 3 hour drive to the resort then.

With layovers and plane changes you probably should carry your boots. Just sayin'...

 

[DanoT]

With layovers and plane changes you probably should carry your boots. Just sayin'...

Air Canada should be avoided in favour of Westjet if possible as Air Canada has a bad habit of not having checked luggage make it from your main flight onto their connector flight. Thus your gear will arrive the next day. Air Canada is so bad with this that the ski shop that I worked at had an app on their computer system for billing AC directly for rental skis that get handed out to AC customers with an AC voucher.

Air Canada only pays for crappy standard rental skis, so you may have to be very insistent and demanding in order to get a decent ski. It doesn't cost the ski shop anything to provide you with a better ski as they get the same $ regardless of what ski you are using until your skis arrive.

What I used to do was tell customers to make one run on the standard rental and then come back in and I would swap out the skis for better skis, and just not go thru the computer to do so. I never got caught by my boss for doing this but I was prepared to quote the Sun Peaks Mission Statement: "To provide guests with the finest mountain experience", pointing out that standard rentals are far from "the finest anything".

 

[David Chaus]

Also checked Kamloops flight from here in DC area out of curiosity.

Requires Air Canada with 2 stops, most with some combo of Toronto, Ottowa, Montreal, Calgary, or Vancouver. At least 10.5 hours and most options 1-3 hours longer.

Flying to Kelowna gives you some 1-stop routes (the return to DC is faster, but going out, the 2 stop routes are faster). But you have a nearly 3 hour drive to the resort then.

Best bet is to fly to SeaTac, and I'll pick you up and drive you and guide you around in exchange for covering my accommodations. Or maybe I'll just do because it's so much fun to ski Sun Peaks.

 

[dovski]

Best bet is to fly to SeaTac, and I'll pick you up and drive you and guide you around in exchange for covering my accommodations. Or maybe I'll just do because it's so much fun to ski Sun Peaks.

What if we live in the greater Seattle area, will you still pick us up and drive us to Sun Peaks lol

 

[David Chaus]

What if we live in the greater Seattle area, will you still pick us up and drive us to Sun Peaks lol

I think you have the larger vehicle, but I'd be happy to drive.