SIX REASONS THIS UPSTART BECAME A CLASSIC
Certain names loom large in the pantheon of ski destinations. Chamonix. Engelberg. Central Chile. And now Revelstoke.
This classic B.C. mountain town has enjoyed many incarnations, from frontier hamlet to railway town, logging hub and hippie hideaway. Seventeen years ago it reinvented itself as a ski vacation destination and word spread about its world-class terrain, backcountry options and helicopter skiing.
Its attributes are well-known. Revelstoke Mountain Resort has the largest vertical drop of any ski area in North America (1,713 metres), reams of challenging runs, a modern lift system, relatively few crowds and a vibrant town packed with lively pubs and restaurants.
Generalities aside, once you’ve booked a trip, here are five specific things to look forward to.
RESORT & HELI-SKIING IN A SINGLE GO
Few ski resorts offer such an easy option for a hybrid resort/heli-ski vacation. Spend a few days riding the lifts, then book heli-skiing with Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing (based just out of town but presently building a hotel at the resort). If you’re staying at The Sutton Place Hotel, Selkirk Tangiers will send a minibus to collect you.
SWEET TERRAIN PROGRESSION
Revy is home to a happy combination of seemingly purpose-built terrain and smart chair placement. The result is a seamless progression of increasingly challenging off-piste terrain on which adventure-curious skiers can cut their teeth. Right under the Stoke chair you’ll spy easy, 20-turn-long pitches that exit onto groomed trails. Between the runs you’ll find fun gullies and terrain features that allow you to hone your skills, safe in the knowledge that the piste is never far away. And once you’re skiing like the hero you always believed yourself to be, work your way through the following terrain tick list:
Separate Reality Bowl: This is the bowl just to the left as you ride the Stoke Chair. Start skiing next to the rope defining the edge of the Critical Path groomer, and work counter-clockwise around the bowl. Each lap is a little steeper than the last, with lots of fun rock drops to explore.
North Bowl: Take the Lemming Line (signposted left off the top of Stoke Chair) and explore the many short gullies that drop into North Bowl.
Greely Bowl: One over from North Bowl. Check your trail map and traverse over to find chutes of every angle and width leading down between rock bluffs below Gracias Ridge.
Sub Peak: Hike up above the Stoke Chair until you reach the radio tower, then wander along the ridge leading to climbers’ right. Multiple lines exist, varying from moderate to steep to drop you down into the upper part of North Bowl. Powder Assault makes a good introduction to the collection of lines accessed from this ridge.
REVELSTUCK NO MORE
Forget all the stories about getting “revelstuck” by avalanche-blocked roads, cancelled flights and poor connections. Revelstoke is now well-served by direct flights to Kelowna and a reliable shuttle by Revelstoke Transfers for the 2.5-hour drive. Newly installed Gazex cannons prevent snow from building up above the highway, so avalanche closures are, more or less, a thing of the past. (Gazex cannons create small explosions above the snow surface to trigger sluffs during a snowfall.)
FIRST TRACKS & BREAKFAST CLUB
Bookable through the snow school, First Tracks meets at 7:30 a.m. to load the gondola ahead of the hordes. For a $69 top-up on your lift ticket, you get to rip two or three fast laps behind one of Revelstoke’s high-end instructors. They know every glade, rock drop and gully, but be warned: on a pow day they ski pedal to the metal.
And Breakfast Club? Meet a little earlier, savour a croissant, join First Tracks for some hot laps and then, once the lifts open, ski til 11 a.m. with your instructor/guide. By then, you’ll be begging for mercy, or at least a second croissant. Inside tip: Watch the weather forecast. When you see snow coming, pick up the phone and book. Spaces are limited and they sell out fast. You can cancel 48 hours in advance with a full refund or eat a $35 administration fee within 48 hours.
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR EVERY BUDGET
Go deluxe at the slopeside Sutton Place Hotel with a full kitchen and access to all the niceties, such as pool and hot tubs. Or save the pennies and stay in town at the Sandman, also with a pool, using the free shuttle to ride to and from the hill each day.
Time To Order
Hungry Revelstoke skiers are no longer faced with a basic choice of bleeding steak or lentil loaf. A rumbling stomach can now be sated by any one of a number of inspired eateries, all within a few blocks of each other in the much gentrified yet still independently oriented downtown core. The only question: Why doesn’t anyone sell a Revelsteak?
Old School Eatery
Perfect for a first date or a pleasant break-up meal (no one likes to make a scene in nice surroundings). The Old School Eatery offers an extensive menu of tasty food, including wicked veggie burgers, in smart but casual surroundings. Located just on the edge of downtown, this is the perfect spot for those staying on the hill and driving into town at night. There’s plenty of parking, and you’re just a few minutes walk from the centre of town.
The Village Idiot
Right in the downtown, The Idiot is perfect for drinking an immoderate amount of beer and meeting the locals, many of whom will also be behaving happily immoderately. Expect a tendency toward the riotous rather than the righteous.
Rockford Bar & Grill
Weapons-grade hangover anyone? For those weak-willed souls who partied harder than planned the night before, this is the place to go for an emergency breakfast of huge portions at very reasonable prices. Located at the village base, with a view of the main gondola, the tired skier may sit and enjoy Eggs Benedict while contemplating life: How long til the lift starts? Why are my skins covered in dog hair when I don’t have a dog? And just who was this Benedict guy anyway?
The Modern Bakeshop & Café
Situated downtown, the Modern offers a wide range of healthy and wonderfully not-so-healthy brunch and lunch options in a friendly, relaxed café setting. Huge windows let in lots of light, allowing for people watching, and in Revelstoke there is much to watch. Spend a morning enjoying the vibe, the coffee, and the veggie sausage rolls—so good, you won’t believe they don’t have just a little bit of piglet in them. Then go skiing.
112 Restaurant & Lounge, Regent Hotel
Steaks, beer and more in elegant surroundings. Featuring local bands and occasional improv, this energy-filled restaurant and bar can often surprise and always amuse. Situated in the middle of town, it’s pleasingly close to several other bars. But why would you leave when this place has it all?
Mackenzie Common Tavern
Revelstoke’s on-hill bar and eatery is located, in an act of pure evil, at the bottom of the main gondola, serving beer and high-standard pub fare. If you’re staying at The Sutton Place Hotel, this will be your local. The staff turn on the tractor beam around noon; the weak and the unwary can find themselves ordering a beer earlier than they expected, ski boots optional.
