It’s still possible to find old school ski town vibes with all the modern bells and whistles in the remote hills of British Columbia in Canada. Where? Sun Peaks.
This is my first visit to Sun Peaks and on my first chair ride on a bluebird powder day I meet a local that has skied here for years. Why? “It’s quiet, it’s peaceful. You don’t have to fight the crowds.”
It turns out no crowds is a major selling point of Sun Peaks. It has the second largest ski area in Canada with 4,270 acres of skiable terrain but only has capacity for around 5,000 people to stay up on the mountain. With some quick maths, that means that even on a maxed out day, everyone gets 0.85 of an acre to themselves.
No wonder the biggest lift line I ride into is just four people deep.
I’ve been in British Columbia for six weeks now, with a mix of weather patterns typical in a challenging season. At Sun Peaks I get the full blue sky treatment, true goggle tan weather a day after a powder one.
The resort really does get more sunshine than other resorts – it’s even been calculated. Sun Peaks declares that it gets over 2,000 hours of sunshine annually. Just ask local snowboarder Dave Vicente who moved from Revelstoke to Sun Peaks two years ago.
“Honestly I moved here for the sun. I get so stoked. When the sun kisses my face in the morning I’m ready to go.”
So if you’re a skier or snowboarder who enjoys soft snow but don’t like floundering in a chest deep pow pit, Sun Peaks seems ideal. The resort is known for getting smaller but more consistent top ups of dry snow, with breaks of sun in between.
It’s a perfect recipe for beautiful groomed runs with plenty of room to turn, and a few centimetres of fresh on top. Think of it as hero skiing for those who adore fresh cord (58% of the resort is classified intermediate) served up across three mountain peaks Mt Tod (first opened in 1961) it’s little brother Sundance and the bigger guns of Mt Morrisey.
Mt Tod is a blend of all levels of terrain with some excellent advanced and is also home to Gil’s off piste hike to area, Sundance is ideal for those who love a blue run lined either side with trees and Mt Morrisey is a blend of uber groomed steeper runs, glades and more intense black terrain. If you’re in a mixed skill level group then most of the chairlifts access multi level terrain so you can ride together and apart.
Add the impressive line up of terrain parks under the Sundance Express chairlift and you’ve got an all round multi-generational resort for everyone. The terrain parks boast 45 features across 10 acres and there’s even a ski and snowboard cross course, which quickly becomes my go-to first lap each day.
I can confidently say that I have never ridden such a perfect cross course where the berms and rollers keeps my speed fast and consistent without feeling out of control. Hats off to the park crew.
All of this terrain is serviced by Sun Peaks Village, a pretty as a picture sight to behold, with adorable pastel coloured buildings and European charm. The village is pedestrian-only with covered walkways and a strip of snow so you can ski straight from your doorstep from much of the accommodation and even to the shops, cafes and restaurants that offer everything from sushi to cheese fondue, steak, schnitzel and homemade fudge.
Honestly, have I landed in Disneyland? My next stop thinks so – a dog sledding tour with Mountain Man Dog Sled Adventures. Eden, the sled guide is clearly an expert with his team of doggos, keeping control around corners and speedy straights, chatting about the breeds of the dogs, the history of sledding and the personalities that make up his dog squad.
Honestly if I had more time I could go fat biking and ice fishing, take a horse drawn sleigh ride, snow mobile, snow shoe, ice skate and all those Canadian winter things that the mountains deliver. I could even bring my Dad, he’d love Sun Peaks with it’s laid back pace, clear sky days and cream for carving.
It really is the perfect mountain for familial bonding and with Mike Weigele Helicopter Skiing’s Blue River village two and a half hours down the road, I’m also told many come to Sun Peaks for a few days first to warm up the legs.
Consider legs well and truly warmed.
