Sun Peaks Resort is a quiet achiever who lets the mammoth terrain and friendly locals do the talking. Deep in the heart of British Columbia, the pretty as a picture ski town is surely the uncrowded Canadian snow paradise of your dreams.
It’s big. The second largest resort in Canada behind Whistler. Yet it retains a small town charm with a pedestrian only ski village filled with Canada’s famed hospitality.
Come 2019/2020 ski season, Sun Peaks is about to get a whole lot better (is that even possible) with a stack of new adventures mixed with the tried and tested plus some killer accommodation deals.
The ‘new’ chairlift
The Orient chairlift opened this winter just gone and is already a serious hit among Aussies staying in the east village area of the resort.
This $4 million project boasts a four passenger, fixed grip chair built by Doppelmayr that has opened up a whole lot of ski-in, ski-out accommodation. This includes Stone’s Throw condo’s, Trapper’s Landing townhomes, Trail’s Edge, McGillivray Creek, Settler’s Crossing, Echo Landing, Woodhaven and Lookout Ridge homes.
Head to the base of Mt. Morrisey; the chairlift will take you up and over the overpass, over what’s actually a golf course in the summertime, and arriving at a point above the East Village Skiway, with an elevation of 1,525 meters (5,003 feet).
From there, skiers now have a direct route back to Sun Peaks Village via the Main Village Connector that leads to the Rambler Trail between Three Bears and Peek-a-Boo. Or turn the other way up top, and you can ski down the existing runs off the East Village Ski Way, or head straight down the newly-added run directly under the Orient chairlift, called Hasta La Vista.
Skiers have also gained access to a number of relatively unused blue trails that frequently offer great stashes of pow along with gladed areas, such as Carpe Diem, Chikamichi, Ca M’a Fait Plaisir, Fair Dinkum, Czesc, Ausfahrt, and the new Hasta La Vista run below the lift.
A wine festival. Sign. Us. Up.
All that skiing and boarding is great and everything, but you’re going to need to eat – and drink, of course. A major highlight in the Sun Peaks calendar is the Savour the Sun Festival in December, featuring locally inspired culinary delicacies, paired with rare and terroir expressive wines of the Oliver-Osoyoos region.
New in 2020 is the Sun Peaks Winter Wine Festival in March (formerly every January), a weekend of food, wine and winter adventure that’ll make the most of all those coveted British Columbia wines.
When it’s time to eat, head to the village for a range of international fare, from schnitzel, sushi and savoury crepes, to carefully-curated cuisine featuring Canadian flavours such as elk wellington and maple bacon chicken wings. And let’s not forget our very favourite gravy-and-cheese-laden Canadian classic – poutine. Or head to the new Mountain Tiger, featuring Indian, Chinese and Middle Eastern specialties.
Adventures galore
Sun Peaks offers up a lot of the favourites, including dog sledding, horse-drawn sleigh rides, ice-skating, snowmobiling and tubing. Add bungee trampolining in the snow, heading out on a cat to see the grooming experience first-hand, après fondue following by skiing under the stars, and – our pick – ice fishing.
Ice fishing has only been around for a couple of seasons at Sun Peaks, and it’s already hugely popular with those looking to try their hand at a seriously unique Canadian experience. Head to a heated ice-fishing tent with a hot beverage in hand and see if you can catch a wild rainbow trout. You can even take your catch home for dinner.
Kids night out – no adults allowed
This has to be the mountain’s best-kept secret activity. Drop the little ones off at the new Kids Activity Nights at the Sundance Kids Centre, which run from 4:30pm to 8:30pm.
This means that mum and dad can enjoy a quiet dinner solo, and kids can enjoy their very own après that includes their dinner, snacks and activities for just $40. Children aged between 3 to 12 years are all welcome.
The Deal
Stay & Ski Sun Peaks from $1,082 per person thanks to the crew at MySnow Holidays. Bed down for seven nights at Coast Sundance Lodge with a five day lift pass and return local airport transfers. Travel dates are for 05 -30 Jan 2020 and book before May 15 2019. Click here to book.
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