Did you know that Revelstoke owes its very existence to a
British aristocrat? Not sure if he was a skier, but Edward Charles Baring, the
first Baron Revelstoke saved the Canadian Pacific Railway – and thereby the
town of Revelstoke - from ruin by buying up the bonds to ensure completion of
the train tracks back in 1885.
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| Sutton Place Hotel in Revelstoke Village - Photo by Ian Houghton |
Morph to today and Revelstoke Mountain Resort, which tops
the chart in North America for vertical drop and longest run, was
recently voted Canada's Best Ski Resort at the World Ski Awards in Austria. A huge
accolade considering it is Canada’s newest ski resort, dating back only to 2007
when the Revelation Gondola and Stoke Chairlift launched its transformation from
a heli haven into today’s world-class ski resort.
Winning this annual award depends on online votes from a mix of ski industry
professionals, tour operators, and media as well as the skiing and snowboarding
public.
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| Chris Pawlitsky (right) with me (left) at the base of the Revelation Gondola. |
For
four fabulous days back in December I
skied Revy and had the good luck to hook up with Ski Ambassador, Chris Pawlitsky, a veritable fount of information, tactical terrain tips and general
bonhomie. After breakfast at La Baguette in the Village (gluten free goodies
and great coffee), Chris showed me round some of his go-to runs including
Separate Reality: “Easily my fave run, Separate Reality has so many different lines,
it’s close to the chair which means a quick turnaround time for banging off big
daily vertical,” he says. “One reason the skiing is so fun here is that
each run has so many different lines. For example, Separate Reality has at
least seven different lines that make each one seem like its own trail.” This
area is particularly gratifying in early season as it always has substantial snow.
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| Revy powder by Ian Houghton |
Dating back to the days when he worked as a guide for the
catskiing operation there, Chris also showed me his secret gulley on Hollywood.
“Especially fun for snowboarders, this is a kind of big natural halfpipe that
starts off wide open and then finishes in some beautifully gladed trees,” he
explains. Local knowledge is such a great thing! Even when the pow isn’t
freshly fallen, Chris can find untracked tree-lines. “Another classic and great
line, which always has some wind-loaded pockets of soft snow, starts on the very
top of Separate Reality, then ski over to hit the top part of SWF - which
is under the top part of the Stoke Chair - then peel off down the main part of
Pitch Black,” Chris adds. “This run always makes me smile!”
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| Overlooking the Columbia River Valley - by Garrett Grove |
From the Ripper Chairlift, the tree skiing was particularly
memorable, especially in the Glades of Glory. Chris took me on a minor hike,
just a few paces off the main path, leading to a lesser-known area which was
still only semi-tracked several days after a snowfall. In Revy’s gnarly North Bowl – the nearest thing to cat or heli
skiing you’ll get from a chairlift-accessed traverse and short hike – Chris’s
classic pick is Sweet Spot to Three Bears. “Being in the heli ski capital of
the world is one reason that makes it so great here - snow everywhere, deep and
consistent snowfalls,” he explains. Apparently the snow keeps fresh due to what
is known locally as the ‘Mount Mackenzie Blob’, cloud cover which helps keeps
the sun off the mountain when temperatures warm up occasionally. “This keeps the powder fresh, it’s like skiing
in your own little cloud,” Chris describes. “Every peak in the area can be
visible, but the top of the ski hill sometimes gets a little fog which really
helps protect the snow from getting sun crusted.” As most of the resort is
below the treeline, there are plenty of visual markers to help visibility
during these cloudy conditions.
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| Revy, a great place for kids to learn on long, leisurely greens Photo courtesy of Revelstoke Mountain Resort |
We skied hard that day but it wasn’t all radical and rugged. Next
on Chris’s list was Hot Sauce, a great south-facing, long run which is often groomed.
He also took me to Snow Rodeo which is perfect for intermediates (and for
50-something skiers with early season legs and lungs!) Especially in
spring, Snow Rodeo is in full sun the whole way down. “This is also where I
would take someone for their first run back to the Stoke Chair,” says Chris. “A
nice blue run, with lots of rollers, and usually soft snow on the sides. A
classic, for sure, and the very first run on Mount Mackenzie going back to the
original cat skiing days.” Back then, informal races were staged and the
winners were always those who chose the route that is now Snow Rodeo.
Everyone needs poseur pictures to post on social media and Chris
knows the best spots for these, too: “Right of the top of the Stoke
Chair and looking south or directly west, beside the warming hut and tool
benches is a great place to get a picture of the entire valley.” It’s a
vivifying view with the soaring Selkirks bordering the Columbia River.
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| The Village Idiot Bar & Grill |
Having your own local for the day is handy, too, for après ski
advice. “Mackenzie Common Tavern at the base has a wicked meatball sub and hosts
live music on the weekends. And the great big heated deck, shared with the Rockford, makes for some incredible outdoor gatherings,” Chris recounts. To
savour the authentic ski town vibe of Revelstoke itself, he recommends taking
the complimentary shuttle from The Sutton Place Hotel to try out the Village Idiot Bar & Grill. For fine dining, 112 at the Regent Hotel is steak-house hedonism. Funnily enough these were two
favourites of mine from previous visits several years ago. Since then several
new eateries have emerged including the Craft Bierhaus which is trending at the moment for local craft brews on
tap, gourmet food and impromptu entertainments. “Revelstoke completely comes
alive in the winter,” says Chris who has lived there all his life. “The
restaurants and bars are packed, as is every hotel, and the grocery store. Some
old timers might think it is too busy, but it is cool. Revelstoke was too slow,
too sleepy, for too long.”
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| Arriving at The Sutton Place Hotel |
After a full-on ski day with Chris, my leaden legs were
particularly grateful for the luxury of staying right onhill at Sutton Place Hotel, Revy’s only ski in, ski out property. You literally walk a
few paces from the bottom of the slopes into the back door of the 205-unit
condominium hotel. The ski locker room is right near the elevator which then
whisks you up to utter luxury in your spacious apartment. These are so modern,
so comfortable and so fully equipped that lucky people live here year round. I
know, I met some of them at the nightly cocktail parties in the hotel lobby
where complimentary drinks and hors d’oeuvres are served by the fireside. This
is a fabulous way to mix and mingle with likeminded ‘Revelers’ and get the
latest info on ski conditions, après ski, and the opulent onslope lifestyle.
And you can bump into those you met earlier in the steamy hot tub which
overlooks the mountains of the colossal Columbia River Valley.
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| Lobby bar at The Sutton Place Hotel - by Blake Jorgenson |
Sutton Place
also has a big heated year-round pool and two more hot tubs in another of its
three buildings which make up the Village. These also house the après ski
options, chief of which to my mind is the Rockford Wok Bar Grill which is a culinary cut above conventional ski resort
après ski bars. With upscale décor, top service quality, and gourmet menu, it
accommodates all nutritional nuances from breakfast buffet, through lunch,
après ski, cocktails and decadent dinners. Although it is classy looking, you
can still feel at home in ski gear – although I personally like the opportunity
to dress up a bit later in the evening after all day in scuzzy ski togs.
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| Outdoor après in between The Rockford and Mackenzie Common Tavern |
Rocking Revy's rugged runs: “The 93 North Andromeda is a great
ski for Revelstoke," says ski designer, Max Flowerday. "The early rise rocker tip will keep you on-top in deep
powder while the camber makes them very responsive and playful for gladed
terrain.” Max co-owns 93 North Skis, based in Canmore, and gets out to Revelstoke as often as he can. "My favorite run is 'Conifers of
Gnarnia' but it is only good when there is fresh snow down to valley bottom," he says. Other tips include eating at The Village Idiot, going to the Modern Café for coffee and hanging out at the hot tub at the Rec Centre. 93 North Skis - which is holding powder and backcountry ski demos at Revelstoke, Lake Louise, Red Mountain and Whistler Blackcomb - is brand new this winter so look out for an article later this season.
