 |
| Rupert at Grouse Mountain, sporting his Alchemy of Ride ski jacket |
Knocking on 100 years old, Grouse Mountain is a locals’ ski area in North Vancouver. With British Columbia’s lockdown logic that you should visit the ski resort nearest to where you live, my son Rupert tried it out recently. Having grown up skiing in the Alps and the Rockies in Alberta and BC, he’s now studying (online) at the University of British Columbia, earning credits towards doing a Masters in Counseling Psychology.
 |
| Photography courtesy of Grouse Mountain |
Here’s his report: “On Friday of last week, I was fortunate enough to get a reprieve from a busy first week of classes and head up to Grouse Mountain with a close friend of mine. The drive to Grouse was just about 30 minutes from East Vancouver, and parking was easy to find upon arrival. I had no knowledge whatsoever of Grouse Mountain skiing and had created an image in my head that it was going to be a tiny ski hill, similar to Canada Olympic Park in Calgary with somewhat limited options.
 |
| Photography courtesy of Grouse Mountain |
I was pleasantly surprised from the outset, therefore, when I found that we were going to have to begin by taking a lovely panoramic gondola up to the base of the hill, which allowed lush views of the surrounding area, especially as the sun was beginning to peek out of the blanket of clouds that had smothered Vancouver for most of the week.
 |
| Photography courtesy of Grouse Mountain |
My friend Ma had purchased a Y2Play pass, which not only allows him to ski on Grouse for the entire season, but also offers him a free ski waxing, three lift tickets to Revelstoke (one of my favourite resorts), and one complimentary lift pass for a friend. He graciously allowed me to join him on that lift ticket and we made our way up to the top of the mountain.
 |
| Photography courtesy of Grouse Mountain |
The sun was shining and my spirits were high when I got to the top, especially since I knew this was most likely the only ski day that I would have this season. The hill was bigger than I expected, with four chairlifts and at least 20 or more runs, and we spent our time exploring all that it had to offer. Ma had just taught himself skiing last year and, while I thought he was already an excellent skier, he told me that he wanted to spend some of the time working on ski drills that he had learnt from YouTube, giving me time to explore on my own.
 |
| Photography courtesy of Grouse Mountain |
I ripped down the slopes quickly although cautious of icy patches or ground that showed up from beneath the snow due to the warm winter that we have been having here in Vancouver. The weather was probably around seven degrees and, with the sun shining, I had to strip down to just a t-shirt and jacket. I attempted to wear a balaclava, due to the fact that it is mandatory to wear a mask in all the lift lines and on the chairlifts, but found myself too warm, so I just settled for a regular mask.
 |
| Photography courtesy of Grouse Mountain |
Later, as we continued our ski together, the clouds began to part even more, allowing us a magnificent view of Vancouver and the surrounding ocean from the summit. Accustomed to inland vistas of large mountain ranges, valleys, and rivers, I have never seen such a contrasting view while skiing, so the image of a snowless ocean and cityscape juxtaposed to the snowy ski hill was ever more impressive.
 |
| Photography courtesy of Grouse Mountain |
All in all, I had a wonderful experience up at Grouse, and I would definitely consider getting a season's pass there another year, as it would allow a completely unique experience right on my doorstep.”
 |
| Photography courtesy of Grouse Mountain |
Grouse’s first official ski season was way back in 1926 – although the mountain was named and famed by hikers in 1894 - and it actually has 33 runs, six terrain parks, 15 night skiing runs, 9km of snowshoe trails and the North Shore’s most extensive snowmaking system. One of its runs – The Cut – was ranked in the top 100 in the world by CNN Travel. As well as a comprehensive winter menu of activities, Grouse also runs a summer activities’ program and is a popular wedding venue.
Links:
Website: https://www.grousemountain.com/
Environment and Sustainability: https://www.grousemountain.com/blue-grouse-sustainability
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grousemountain/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/grousemountain
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grousemountain/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/grousemountain/
 |
| Rupert (left) with his brother Fergus (right) - both wearing Alchemy of Ride in Sun Peaks, BC where they both spent the majority of the ski season last winter |
