Taking my Hyrax to Whistler?

[Paul Ruinaard]

1 hour ago, Duane_Bosch said:

I've not done Whistler but I've done Morzine and the surrounding parks 9 or 10 times.

My 2c

1. If You're going late the trails will be rough with lots of braking bumps which means your body is going to take a beating. Take anti inflams. 1 in the morning 2 in the afternoon.

2. try to build up hand strength beforehand. Those hand strengthener goodies always worked for me

3. I'd highly recommend renting or buying a dh bike. Remember all of your altitude gain is free so riding a big DH rig doesn't come at a huge physical cost. Also when you get fatigued and start making mistakes a DH bike is way more forgiving. Something with VERY GOOD brakes. You can ride a 160mm bike but you want to be on a big bike. Especially if it's your first trip. You'll pick up something 2nd hand for not much money.

4. The youtube vids DO NOT do justice to the steepness of the trails and the size of the jumps. A Line will be quite challenging for a virgin Sa rider. The jumps on there are likely to be the biggest you've ever ridden. The trails are color coded so slowly work your way via the easier trails to A Line. If you just try send A Line on day 1 you'll likely hurt yourself.

5. Ride within yourself and finish the trip. You're on holiday not trying out for Rampage. You'll see loads of day 1 hero's with broken arms sucking beers while their mates are having the time of their life hitting laps. Don't be one of those guys.

6. Try your best to take it all in. You might never go back.

*Edit

7. don't turn your nose up to the easier trails. The easy trails are the most fun ones. The worst green trail over there is likely to be way better than the best trail you've ever ridden here. Especially as you got to the top of it on a ski lift taking in amazing views and chatting to some like minded people.

8. These trips are the most fun with a crew of mates. Try to go with friends or try to make new ones when you are there and ride with them. Most people are super friendly and are happy to ride with a tag along. On our various trips we've often spent the day riding and having a beer afterwards with a total stranger.

Points 3 to 8 - read them and listen.

 

FWIW I havent done Morzine but from what I can tell from mates who have done both, Whistler is just next level compared and the trails are much better groomed than even in France.

I am not a DH beast but as per what was said the bikes are so much bigger and longer and more squishy and the rubber so soft and grippy that you cannot really expect to be accustomed to it straight away. I literally had to adpat how i rode. You spend so little time pedalling and so much tome standing that you will not be accustioned to it.

Secondly IMO the way they work is additive in Whistler. What I mean is you start on the easier trails and then justt let it flow, however the trail  builders have made the trails in such a way they almost teach you at the top in a smaller form what will be coming at the bottom when you speed up and things get bigger. So you start off doing things at the top that are easier, walls, gaps etc that will be much bigger and gnarlier on the bottom of the trail you are on but because you have started small it builds your confidence up and then you start to feel comfortable. So you learn on the way down and feel more confident to get off the brakes. Thats at least on the inter trails. 

FWIW: A Line is so big and the likelihood of hurting yourself so high which will screw up your trip i just never even entertained it.

Like was said - get as much braking as you can as its super steep and you get going very quickly very soon and then you will panic quite fast. Alos get all the body armour and protection - you can hire it all. 

FWIW I was there in September the weekend was like the last of the season and it was super hot up there so you can get very high temperatures - you can dehydrate. Also note when i was there everything was super safe and really well groomed - All lips are marked with flags on eaither side and the trails are groomed so you really trust what you are seeing. I found the braking stutters to be minimal in Whistler - they literally groom the trails. You can imagine what a seasons riding does.

Enjoy - it will ruin you because i would say it ws really close to the ultimate

[TitusTi]

Have started the planning for my next Whistler trip, listen to what is being said. 

A-Line is big, find a video of the Moonbootr on A-Line, it may provide perspective. GLC drops at the end is about 5-6 foot, all of it is rideable but not blind if you only ride here. Freight Train is a big jump line, cool to go watch the pros hitting it, Crab Apple is a step up from that.

But yes, these descents are longer amd bigger than anything we are used to here, 10-12 runs in a day and you are wrecked.

When is your trip? See if you can get a run down Top Of The World.

If the trail is marked double black or red, stay off of it, made that mistake once.

[eala]

18 hours ago, Jewbacca said:

Absolutely. Or take the Hyrax, ride the valley and surrounds and hire a DH bike for the 3 or 4 times you actually ride the big stuff in the park?

Either way, it's an amazing trip and you want to enjoy it

Working out the best way to do so is always tricky

Hiring a e -trailbike would be something I would consider also .Transporting your own bike will also cost money 

[Headshot]

Get hold of some of the Canadian Whistler local Youtubers and get them to show you around. That way we can all experience your trip when you appear in their video(s) Please!

I have done a small amount of riding in the alps. The descents are crazy long so I echo what others have said. Handpump even on easier flow trails is a thing. Everything is steeper and longer than anything you've seen here unless you regularly ride down Sani Pass. 

[nox1111]

This topic is "fyn brag". Vaderland, I am so jealous.
The advice is good, the idea is epic and the opportunity rare.

Lekker, please post loads of photos and what you ended up doing. And then what you've learnt - for the rest of us.

[Paul Ruinaard]

Have a look here on this video. You can actually see how smooth and groomed it is. Also on some of the jumps you can see the flags on the lips. This also shows you how big it is and how fast it is and how much time he spends in the air on just a section. So its broken in to sections. What he did in 6 minutes took me most of 30 to 40 minutes, mostly cause you are shattered, knees quivering and wrists and forarms broken from hanging on :-).

[Paul Ruinaard]

some good tips here as well. Jealous. Enjoy. You will not be the same.

[Shebeen]

On 8/20/2023 at 7:34 AM, Shebeen said:

How much is bike rental there?

 

I did a ski season there 20odd years ago, and hung around for the start of summer.

I am no DH rider, so didn't even go close to the bike park. (I tried A-line on my snowboard, it was scary as f#$$%^. spent the whole run trying not to kill myself)

BUT I did buy a FS mongoose for $50 at the annual swapmeet organised by these guys and then did their loonie ride on it. the "mountain" is a slick business but loads of solid people who live there and share the stoke.

https://www.facebook.com/WhistlerORCA

They will for sure help you out with queries. Just say you're from africa and greg minnaar's cousin has a farm next to your sister-in-law.

 

 

 

[Shebeen]

28 minutes ago, nox1111 said:

This topic is "fyn brag". Vaderland, I am so jealous.
The advice is good, the idea is epic and the opportunity rare.

Lekker, please post loads of photos and what you ended up doing. And then what you've learnt - for the rest of us.

then there's this option. if you have to ask, you can't afford it.

 

 

[capediver]

Having done a few trips to Morzine as well and to add what everyone else has already mentioned:

Be prepared for wet weather - I don't know what the weather is like in BC at that time of the year but to stop a bit of rain spoiling your day:

• Take a spare set of shoes (while your other's are drying stuffed with newspaper!)
• If you got a backpack, make sure it has a waterproof cover
• Take waterproof pants that have a zip to allow removal with shoes on
• Take bibs...they will prevent mud flicking up your back and dribbling down into your rods and giving you the worst road rash you ever had! 
• If you do end up taking your own bike, take spare brake pads

Enjoy!

[Eddy Gordo]

Nice, and WOW, dont forget the gopro!!

I agree on getting or renting a bike there. Maybe contemplate buying a used DH bike there that you could resell there or here. Start looking online, pinkbike, ebay and some bikeshops in the areas you gonna be at.

[BikeGenie]

2 hours ago, Shebeen said:

then there's this option. if you have to ask, you can't afford it.

 

 

So THAT's what my Altitude is for!?!

 

Sells bike to pay for Heli Trip... because i asked.

[Robbie Stewart]

3 hours ago, nox1111 said:

This topic is "fyn brag". Vaderland, I am so jealous.

I was going to say this was a very refined "fyn brag" as well.

I would love the opportunity to go ride something like that myself. I feel bad for @Renier though, as on his return, Tygerberm is just not going to cut it anymore, and even after a couple of rides down Jonkers and Tokai, he will want to sell up and head back to what he has discovered real mountainbiking to be.

[dasilvarsa]

2 hours ago, Robbie Stewart said:

I was going to say this was a very refined "fyn brag" as well.

I would love the opportunity to go ride something like that myself. I feel bad for @Renier though, as on his return, Tygerberm is just not going to cut it anymore, and even after a couple of rides down Jonkers and Tokai, he will want to sell up and head back to what he has discovered real mountainbiking to be.

Thats not Mountain Biking its Base Jumping

Have a Good Evening Mister Robbie Stewart. 

[Renier]

On 8/21/2023 at 8:41 AM, Paul Ruinaard said:

Having ridden there - simply put - hire there. Bikes are top quality and are new. You can hire everything. Just pre book as it gets busy. You can hire DH, Enduro etc as long as you plan. 

FWIW those runs are long and if you dont start to panic on your first ride up the lift when it starts to get steep you aren't normal. Also once you descend - the length of the trip down is just much longer than anything i have experienced in SA. Wrist pump etc, you will be shattered unless you are a DH beast...

Enjoy

Well, I'm feeling a bit panicky just thinking about all this, so I think I'm normal 😂.

As I mentioned somewhere here, I just need to weigh up the costs, too.

[Paul Ruinaard]

11 minutes ago, Renier said:

Well, I'm feeling a bit panicky just thinking about all this, so I think I'm normal 😂.

As I mentioned somewhere here, I just need to weigh up the costs, too.

The memories last longer than the financial pain.

Hire the bike, do the rides, it will change your outlook for life.

FWIW Whistler is a way out of Vancouver - I believe you can catch a train there as well. Lots of reasons to make it happen.

Also FWIW this is the lift/DH riding - there's plenty of enduro type riding there as well which is pedal in. If you are really fit.

YOu have made the mental commit now you just need to justify the spend. I also think you will find the costs of shipping a bike there and back are as much as hiring never mind the schlep of transporting it everywhere when you are there.

If you really want to,  a good idea is to try and buy something off pinkbike or ebay when there and bring it back. They drop last season's bikes for next to nothing at the shops but the DH bikes are way to big and burly for our type of riding here which is most pedal in.