LAURA MARTIN IN WHISTLER
Landing in Vancouver was like something out of a dream. It was already everything I had hoped it would be. The journey from the airport to Whistler is stunning, and so simple to get your bike from the airport to your hotel. You book the transfer bus with your bike. Mind blown!
If you are heading out to Whistler Bike Park the mountain bike trail grading is very different to the UK. Let me explain. I wish someone had told me!
Canadian Green trails are similar to UK greens but can have some optional features. Think flowy family trails with some jumps or steep banked berms.
Blue are complex. There are two types, blue trails and blue technical trails. Harder than UK blues and for the intermediate rider: blue tech can be difficult! Especially when wet or super dusty. Think super tight techy corners and some steep roll drops and lots of roots, especially at Creekside. Sprinanar is one of my favourites.
Red do not exist in Canada! but do at Whistler these are pro lines and are very very difficult.
Blacks are another complicated one. There are single black diamonds which are hard trails, rock slabs, tight tech, rooty and steep etc. Angry Pirate is a good example of a tech trail, and Aline for jumps. These are for experienced riders.
Then there are the super hard double black diamonds, which are really hard think big slabs with big drop-offs and rocky tech, step-sided trails with little stopping room. These are the hardest before pro lines. Missfire is a good starting point on double blacks. There are very few places to stop and look at the big features. They are not for the faint-hearted and for the very experienced rider.
Ever since I was a child, I’ve always wanted to go to Canada. Even before I knew about mountain biking, It looked like Scotland on steroids.
Enter mountain biking and it became the ultimate goal to go to Whistler. I was apprehensive about riding over there though. I am a confident rider here in the UK (and Europe) I can ride blacks, downhill, and I love a techy steep trail. But after watching endless YouTube videos I have always thought I wasn't quite Whistler good.
After I received my beautiful HB916 I knew it deserved a trip of a lifetime. So I took the plunge and booked a month in British Columbia. Three weeks in Whistler and one in Squamish. When the time came, I carefully packed my beloved HB916 with an unreal amount of extra padding. (It deserves to be taken care of.)
I fell in love with Whistler Bike Park. It’s like Disneyland for mountain bikers. There are more trails than you can remember with over 50 miles of trails all accessed via gondola or chair lift. There is something for everyone.
On the last day before heading to Squamish I met up with Local Hope WMN Athlete Sarah Thackray. This woman is incredible on a bike. She took us out of the bike park and over to a trail called Dark Crystal. It only opens on July 1st every year due to the brown bears who hibernate in the area. It is incredible I would say it was my all-time favourite. A beefy climb in the sweltering heat but the steep 2254ft climb was worth it. This had super hard tech for miles in the most beautiful forest. Sarah is honestly one of the loveliest women I’ve met in mountain biking. She is also a complete inspiration as a biker. I tend to ride with a lot of men and being able to follow Sarah's lines was incredible.
A question I’ve asked a lot about my trip: Did I see any bears? Yes, I did I came face to face with a massive beautiful brown bear that chilling on a trail by the time I stopped it was only 2 metres in front of me. He didn't seem to bother but we made some noise and off he wandered. Seeing bears was a daily occurrence in the bike park, especially at Creekside. As scary as they can be remember we are biking in their forest not the other way around.
It turns out I had nothing to worry about when it came to biking nerves about riding in Canada. I found myself confident on the trails and was hitting the hardest ones in the park. I am never one to really say I did well (I just don't) but on this trip, I rode the hardest trail I have ever ridden. I also collected a lot of QOMs if you know, you know. I was really delighted with my progress out in Whistler. I think we mountain biking women can underestimate even our own skills and I know I do. But we should be prouder of ourselves when we achieve things.
I hope this will help you if you are planning a trip. I already have the urge to go back.
Photos & Words: Laura Martin
