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Not Another Whistler/UBC Thread!

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panojibber
Posts: 3382 - Karma: 216
Alright all you vancouverites, I've decided I want to go to UBC for university, and I have a couple questions for you.

Firstly, how much skiing is it physically possible to get in during the winter without failing all your classes? I would probably be in Science or Arts(Economics).

Secondly, how epic is the snow there? I know its crazy, but how long can you find snow after a dump?

Third, how is the out of bounds skiing? I have my avy gear and some training, so if I head up there I might as well use it.

I'm from Calgary, usually ski at Sunshine and COP. Feel free to throw in any other info concerning skiing at whistler/UBC.

Any and all help is appreciated, thanks guys.
Jan 21 2010 10:44PM
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CrunkNugget
Posts: 1279 - Karma: 16
the local mountains are going to be almost exactly like COP to be honest. good parks, but not such awesome snow. whistler is sick though, that's all i have to say (you'll never use your avalanche gear on the local mountains). whistler has the ubc student pass for really cheap and there's a cheap ubc-run hostel up there, so transportation is probably going to be your only issue (do you have a car?).
Jan 21 2010 11:18PM
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panojibber
Posts: 3382 - Karma: 216
Yeah I wasn't really expecting to get much more than park out of them, I really like being able to go and shred park at night though or whenever I feel like it.

I might have a car, but I don't really want to pay for insurance and such while in university.
Jan 23 2010 12:41AM
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Download-My-Apps
Posts: 5069 - Karma: 1,017
COP has a better park than all the locals and is much easier to get to.

For whistler, snow gets skied out faster than sunshine and the lake but whistler generally gets quite a bit more.

As for skiing days all depending if you have a car. You can expect anywhere from 30-70 days. All depends on your schedule, time management and knowing people who can hook you up.
Last year I had about 50 days skiing. So far this year im at 18 I think...
Jan 23 2010 2:06AM
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Commonwealth
Posts: 3729 - Karma: 11
How much is a UBC/Whistler pass? I might be interested in studying abroad next year...
Jan 23 2010 6:29PM
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Download-My-Apps
Posts: 5069 - Karma: 1,017
student pass at whistler= 400 bones
Jan 24 2010 2:37AM
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cow.
Posts: 416 - Karma: 200

whistler and seymour both have some dope backcountry, whictler haveing wayy nuts stuff if you're willing to hike. the park at whistler is pretty sick and is really well maintained. cypress has teh best in bounds pow of the local mountains IMO. no good people ski there (im literally the best skier on teh hill) so pow gets skied out REALLY slow. on whis snow does get skied super fast, but if you know the lines on blackcomb (talk to a local or something... ask about CBC) then you can get freshies for the better part of a day.  ive never skied sunshine or any mountains down by calgary, but if you want some suuuuper dope pow, check out mt baker in northern washington.

sorry i cant compare. gl with the choice!

Jan 26 2010 6:29PM
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taynton
Posts: 14 - Karma: 10

I grew up skiing Pano, then came out to UBC for skiing.  I'm in Engineering, got almost 70 days in first year and averaging about 45 since then.  Could do more, but it would be at the sacrifice of grades and social life.  Sciences and Arts have less course, you might be able to have all three.

Pass is super cheap, as mentioned.  There is a bus leaving from campus fri-sat-sun, something like $25-30 round trip.  Also, bus gets you to the village around 9 - you will not be getting first tracks unless the alpine is closed and you hit the line up right.  Car is good if you have it, split gas and its 10-15 round trip.  Or wait a bit and make friends with someone who has a car.

Whistler is pretty good.  For terrain, think of all of the Calgary area hills - golden, louise, fernie... all at one mountain.   The downside is its crowded with tons of people who ski better than you do and know where all the powder is.  Don't expect to be able to find fresh snow more than a day after in the trees, or after about 10AM on main runs.  That said, 3 of the past 4 years have been epic for snow.  You compete for the powder, but when its good, its good.  Given the option, I’d rather ski Kicking Horse or Red, but neither of those are 1H45M from a university as good as UBC.  Backcountry knocks the socks off pretty much anything around Calgary due to the stability, but don’t take that as a reason not to use your head.  Its also packed, and the backcountry close to the boundary gets skied out faster than some interior hills in bounds does.

Local mountains kinda suck.  If I lived in North Van, I'd go, but it takes about 45 minutes from UBC.  I've never been to any of them when they have a good park set up, always just head to whis instead.  That said, I’ve seen some good vid of them on NS so never know.

Long story short, its good.  If you want to ski and go to school and not pay US tuition, you can choose between UBC and Calgary.  Either are good choices.  I just signed on for another 2 years for a Master’s so I can go to school and ski, passing up going to MIT or somewhere like that.  PM me if you want some more info.  I don’t go on here a ton but I’ll get back to you eventually.

Jan 31 2010 1:45AM
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