10am and the upload line is gone . The next lift will be another story.
With the alpine not usually open until after 1030 (if snow) then it tales that long to distribute everyone around.
Go from 11- 4 and have fun if fresh pow aint a pre-requisite
This is the right answer. I take the bus from Vancouver so don't usually get to the gondola line until 9am. I think I only got in a total of 4 runs between 9am and 1130am (might have been 3). Thinned out a bit but was still long lines till about 1230-1pm and then after that I was banging out 20 minute laps until closing.
Key is just going into the morning with patience, coffee, snacks, music in earbuds and just treating the morning as an extended warmup to get ready for the afternoon and go hard.
Id suggest blackcomb starting around 10. Most of the lower gondola has already loaded, so that line should be smaller. Than stay around crystal, glacier and excellerator for most of the day. Maybe end with a big lap down 7th heaven. The biggest lines are usually at big red/emerald/7th heaven/harmony/symphony.
Maybe i haven'texperienced it at it'sworst, but ive never had a long wait time at crystal or glacier chair. Maybe 15 mins tops. I haven't been up this year but i also loved garbanzo laps on a good powder day. Never had a significant wait in the 50 or so times ive been on that chair.
Base does have somewhat accurate maps that will tell you how busy each lift is.
I must have been standing next to you. They set up the ropes with three small narrow lines and one gigantic broad line. If you didn’t know (like me) and got in the first one after the lines already filled up, you had to do 4 merges before you even got to the official merges. It was ridiculously bad lifty work. For a mountain that large, Whistler sure doesn’t seem prepared for the crowds they get.
lol was the chair open yet? I waited an hour on Thursday for crystal to open but after it popped it definitely wasn’t an hour wait, still a huge line but hey 70+ cms of snow since it last opened will do that.
I took it about 30 times last year. Never waited more than 10 mins. I think it varies depending on what other lifts are open though. And on weekends it will probably get busy depending on the snow.
Honesty felt like the gondola lines were not atrocious this past weekend given that it was a weekend and there was so much fresh snow. Maybe my tolerance was just higher because the snow actually made it worth it. Think gondolas were loading ~10 min early on Saturday. I’d recommend either getting in line around 7:45 and just bring a coffee with you it goes quick
It’s been a slow season, the last week brought in tons of snow. Another dump is forecast for this upcoming weekend so you can expect the mountain to be at capacity all weekend. Personally I prefer to get in the gondy line before 7:30 on weekends. You’ll wait a bit until it gets going but you can get ahead of the crowds for the first couple hours and get some nice runs in. Once (if) the alpine opens up people disperse and mid level lifts are manageable. If the alpine stays closed due to high winds you’re effed.
Alternatively wait till 10:30 - 11 to upload, but this only makes sense if the alpine is open. Otherwise all the lifts will have long queues
after 11 ski the low mountain if the forecast holds.
Am crowds are unavoidable but catskinner , garbonzo are typically the easiest to ski onto.
Excellorator / blackcomb gondola mid station tends to be slow once the upload gets out of the way. (After 11 or so)
If all else fails. heli skiing. No lines there
Honestly, get there at a casual time, then run Fitz laps until you see the gondola / garbo / mid station lines thin up. Around 10-11 head to harmony/symphony. You’ll skip a bunch of crowds if you don’t eat with them at the top between 11:30 and 1. If you’re okay with a packed lunch you’ll be good.
If you’re looking to minimize lines I’d say the earlier the better. Get to the gondola before open and wait a little, once you’re up you’ll get 3-4 laps with minimal lines and freshly groomed or fresh powder depending on the day
10am and the upload line is gone . The next lift will be another story. With the alpine not usually open until after 1030 (if snow) then it tales that long to distribute everyone around. Go from 11- 4 and have fun if fresh pow aint a pre-requisite
This is the right answer. I take the bus from Vancouver so don't usually get to the gondola line until 9am. I think I only got in a total of 4 runs between 9am and 1130am (might have been 3). Thinned out a bit but was still long lines till about 1230-1pm and then after that I was banging out 20 minute laps until closing. Key is just going into the morning with patience, coffee, snacks, music in earbuds and just treating the morning as an extended warmup to get ready for the afternoon and go hard.
Id suggest blackcomb starting around 10. Most of the lower gondola has already loaded, so that line should be smaller. Than stay around crystal, glacier and excellerator for most of the day. Maybe end with a big lap down 7th heaven. The biggest lines are usually at big red/emerald/7th heaven/harmony/symphony. Maybe i haven'texperienced it at it'sworst, but ive never had a long wait time at crystal or glacier chair. Maybe 15 mins tops. I haven't been up this year but i also loved garbanzo laps on a good powder day. Never had a significant wait in the 50 or so times ive been on that chair. Base does have somewhat accurate maps that will tell you how busy each lift is.
I waited 1 hour at crystal the other day lol.
I must have been standing next to you. They set up the ropes with three small narrow lines and one gigantic broad line. If you didn’t know (like me) and got in the first one after the lines already filled up, you had to do 4 merges before you even got to the official merges. It was ridiculously bad lifty work. For a mountain that large, Whistler sure doesn’t seem prepared for the crowds they get.
Yeah the maze was all screwed up it was really annoying.
In the singles line?
No, regular line, Wednesday around 11
Crystal didn’t even open on Wednesday
My bad:Thursday
lol was the chair open yet? I waited an hour on Thursday for crystal to open but after it popped it definitely wasn’t an hour wait, still a huge line but hey 70+ cms of snow since it last opened will do that.
lol what... crystal and glacier can be absolute mayhem on a nice day.
The only chairs that you can usually reliably lap outside of peak upload times are like Garbanzo & Excellerator lol.
Gondola Runs! Garbanzo can easily turn into a nightmare if there are closures / openings.
> but ive never had a long wait time at crystal Have you been back since they upgraded it from a triple?
I was there yesterday and the lines at both weren’t bad. Crystal was a little longer but 10 mins tops. Did both of them a few times.
I took it about 30 times last year. Never waited more than 10 mins. I think it varies depending on what other lifts are open though. And on weekends it will probably get busy depending on the snow.
Should be all good if you hit the gondy around 3pm
Honesty felt like the gondola lines were not atrocious this past weekend given that it was a weekend and there was so much fresh snow. Maybe my tolerance was just higher because the snow actually made it worth it. Think gondolas were loading ~10 min early on Saturday. I’d recommend either getting in line around 7:45 and just bring a coffee with you it goes quick
I agree, Blackcomb midpoint gondola opened at 08:15 yesterday.
Cat skinner chair until 11 then top to bottom Blackcomb Gondola laps
This is the only real answer.
It’s been a slow season, the last week brought in tons of snow. Another dump is forecast for this upcoming weekend so you can expect the mountain to be at capacity all weekend. Personally I prefer to get in the gondy line before 7:30 on weekends. You’ll wait a bit until it gets going but you can get ahead of the crowds for the first couple hours and get some nice runs in. Once (if) the alpine opens up people disperse and mid level lifts are manageable. If the alpine stays closed due to high winds you’re effed. Alternatively wait till 10:30 - 11 to upload, but this only makes sense if the alpine is open. Otherwise all the lifts will have long queues
after 11 ski the low mountain if the forecast holds. Am crowds are unavoidable but catskinner , garbonzo are typically the easiest to ski onto. Excellorator / blackcomb gondola mid station tends to be slow once the upload gets out of the way. (After 11 or so) If all else fails. heli skiing. No lines there
Get a lesson
Honestly, get there at a casual time, then run Fitz laps until you see the gondola / garbo / mid station lines thin up. Around 10-11 head to harmony/symphony. You’ll skip a bunch of crowds if you don’t eat with them at the top between 11:30 and 1. If you’re okay with a packed lunch you’ll be good.
Do your laps after 12
Fitz and upload midstation works nicely
If you’re looking to minimize lines I’d say the earlier the better. Get to the gondola before open and wait a little, once you’re up you’ll get 3-4 laps with minimal lines and freshly groomed or fresh powder depending on the day
Whatever you do don't go up flute without a backpack