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Visitor reviews for Big White Ski Resort

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• February 01, 2012
  chris stannard from United Kingdom
  

  I note that the ratings for Big White are in some cases low. For example there is only one snow blower, on the boarding park, because Big White gets enough powder on its runs not to need artificial snow. Some complain about the lack of black runs; but a lot of the locals, and others in the know, ski the glades and that can be very challenging particularly for European skiers who are used to skiing above the tree line.

  Big White does have its faults but no more than any other resort and is a great place to ski.

• Big White Ratings

  Based on 12 votes. Vote

  Access: 4.2 (1) At least one overnight stop, (2) requires a whole day, (3) requires more than half a day – you may have time for a few turns (4) arrive by lunchtime and ski all afternoon, (5) there is a main airport within an hour of Big White.	Public Transport: 3.5 (1) There are no buses or taxis to Big White, (3) there are slow or infrequent buses / trains available, (5) getting to the resort is easy with frequent bus / train connections.
  Scenery: 3.8 (1) An ugly resort in a bland setting, (3) average mountain views and resort, (5) a spectacular setting and a beautiful / historic resort town.	Accommodation: 4.3 (1) No places to stay in/near Big White, (3) a few places to stay in the resort, (5) a wide variety of accommodation suitable to suit all budgets.
  Cheap Rooms: 3.3 (1) No budget accommodation available, (3) just one or two hostels so book ahead, (5) several cheap hostels and pensions available.	Luxury Hotels: 4.1 (1) No luxury accommodation available, (3) just one or two luxury hotels so book ahead, (5) several up-market hotels in Big White.
  Ski in/Ski out: 4.6 (1) The ski area is located far from any accommodation, (3) a free ski bus takes you to the ski area in a short trip, (5) Ski-in ski-out accommodation is available.	Childcare: 4.1 (1) There are no child care facilities at Big White, (5) the resort has excellent child-care facilities including at least one reasonably priced creche.
  Snowsure: 3.9 (1) Occasionally gets enough snow for skiing, (2) is often closed due to a lack of snow, (3) occasionally suffers from a lack of snow, (4) rarely suffers from a lack of snow, (5) Big White is snowsure even in the poorest seasons.	Snowmaking: 2.4 (1) Big White relies entirely on natural snow, (3) there are just a few snow cannons, (5) there are snowmaking facilities on all pistes.
  Snow Grooming: 4.0 (1) There are no snow groomers at Big White, (3) occasionally some pistes are left ungroomed and in a poor state, (5) all the runs at Big White are groomed daily.	Shelter: 3.2 (1) there is nowhere to ski when it is windy or visibility is bad and lifts often shut, (3) there are some trees for poor visibility but main lifts sometimes close, (5) Big White is mostly in forest where you can ski in flat-light and windy days, lifts rarely close.
  Nearby options: 2.5 (1) If snow conditions are poor at Big White, it will be poor everywhere nearby, (3) there are good alternatives within an hours drive, (5) other locations on the same lift pass provide a rich variety of snowsure ski conditions.	Regional rating: 4.0 (1) Big White usually has poor snow conditions compared to other resorts in region, (3) has average conditions for the region, (5) usually has the best snow conditions in the region.
  Lift Staff: 3.8 (1) The staff at Big White are rude or unhelpful, (5) lift staff at Big White are pleasant, cheerful and eager to help.	Crowds/Queues: 3.6 (1) the resort is always busy and there are usually long lift queues, (3) it is quiet apart from occasional weekends and school holidays, (5) it is uncrowded and lift queues are very rare.
  Ski Schools: 3.8 (1) No ski schools available, (2) one or two ski schools but local language only, (3) a few ski schools but book early for multi-lingual instructors, (4) plenty of ski schools and multi-lingual instructors available, (5) excellent ski schools with friendly multi-lingual ski instructors.	Hire and Repairs: 4.4 (1) Nothing can be sourced, not even ski-wax or ptex. (3) there are some ski shops but rentals need to be booked in advance, (5) good quality ski equipment can be purchased or hired and overnight repairs are possible.
  Variety of pistes: 4.1 (1) The ski runs are featureless and unvaried, (3) the ski runs are varied but not extensive enough for a week, (5) Big White has diverse and interesting pistes including forests and high alpine terrain.	Beginners: 4.1 (1) Beginners can only watch others ski and snowboard, (3) a few gentle slopes but beginners will get bored in less than a week, (3) Vast areas of gentle terrain.
  Intermediates: 4.3 (1) No intermediate terrain at Big White, (3) intermediate skiers will get bored after a few days, (5) vast areas of cruising runs.	Advanced: 3.8 (1) Nothing for advanced skiers and snowboarders, (3) enough steep terrain for a few days with some good offpiste, (5) Enough steep terrain and offpiste areas to entertain advanced skiers for at least a week.
  Snow Park: 3.9 (1) Not even a kicker at Big White, (3) average sized park quite well looked after, (5) huge park area and expertly crafted pipes, jumps and boardercross trails.	Off-piste: 3.8 (1) No off-piste worth mentioning, (2) off piste is out-of-bounds, (3) some varied offpiste that stays fresh for one or two days, (5) a vast array of off-piste routes that can stay untracked for several days.
  Cross-country: 3.0 (1) There is nowhere to go for cross-country skiing around Big White, (3) there are some cross country trails available, (5) the area features many spectacular and well maintained cross-country trails.	Luge/Toboggan: 2.1 (1) No designated luge or toboggan runs, (3) there are toboggan runs that open quite often, (5) Big White has long and well maintained luge / toboggan facilities suitable for all ages.
  Mountain Dining: 3.5 (1) Nowhere to buy food by the pistes, (3) some places to eat up on the mountain but they are often busy and expensive, (5) there is a variety of excellent mountain eateries right next to the slopes to suit all budgets.	Eating: 3.8 (1) Bring your own food, there isn't even a shop. (5) A wide variety of places to eat and drink in the resort, from fast food to fancy restaurants.
  Apres-Ski: 3.3 (1) Nothing to do, not even a bar, (3) there are a few bars in the resort but nothing special, (5) clubs and bars stay open until very late and have a friendly atmosphere.	Other Sports: 3.2 (1) No sports facilities at all apart from ski lifts, (3) resort has just a small public swimming pool, (5) resort has all kinds of sports facilities, including a full-size swimming pool.
  Entertainment: 3.4 (1) Besides the snow and walking there is nothing to do here, (3) the non-skier will find things to do for few days but may become bored after a week, (5) the resort area is a fascinating place to visit, regardless of winter sports.	Winter Walks: 3.1 (1) Very limited walking and no snowshoe trails, (3) a couple of designated scenic walking/snowshoe trails, (5) extensive and diverse winter walking trails for all abilities.
  Ski Pass Value: 3.8 (1) A 1 week ski pass is overpriced compared to the number of lifts available, (3) the ski pass is averagely priced and covers a reasonable number of lifts, (5) ski passes are excellent value for money and cover a lot of lifts spanning a big area.	Value (National): 3.4 (1) Overall, Big White is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the country and not worth the money, (3) overall represents average value for money, (5) overall offers the best value resort in the country.
  Value (Global): 3.7 (1) Overall, Big White is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the world, (3) overall it offers pretty average value for money compared to resorts from other countries, (5) internationally the resort offers excellent value for money.

  Based on 12 votes. Vote

• January 27, 2012
  Chris Stannard from United Kingdom
  

  If people do not like Big White they could go to Apex, Silver Star or Mount Baldy to name but a few alternatives.
  We have been coming here for 12 years after spending hours in ill mannered lift queues in Europe, where the runs are almost all above the trees and wide open. Okay, Big White is not the most challenging resort but you can always run up to Revelstoke for a couple of days if you want a serious challenge. I also think that the ski school organisation is not good, five days lessons five different instructors. Apart from that it costs us to get here and we keep coming back so Big White must have something going for it.
  As the lady from Eastern Canada, who we met on the lift this morning, said "You complain about the snow, in Eastern Canada we would think this was heaven."

• January 04, 2012
  Scott from Canada
  

  I live in Kelowna and have skied Big White for 20 Years. Don't like it, don't come.

• November 23, 2011
  Anne Franklin from Australia
  

  My husband and I have been skiing at Big White since 2002. Prior to this we skied various resorts in Colorado for over 10 years. After our first trip to Big White we fell in love with the place. The main reason for this change was the fact that the altitude at Big White was quite a bit lower than most resorts in Colorado thus we no longer suffered breathlessness. Other reasons for the change of venue were the quality and quantity of the snow, the ski-in ski-out accommodation and the lack of crowds during the week.

  After reading the reviews posted, it appears to me that the reviewers have not accepted the fact that the resort is “family oriented”. Its runs are mostly Blue and Green and wide open. If someone wants to really rip down a run or be challenged by the steeps, maybe they should choose another resort whose runs are made for that type of challenge. If one wants a comfortable place for their children to learn how to ski or if one just wants to enjoy the experience of carving on well groomed runs than Big White is the place. I have taught both children and adults to ski and have found the snow and runs at Big White more than adequate for newbies and experienced alike. Not everyone who wants to ski wants the challenge of black and double black runs. There are plenty of resorts that provide that experience.

  Much has been said about the fog at Big White and yes it can be an inconvenience if you are only there for a few days. However, having skied more than 50 consecutive days in the last few years and having caught the first chair on most of those days, we have only been forced to quit early a couple of days each year. I will agree, and have made numerous comments to management, that the various boards around the resort indicating open lifts and groomed runs do not match, something that should be rather easy to maintain in this electronic world of ours.

  Skiing at Big White one feels they are the only person on the mountain and believe me, that is a glorious feeling.

• April 17, 2011
  witkid1 from Canada
  

  I want to apologize to another reviewer, I was trying to sum the hill up from my two years of experience at BigWhiteout. My facts were plenty straight even according to you. I said in my "PROS&CONs" section: "PRO -Nook and cranny hill! Love this type of mountain because although it's mostly intermediate level terrain the good stuff isn't too easily accessed (only difficult enough to deter the lazy) and is quite hidden." Also, I mentioned the " +'s Easter chutes almost everything off Black Forest chair, East Peak, Gem, Powder chair: fun, fun, fun."
  So being Canadian and having rode:
  Martock , NS
  Poley, NB
  Restigouche, Quebec
  Pin rouge, Quebec
  Amqui, Quebec
  Comi, Quebec
  Tremblant, Quebec
  St. Sauvard, Quebec
  Blue mountain, Ontario
  Fortress, Alb (closed)
  Castle, alb
  Sunshine (600+ days)
  Lake Louise(100+ days)
  WinterGreen, Alb (closed)
  Kicking Horse, Bc
  Fernie, Bc
  Revelstoke, Bc
  Big White,(100Days)09/10,10/11 Bc
  + Sunday River, Sugarloaf, Attitache, Jay Peak, Stowe, Killington US, I will still have to come to the conclusion from my experience : "Great family hill! " but for travelers: don't take the chance on a week of fog. At least Silverstar is an option on your lift tix (slightly better fog situation and nicer hill but less amenities, boohooooo). For traveling Aussies and anyone else looking to spend the season, intermediate riding ability at best, good place for you to grow: Black Forest is short and sweet and fully loaded quite often especially with a bit of wind loading, which means you can drop bombs of cliffs until lunch.
  So having met many wonderful youngsters and adults alike, co-workers of yours (maybe even you), BC snowboard development boys and girls, Olympic development riders, and locals alike; they have all been kind enough to share their thoughts and opinions with me, helping me build mine. Most of the people I have rode with and met and talked to enough about the ski industry have led me to believe they all take their vacations elsewhere, enough said.
  Big White: family hill . Real riders will spend the doh to ride real mountains, ones where when you can't see it 'cuz it's snowing.

  [Editor's note : some editing done for the purpose of relevance: Resort Review postings]

• March 29, 2011
  Big White 5th season Ski School employee from Australia
  

  1st up, to all the negative reviews and to the mountain being so flat. If you did your research before you came you would have looked at a trail map to notice that it is a blue run haven. However, there are still lots of black runs and a few double blacks to choose from. Trees are plentiful and vary in how tight they are, so wItkId1 get your facts straight. Head to Black Forest, Ridge and Bullet for wide open trees and the rest of the mountain is ready to explore with tight trees. If you get bored book me and I could have shown you more of the mountain and guaranteed you would have enjoyed the terrain available. The fog, ah yes that is bad. However, this year has been particularly bad. You can't blame that on Big White, blame that on mother nature. Snow - the snow is great, dry and fluffy enough that it you can float but not so dry that you sink and ride the crusty base, like Japan/Banff.

  Management here is pretty good by my standards, I have worked for a number of ski schools and this is a family run operation with a family feel to it. When I go to work I know I don't work for a corporation but for a big family.

  Staff do get paid to care, that is why we are there. We want to make sure you, the guest, have an awesome experience. We are not here for the money, we are here because we have a passion for what we do and enjoy it. I want to share that passion with my guests.

  For the people that think this is a rich person's haven, how wrong you are, you need to go to Jackson Hole, Beaver Creek, Vale, Whistler, Aspen etc. This is a very reasonably priced resort. Lift tix $67/day and full day private lesson $409. That is pretty good if you ask me. Compare that to what you pay in other resorts.

  If you want complete ski in / ski out, good snow (100% mother nature), great atmosphere, mild temps, good terrain, great accommodations, world class ski school, family atmosphere and a holiday then Big White is for you!

• March 25, 2011
  wItkId1 from Canada
  

  Big White pros & cons (I'm not a fan of the hill so lets start with Cons)

  FOG ...omfg (that's the only way I can say it here. I could rant for days on end why not to bother coming ever just because of the fog)
  Dead Fall - Can't really go top to bottom anywhere without bailing onto a run because the trees get to thick. tib fib destruction everywhere.
  Flat - yeah sh**s not that steep be careful of flat landings and even uphill ones. Lots of compressions..
  Park - is fun. 6/10 overall.... the Jumps are weak but can be good, depends on who pushes and how frequently.
  Kelowna is hurting as a ski town, lots of awesome people but the spoiled kids: the fairweather type with the "I ski all the time" attitude ...which means "I sit in the hot tub at the condo. Instead of skiing all the time because I live at home and don't work or hard at least"..... As for the racers and kids trying to make it happen; all great kids, but they all need to leave to succeed. Have fun in Whistler! Basically I'm choked when I hear the majority of people who think they do more than just enjoy skiing/riding being happy with 30some odd days. Don't call it a ski town...(don't gimme the job and or I have kids stuff either I'll fight you.)skiing & boarding are only 4th to food, shelter and water. Beer, cable, junk food and all the holidays except stat winter ones come after skiing. ((22months is the youngest kid I've seen on skis. If it can stand it can slide ))
  Kelowna's just a city near a hill.
  The hype... yeah, not even close to the lightest snow around... if you want light go to eastern BC/ Alberta.
  A few days a year it's light, but still sets up if there's humidity and/or no dry wind to pull the moisture out of the snow (this year has been good).
  People employed by the mountain clearly don't care about much of anything, but they aren't paid to. So as for management: welcome to BC lowest min.wage, highest avg.$/pH - fact.

  Pros:
  Great family hill! Now for the skiers...
  Nook and cranny hill! Love this type of mountain because although it's mostly intermediate level terrain the good stuff isn't too easily accessed (only difficult enough to deter the lazy) and is quite hidden. (see bottom of the page for exception).
  The snow is better than it is in Ontario. Maybe? It's been so long... jk it is.
  The people are sweet.
  Park, lift access! ... Lap the park like a billion times and stare down the features on the way up. The way to do it. No adventure every time you lap top to bottom in the park and back up. More like Quebec and the States.
  Lots of places to eat and de-fog.
  Aussie and Kiwi heaven! (inside joke)
  +'s Easter chutes almost everything off Blackforest chair, East Peak, Gem, Powder chair: fun, fun, fun.

  Blurbbb:
  Seriously, for a hill with so many rich people you would think that they would use less paper towel and more blow dryers! It's one thing you don't truly appreciate till' they're gone! Especially with all the fog.

  The trail under the cliff ... yeah, everybody is entitled to fresh snow and good lines but some lines are meant for the big boys and girls. If you can't drop from the top, please don't leave a trail of death for me to land on. If you've ever skied the cliff (hiked up and picked a line from the top) you'll know what I mean about that donkey trail,(it spans the entire width of the cliff) when it gets hard that thing can kick you good.

• March 15, 2011
  Marc Rene de Cotret from Canada
  

  Stayed in Kelowna the night before to be at Big White early morning (Weds March 9). Checked their website before leaving, last update on lifts and trail status was from the morning the day before !!?? Got there at 8:30am. Ticket counter lady informed me that all lifts were open. Mentioned to her that on the electronic board across the same room, Gem Lakes express is closed! Oups, sorry about that sir. ( Gem Lakes Express is the area to ski for Advanced intermediate, my choice), in fact the only big area at the resort. 9:00am: wind speed is about 10km/hr at the top. Forecast 20km/hr in the afternoon (from snowforecast.com). It took until 10:00am to get an answer like "it is on hold, wind is strong at the top, strong being10 km/hr". Their lift status screen, at various locations inside the Happy Valley Lodge, showed conflicting information such as Gem Lakes express chair on standby, open, closed !!!! My bet was that, in fact, there were very few skiers here that morning. But, in fact, we skiers are here to ski, isn't it. Very frusratating, especially when we had planned carefully this trip in advance!! Checked their website again this morning: Thursday March 10, at 8:30am, lift status update is from yesterday at 3:45pm. Leaving Kelowna now without having skied Big White with 8cm of fresh snow this morning and 7cm, yesterday. Will never go back and recommend Big White to anybody. To Big White management, you would need to contact Mt. Bachelor (Oregon) management to get to know the very high ski management standards that they have established over there .My wife and I have skied 20 ski resorts in the last 2 months ( Colorado, Utah, Tahoe, Oregon, BC ). Thanks

  [Editor's note: do you mean snow-forecast.com?]

• March 03, 2011
  Eric Santiago from Canada
  

  My first real ski resort. Sure it's easy to say it was the best considering where I'm from (Manitoba prairies) but add the great service, people, facility, Sante, runs and of course experience, it would take a lot more than lack of snow and bad weather to keep me from coming back.
  As a matter of fact I'll be doing Big White every year and hopefully have little ones to expose them to a great great place :)

• November 14, 2010
  Amber from Canada
  

  I don't understand the comments about more shops. And I'm a girl who loves to shop. Being here at Big White is an outdoor experience and if you are too busy wishing there was a Timmy's, Burger King or more retail selection you are not getting it. It's about the snow boys, the adrenaline, nature, the lifestyle. Yeah, the snow may not always be on schedule, but that's mother natures department. And when she's on her game at Biggie, it's unreal. I can definitely recommend Whistler for you's that are in need of some retail therapy and a Starbucks, but enjoy the West Coast Cement (I'm from the West Coast and I can vouch for it).

• November 08, 2010
  Nathan Hind from Canada
  

  Been riding here (Big White) weekly on average for about 10 years. It's got something for everyone in my experience. Most seasons you can count on powder stashes all the time, although some days you might need to go looking for them. There's only been a couple of bad seasons in all the years I've been.

  Overall, I think the greatest strength is the extremely varied terrain -- Steeps in the cliff bowl, ride-able/thinned glades everywhere, a solid terrain park, long fast rollers and thicker glades off gem lake, thin glades and winding runs off the black forest, some wide-open terrain up top by T-bar, and plenty of easy runs all over if you're looking for a cruise. It's all here. Both the central village and Happy Valley are ski-in -- and so are all the condos I know of thanks to the clever layout (largest ski-in/out village in Canada). Plenty of restaurants (not as many as Whistler, but a dozen or so) and alternative activities like skating, tubing, horse-drawn sleigh. Crowd free other than a short period between Christmas and New Years. Really, you can't go wrong bringing your family here for a vacation.

  Expert riders, waiting till mid-January for the cliff-bowl to be in good condition is smart, because when the snow's nice it's a lot of fun, as is a myriad of other areas. If it's bad conditions or closed for avalanche risk though, maybe bribe a local with a beer to share some of the best alternatives ;-) There's plenty.

• October 31, 2010
  Carl Penney from New Zealand
  

  I rode here in mid Feb 2008. Before riding at Big White I had two weeks at Whistler/Blackcomb which snowed probably 10 days straight and I had the best resort powder riding of my life. After riding Whistler's coastal mountain wetter powder I was really hoping to ride the champage dry powder that Big White has in their slogan, unfortunately that was not to be. When I arrived at Big White it hadn't snowed for a couple of weeks and didn't snow while I was there :(. Overall, I enjoyed the resort, friendly staff, great on the mountain accomodation etc but its a long way to fly from New Zealand to Canada and I would, without a doubt prefer to ride at Whistler again or try another resort that I have not been to before. I think Big White is best suited to families or less experienced skiers/snowboarders as most of the runs aren't very steep.
  The cliff chair was also closed for the remainder of the season due to an avalanche while I was there which was a shame as that terrain looked pretty sick!

• October 27, 2010
  Paul from United Kingdom
  

  Let me start by saying Big White is a fabulous resort. It's really disappointing that many of the previous comments are so negative. If you are a 'No Fear' freak and you want to tear down a mountain at breakneck speed and then, when you reach the town, immerse yourself in total commercialism and brand heaven (big shops, fast food etc, etc) go somewhere else! I've been coming over to Big White annually (sometimes twice a year) for the last eight years and I wouldn't change a thing. I love the fact that it's quiet, doesn't have all the crap that you guys are moaning about and is relatively easy to ski, some of us love simply cruising the blues! I couldn't care less what type of snow it is, how quickly it fell or whether it's foggy, as long as me and the family can ski together. Personally, I'm dreading the planned expansion because the place will become just another overcrowded, overpriced and overrated ski-holiday resort. Keep up the good work Big White. See you in December..again!

• March 15, 2010
  Tim from Australia
  

  I have been here (Big White) for the season. Jan was not the best as it was foggy for long stretches. But lately the snow has been amazing. In the last week I have heard people say it's been the best riding they have ever experienced, especially Saturday. The start of the season was good. It was dumping well in November and Dec. The masterplan shows Big White is going to grow but if you want commercialisation go to one of those mountains.

• March 14, 2010
  Steph from Canada
  

  With regard to the last comment about Big White, this year was definitely not the best one by a long shot (2010). All of Canada has been experiencing warmer weather than usual due to El Nino - hence the lack of snow. Don't give up hope for the hill. In previous years the snow has been powder all season. :)

• March 10, 2010
  Juan from Argentina
  

  This is my first season up here in Big White. I came several times to this resort but never for a full season. I thought it was paradise, but it's not, to be honest. There're way better mountains and resorts out there if you're looking for good, challenging terrains.
  The champagne powder??? Saw it maybe twice this season. Jan was warm with hardly any new snow and Feb was a bit colder with some dumps but nothing over 5 or 10 cm... Now that I think about it, we haven't had a proper dump in the whole season!!! And the famous Big White Out... dude, when there's fog up here, its no joke: OMG! I've never seen so much fog in a resort in my entire life. They should change all the stickers to "Big White, It's the Fog". Jan was pretty much a whole White Out.
  What I've read in the previous comment, it's true: this place it's actually a piece of land owned by someone, so that someone decides what happens up here (or that someone's Director of Marketing): there should be more variety of shops, they should organize a mini mobile bank or something like that cause it sucks going down to Ktown all the time, they should let Timi Ho's come up here, Starbucks or Burger King, etc, etc, etc.
  All this applies for people wanting to spend a good season in a good resort with good terrain and good snow. If you're looking for a fun place, ski-in ski-out, to spend a couple of weeks or so, get on the piss with your mates, this is definitely the place...
  Anyways, overall of my season up here? Will definitely come back, but not for a whole season, no way, and definitely not on Jan...
  Cheers.

• March 20, 2009
  Andrew from Australia
  

  I have been going to Big White every year for the last three years. Had really good snow for every year except for this season. No snow in January and basically nothing for the whole of February. But when it snows, it doesn't snow big, but the quality is truely unmatched; so dry and fluffy.

  Big White is not that pricey either, but my only fault with Big White is the lack of independent retail shops. When you go to one shop, you see exactly the same thing at the next one. They just need more variety.

  When they open up the backside, that will rival all mountains in BC for steepness as well. So the sooner the better I say.

• March 06, 2009
  Brandon from Canada
  

  Big White is fantastic when there is fresh powder, which is entirely dependent upon mother nature of course. It's rare but sometimes they do not get any decent snowfall (10cm+) for over a month, as it has been this year (08/09 season). However, when it does snow, it is some of the best snow/riding you will ever find.

  Lines are never really that bad at Big White, even at the busiest on the weekends and even when the lines are massive the waits are not very long.

  The park is sometimes not very good and varies from season to season. However, they do put effort into it.

  My main gripe with Big White is that they do not seem to get enough snow for them to open the more advanced lifts, and tend to focus more on the touristy areas which features greens and blues. If you want some advanced riding there is plenty of it to be had, if they actually open the lift. Gem and Powder are usually open and feature blues/blacks and some of the best snow. The most advanced lifts are the Alpine T-Bar (generally open) and the Falcon and Cliff, both of which are not open enough at all.

• January 13, 2009
  Barb Page from New Zealand
  

  Have been to Big White twice, once for Christmas 2004 and again for Christmas 2007. We had the most amazing time. We are a family of six and both times we have rented brilliant condos. When we went in 2007 we stayed in a great condo in the Legends building; awesome. All our kids snowboard and ski and they just love it up there. Never had a problem with crowds and plenty of wonderful runs. We are heading back up there next year. It is a long way to go from New Zealand, but would highly recommend it for a family holiday and if you want a White Christmas, pretty much guaranteed of one up there.

• December 14, 2007
  Evan from United States
  

  Big White is where it's at. On powder days nothing beats the calm, steep and deep runs on the Powder chair. Three days after the storm, hit sun bowl off the Gem then Kalenias Rainbow for the best cruiser of your life. Other than that its all good.

• February 20, 2007
  Bromley Parsons from Canada
  

  Awesome as the Canadians say! And they are not wrong.
  Went to BW for 10 days in Feb 2007 and had a fantastic time.
  The kids really enjoyed ski and board school and came on so quickly.
  The terrain is very diverse, something for nearly everyone, great cruisers and excellent tree boarding. The telus pack is the best I have seen, the place is a boarders paradise. The lifts are so efficient, slopes very quiet mid week, almost had the place to ourselves.
  Tubing was great fun and ice skating too.
  I can recommend the repair shop in the mall, they hand waxed my board for only $16 (£7) whilst I waited. The conditions were so good that my board came back good as new, no damage at all, maybe I wasn't riding her hard enough, although with 2 cracked ribs ( from the ice skating,never again) I was taking it easy.
  Had 3 days of fog, 3 days of snow and 3 blue bird days with the finest views in BC. A local told me that these stats are pretty normal for BW. Although, the mild temperatures -4 to +1, were bringing in a little more fog than usual. But it made the place very comfortable to ski especially for the kids. My advise would be to take some flat light gogs, yellow lens.
  Try the soup at the market for lunch, it warms the cockles of you heart, if you have anything more, share with a friend or you will come home obese, like the Canadians' southern neighbours.
  Stayed at the Snowbird Lodge, 2 bedroom condo that you could get lost in, with a private hot tub. Wow.
  A long journey from the UK but well worth it. I will be going again, definitely.

• December 01, 2006
  David from United States
  

  Best powder you will find. Awesome trip!! Amazing views. Will do this trip every year!

• October 02, 2006
  Jeremy from Australia
  

  After suffering the lineups at Whistler I went to Big White in early February 2006, and stayed until the end of the season. I'd heard the rumours about "Big White-Out" but by that time there were only a few days with extremely poor visibility and then it just meant heading into the trees. (BTW - there are some unbelieveable tree runs to be found if you can get a local to share the secrets... I'll leave that up to you). This season they are introducing a high speed 6-chair so the lines should be even shorter.
  Not a great deal of super advanced stuff but HEAPS of variety. Lots of awesome snowboard terrain, and Telus park is serviced by its own lift so you can just stick to the park all day if you want. Night riding also runs until pretty late in the season.
  I would recommend the SameSun Hostel for those on a budget... Around $30 a night even in peak season or discounts for month stays. Situated at the top of village, you can ride right to the front door at the end of the day. Hot tub, reasonable size rooms, big kitchen, etc. I dunno what 'Paul' was smoking when he went to BW!

• April 13, 2006
  Tim from United Kingdom
  

  Came here in January and had a superb time. Masses of perfect powder snow, and loads of lovely tree-lined runs to check out. And the best part of all - no queues. Most of the time you are hard pressed to see anyone else on the run you are on. Weekends got a little busier, but even then it was a maximum of 5 minutes waiting at the well-marshalled lift lines, and then only at the start of the day and just after lunch. Even on the much-mentioned white-out days sking was still possible thanks to the shelter of the trees.
  We stayed at the Inn at Big White, which was OK, but not perfect for ski in/out. The Chateau Big White or White Crystal Inn seem better bets for centrally located condos, and right on the village ski run, to ensure maximum skiing time.

• March 07, 2005
  Paul from Netherlands
  

  The Samesun hostel has changed since then. I stayed in the hostel in february 2005 and it was real bad. One big prison. To much people in a small area. Barely any common room and it's very noisy. Don't go there!

  Big White is great. Nice variety, but a little limited expert terrain. Only, the cliff is great for expert skiing. Night skiing is very good and the Telus park is quite big. Very nice. Check out the tube park at night!

• January 22, 2005
  Nick Trowsdale from Netherlands
  

  Big White is a friendly resort with fabulous snow. Everything is pretty much ski-in/ski-out and there's enough runs to keep most people happy for at least 2 weeks. We first came here 3 years ago and loved it so much we bought 2 places! Don't bother with overpriced over-busy Whistler unless you like rain and waiting in long lift queues. Best luxury accommodation at www.blacksmithlodge.com

• December 14, 2004
  James from United Kingdom
  

  Did a season here for winter 97-98. Back then it was a nice local resort showing signs of commmercial development. The mountain is a good size with a varied selection of terrain. Dont expect an abundance of extreme skiing here, the steepest you'll get is off the back of the east peak, be prepared to walk out after. Over all I liked it, the name Big White is deceptive, akin to the many days of fog rather than heavy snow falls, although the it does snow a hella lot and it's the good stuff, champagne light powder mmmmm. Recomment checking out local mountains like Fernie and Red Mountain. For cheap accomadation see the Samesun Hostel bang at the top of the resort (best location ever for a hostel) Enjoy your stay, I loved it.