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Visitor reviews for Cypress Mountain Ski Resort

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• February 04, 2012
  Mary Jane from Canada
  

  Not complaining about the ski school lines anymore. Whenever the lines are big we use the ski school/employee line, say hi using the the guys name. The guy always says hi back and never stops us.
  We did this at Grouse also except they didn't have name tags.

• Cypress Mountain Ratings

  Based on 14 votes. Vote

  Access: 4.7 (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 Cypress Mountain.	Public Transport: 4.2 (1) There are no buses or taxis to Cypress Mountain, (3) there are slow or infrequent buses / trains available, (5) getting to the resort is easy with frequent bus / train connections.
  Scenery: 4.6 (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: 2.5 (1) No places to stay in/near Cypress Mountain, (3) a few places to stay in the resort, (5) a wide variety of accommodation suitable to suit all budgets.
  Cheap Rooms: 2.6 (1) No budget accommodation available, (3) just one or two hostels so book ahead, (5) several cheap hostels and pensions available.	Luxury Hotels: 2.9 (1) No luxury accommodation available, (3) just one or two luxury hotels so book ahead, (5) several up-market hotels in Cypress Mountain.
  Ski in/Ski out: 2.1 (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: 2.1 (1) There are no child care facilities at Cypress Mountain, (5) the resort has excellent child-care facilities including at least one reasonably priced creche.
  Snowsure: 3.8 (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) Cypress Mountain is snowsure even in the poorest seasons.	Snowmaking: 3.9 (1) Cypress Mountain relies entirely on natural snow, (3) there are just a few snow cannons, (5) there are snowmaking facilities on all pistes.
  Snow Grooming: 4.4 (1) There are no snow groomers at Cypress Mountain, (3) occasionally some pistes are left ungroomed and in a poor state, (5) all the runs at Cypress Mountain are groomed daily.	Shelter: 3.8 (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) Cypress Mountain is mostly in forest where you can ski in flat-light and windy days, lifts rarely close.
  Nearby options: 2.9 (1) If snow conditions are poor at Cypress Mountain, 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: 4.1 (1) Cypress Mountain 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: 4.1 (1) The staff at Cypress Mountain are rude or unhelpful, (5) lift staff at Cypress Mountain are pleasant, cheerful and eager to help.	Crowds/Queues: 3.1 (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: 4.0 (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: 4.2 (1) The ski runs are featureless and unvaried, (3) the ski runs are varied but not extensive enough for a week, (5) Cypress Mountain 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: 4.7 (1) No intermediate terrain at Cypress Mountain, (3) intermediate skiers will get bored after a few days, (5) vast areas of cruising runs.	Advanced: 4.0 (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: 3.4 (1) Not even a kicker at Cypress Mountain, (3) average sized park quite well looked after, (5) huge park area and expertly crafted pipes, jumps and boardercross trails.	Off-piste: 3.1 (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: 4.8 (1) There is nowhere to go for cross-country skiing around Cypress Mountain, (3) there are some cross country trails available, (5) the area features many spectacular and well maintained cross-country trails.	Luge/Toboggan: 3.7 (1) No designated luge or toboggan runs, (3) there are toboggan runs that open quite often, (5) Cypress Mountain has long and well maintained luge / toboggan facilities suitable for all ages.
  Mountain Dining: 3.4 (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: 3.1 (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: 3.2 (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: 2.3 (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: 2.4 (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: 3.8 (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: 3.9 (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): 4.0 (1) Overall, Cypress Mountain 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): 4.1 (1) Overall, Cypress Mountain 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 14 votes. Vote

• January 08, 2012
  Get over it from Canada
  

  Most hills in Canada let ski school classes jump the queue because not only have they paid for a lift ticket they have paid for a lesson. They have not paid to stand in a line. And I ride Cypress every day and compared to a lot of hills all over the world the lines are not long at all.

• January 02, 2012
  Joanie from Canada
  

  Cypress is great! Good skiing, snow-making whenever they they can, Raven pub is great, food in cafeteria improved a lot too. Close to city, what else can you wish for.

• December 31, 2011
  Mary Jane from Canada
  

  The runs are long and there are a good variety. I like riding here. The lift lines are really starting to annoy me. The lift people allow big groups of ski schoolers to crash the line at the front. The beginners do not know how to get on the chair and keep falling and stopping the chair so that even a short lineup takes a f***ing long time to get to the chair. These groups are really slowing things down. So my friend and I started getting on the chair with ski school people. No one noticed and we beat the long waits. Just wait by the ski school sign for a couple of big groups and line up with them.

• December 29, 2011
  Aaron from Canada
  

  Cypress has surprisingly diverse terrain, with two mountainsides to enjoy, giving diversity allows dodging times of variable weather conditions. More good rides, in more conditions. Decent enough food, friendly staff, great parking coordination with spillover amenities.

  It stands up on its own, and bonus it's only 20-30 min from downtown Vancouver core. Great value going with the silver pass. Will do that again next year.

  Cheers!
  - Aaron

• December 14, 2011
  Derek from Canada
  

  Cypress is the best local ski hill. The groomers are amazing. The amount of coverage is exceptional with the little amount of snow this year is exceptional. All of the beginner and intermediate terrain has been perfect. I am very excited about this season. I have enjoyed many bluebird days so far and the snow forecast looks good.

  The three areas where Cypress has been lacking in the past have been addressed this season. The park has been moved to black mountain and has become a major focus. It will be bigger and better this year. The snowmaking guns were moved in the off-season. They are now placed to provide better run coverage. This allowed Cypress to have a record early opening of Nov 8th. Another major improvement has been the food in the cafeteria. The other day I had a caesar salad and an open faced grilled turkey & swiss sandwich. An excellent alternative to the stock greasy burgers.

  I will see you on the slopes.

• November 29, 2011
  billy miner from Canada
  

  Cypress: high prices, greasy food, bad weather reports, overcrowded, rain, foggy, lift lines... Whistler's that way.

• November 20, 2011
  canali from Canada
  

  btw, the smarter skiers/boarders at Cypress take advantage of the $400 silver pass...you can ski/board anytime, day or night with exception a few 'blackout periods': notably the of last wkend in December (since that period is nuts with a lot of newbie or occasional skiers during Xmas rush, why not pass anyway...it's way overcrowded place) and also the wkends in Jan and Feb...and again who cares as during those wkends you just ski elsewhere i.e go to Whistler, Baker or the interior....so the silver pass is best bang for the buck with most locals, hands down.

  Again, Seymour and Grouse don't even compare to Cypress...like eating at McDonalds when you're used to 'the keg'.

• November 18, 2011
  One Great Resort! from Canada
  

  Anyone not enjoying themselves at Cypress is not a serious rider.

  There is terrain for everyone there, beginner to off-piste rider.

  I find it gives Whistler a run for it's money on Cypress's best days - you can find powder stashes here long after Whistler is tracked (which only takes about 2 hours before you really have to go searching at Whistler). You can find pow at night at Cypress at times.

  The resort is well operated. The staff will not react inappropriately if you appear capable when ducking a rope. Nothing like Grouse, where the rude staff will scream at you all the way up the lift simply for not lowering your safety bar. Grouse pales anyway, with no off-piste riding.

  The new lodge is great, I actually do go in for a pint on occasion. Food is fine in the caf, but great in the Crazy Raven. Get the chicken sandwich there and a winter ale.

  This year they seem to finally want to get serious about their park riding (must have taken my numerous written threats seriously!) so maybe they will finally emerge as the clear choice this winter.

  As far as line ups, anyone complaining about lift lines should be fully ignored. You sail through every lift if you play your day smart.

  I have no suggestions on ways to improve Cypress this year. Good work!!

• November 13, 2011
  canali from Canada
  

  I'm a Vancouver local, and Cypress is my ski hill mid wk and on wkends when I'm too lazy to go to Whistler or Baker or the interior...ski Cypress about 30x each season alone.

  I disagree that the food sucks..to me it's pretty decent...love the $7 pizzas....the Raven's pub is also good to catch some sports on the big screens while chugging some beer and apres appies after a day of skiing too.

  You should always check the weather forecasts before coming up as often the weather might read -2c in the morning only to go up past 0 in the afternoon so any 'snow' will now be rain...so get up early and enjoy your runs first thing if that's the case....a great place for night skiing too (when it's not too foggy) which can happen here in the pnw.

  Grouse and Seymour blow compared to Cypress (and I've skied them all)...only 'real' ski hill of the three, imo

• October 27, 2011
  Adam from Canada
  

  Gotta agree with another reviewer, not quite getting the complaints. Paying full price day rate is a mug's game at any hill, so why worry about that price? Season passes pay for themselves in like 7 trips, and if you don't get one of those, get the Gold Medal thingy, or go at night. Cypress season pass is about 2x Grouse and 1/2 of Whistler, which seems pitched about right to me.

  The food's terrible, but it's a _ski hill_. If I wanted to eat I'd go to a damn restaurant. I pack a thermos of gatorade and a couple sandwiches in my backpack and eat on the chairlift. Ski hills are for skiing/riding, not eating.

  Staff are mostly foreign exchange workers on typical Vancouver wages, but hey, they usually seem to be having fun and the place runs smoothly, don't really see a problem there. And the lifts are the best and least busy of the local hills, so I don't quite get that complaint either.

  Comparing Cypress to Baker or Whistler? Srsly? Cypress is a local hill, the others are resorts. Totally different thing. I mean, you want to set aside a day or a weekend completely to go to a resort, sure, that's one thing. A local hill you can take a bus to is another thing. They're not the same thing. It's not really fair to compare them.

  Heck, my gold season ticket for 2011/2012 paid for itself in the last month and a half of 2010/11, this whole damn winter is house money...=)

• October 25, 2011
  MS Snowboard Girl from Canada
  

  What's up with people complaining about the pricing at Cypress?!

  $59/day, no lodging required AND night riding VS $100/day plus lodging and NO night riding at Whistler - not to mention the lovely HST - there is no contest! Don't get me wrong, I like Whistler but for local terrain Cypress is definitely a good deal. I got the Silver Pass for this year and it will pay for itself after 7 visits which will be easy to do as Cypress is right here and I can get my shred on when ever I want.

  What's with the complaints about the lift lines? I road just about every weekend last season and didn't wait more than 5 minutes on average for the lifts. Week nights are even better for wait times!

  I agree Snowhound - Think Snow!

• October 24, 2011
  Port Moody Skier from Canada
  

  Agree with other comments that the changes this year to season passes must have cost them money. As a family of 4 we did not want a 'Big 5' and didn't know anyone to come in on it. When I phoned Cypress they said "look on Craiglist" for a 5th person!. They offered a discount (one year only, thanks!) and said prices were less than last year, but when you have the feeling of being ripped off it sticks in the throat. We've got Edge cards for Whistler. They can get the money we spent on kids lessons, food, shop, etc.... Perhaps Cypress will learn.... next year... or perhaps it's only day tickets they want???

• October 24, 2011
  snowhound from Canada
  

  Just hiked Cypress today and things are looking good, checked the weather here and I can't wait to get on my board. Just looked up all the local ticket rates after getting all these negative waves reading stuff from people having bad hair days. Whistler $96.00 (9 AM to 3:30 PM), Cypress $59.00 (9 AM to 10 PM), Grouse $58.00 (9 AM to 10 PM), Seymour $46.00 (9 AM to 10 PM). Whistler has its advantages of course (talk about terrible food service!) but I personally like Cypress and maybe Baker if I feel like committing to the drive. The price looks pretty reasonable to me especially compared to Seymour, $13.00 more for two high-speeds plus the Raven Quad and at least 5 times the terrain, and a $1 more than for the little bit of terrain that Grouse has to offer - where's the beef? Snow, Think Snow!

• October 22, 2011
  Buck from Canada
  

  To everybody Grousing(pardon the pun)about Cypress, take heed to a bumper sticker seen locally-Whistler is That Way

• October 18, 2011
  Cypress Skier from Canada
  

  Hey,

  Cypress didn't scrap the cheaper 7pm ticket - they added 2 full hours to it to add further value.

  The NiteOwl rate last year was $38.39 (from 7pm to 10pm - 3 hours) and this season is $39.00 (from 5pm to 10pm - 5 hours).

• October 11, 2011
  Van Skier from Canada
  

  Note: Cypress have also scrapped the cheaper after 7pm night ticket, this new pricing model they have is garbage.

  They have to be hurting season ticket sales this year, I have 5 friends who normally buy night passes and none have bought this year due to these pricing changes. We'll be heading to Whistler more often instead.

• April 26, 2011
  15 years at Cypress from Canada
  

  Get the seasons pass off-peak silver for 400 bucks... This place ain't worth it on a day pass 60-70 bucks forget when conditions are hit and miss. Weekends are painful, too many peeps and the quad chairs are packed, lineups take forever.

  For pass holders it's a great deal. I ride 40-50 times a year... majority a quick two hour work out after work on weekdays where else can you work and ride the same day.

  Food is greasy and expensive but I don't come here to eat.

  Overall, not great for day pass person... they need to lower their prices as peeps would rather go to Whistler for a day and make it an event instead of paying these prices. Seasons pass silver is the way to go

• April 17, 2011
  Sue from Canada
  

  Our family went to Cypress (Cypress Mountain) for years and now $400 X 5 (money to be put up now) has become way too expensive to board and ski on. The food has always been bad so start sending it back. We now go to Hemlock where prices are cheaper: no line ups, where the food isn't bad, snow is great and the bar lets minors in until, I believe 8 pm, staff are great. It would be nice to have web cams, so we can see if it's raining, snowing or sunny on Cypress, most mtns have this.

  See you all, on the Mtns.

• April 14, 2011
  Jo from Canada
  

  Took my brother and 16 year old nephew night skiing a few weeks ago (they were visiting from Ontario). We had a pretty good time. Love the night lighting here, and there was tons of fresh snow.

  This time most of the lift operators were really cool, except two of course who just sat there like a bumps talking to each other even though the load area was a mess. I ragged on one and she just rolled her eyes and waddled into the cabin.

  When we went to Raven for a burger it turned into big disappointment - aaaagghhh...no underage allowed!! Which meant we had to eat the crap in the cafeteria - and trust me it's overpriced greasy crap. I don't mind paying a premium, but it should at least taste good. Altitudes at Grouse is better all 'round re price and quality.

  Get with it Cypress and make the Raven a restaurant, not a lounge.

  BTW, I agree with another reviewer, unfortunately trickery is part of the game at all the local hills. Once you drive up, it's hard to drive back down if it's only lightly raining - Gotcha.

  This site, Snow-forecast does a pretty good job, but you're right, Cypress could do a better job of customer service all round.

  All in all though, still my fav local hill.

• April 14, 2011
  Jake from Canada
  

  With the Gold Medal card, it's actually quite reasonable. You'll be hard pressed (if you hold a day job) to get your moneys worth out of a season pass of any kind, although with the record snowfall this year, it might have been worth it...but add a few weekends where you go to Whistler or Baker, it ain't really worth it.
  Favourite has been Sunday late afternoon/evenings. No crowds, no lift-lines and there'll always be at least one decent groomed run to ride under the lights when darkness falls
  Food is crap and expensive, but not quite as bad nor overpriced as Whistler. I can't see why it has to be so bad and expensive when Baker serves a much better fare for half the price?

• April 13, 2011
  Triplany from Canada
  

  I haven't been to Cypress in about 6 years and was shocked by the changes. I was super impressed compared to what it used to be like. The new lodge is amazing. Loved how easy it was to get from the different chair lifts (I did not use Raven Ridge lift so can't comment on it). Staff were pleasant but the lady in the retail store was absolutely fantastic (wish I could remember her name). I loved the runs, mainly sticking to the blues. They offered enough of a challenge and a good variety. Runs where well maintained (especially for this time of year). Can't wait to go back.

• April 07, 2011
  Dman from Canada
  

  Cypress! Get with the times... you need automated real time temperature reports that show a rolling log for the past 24 hours. This is not cutting edge technology or an expensive investment. Why is this needed??... your weather reports are both misleading and infrequent. Customers appreciate a business they can trust and accurate reporting contributes to that; especially for a sport that sucks when it rains. Nothing p1sses a customer off more than being mislead. Do any of you powder hounds disagree? People can be more responsible for themselves if they know what their getting into... rain or snow.

• March 24, 2011
  Mike from Canada
  

  High speed quads on both sides of the bowl, better, more diverse terrain than anywhere I've ridden and a 30 minute drive? Views the whole world travels for, and they sell beer.
  People need to lighten up and be more responsible for themselves when they go out.
  Cypress's facilities are better than ever - life is full of change, better deal with it, you might have some fun.

• March 18, 2011
  Paul from North Van from Canada
  

  This has been my 1st year at Cypress. Love it! C'mon, you can't expect better skiing at your doorstep unless you live at a resort.

  Prices: if you commit to an Early Bird pass then the prices are very very reasonable. I bought the off-peak pass (on sale now at $400 for next year) and I've been a complete snow snob. Still, I've still been out over 15 times so far with good or great conditions. that's at $25/trip..how cheap do you want it people???

  I don't care about the lifties, or the price of food (both seem fine to me). I care about the skiing/snowboarding. It's good, sometimes it's great, but it's Vancouver so sometimes it rains...buy the Early Bird pass and stop crying.

  If you are paying full price for a day then just pay attention to the conditions. it is what it is and don't blame the hill. If it's over +6 deg in the city, be careful it might be wet snow on the hill. If it hasn't snowed in a while, wait for new snow to fall...
  
  Enjoy it, it is a gem! See you on the hill!

• March 09, 2011
  dean from Canada
  

  Drive to Whistler with your edge card and pay how much more for gas and wear and tear on your vehicle. Not to mention 2hrs driving time each way. How much night skiing does Whistler have?? A full day at Whistler is 6hrs, Cypress...11 hrs.

  If Cypress price was that out of whack for the product they are offering, then they won't stay in business long. That is a simple fact in business.

  Cypress's lifts and terrain are so far ahead of the other local mountains it is night and day. So if you want to save a couple bucks, and don't mind having far less vertical and lifts, then go to Grouse or Seymour. But please quit whining about competitiveness, and fairly priced products.

• March 07, 2011
  Steven from Canada
  

  Cypress is by far the best hill local to Vancouver. The ticket prices are expensive but the season passes are a great deal, especially if you buy early. The new lodge is a vast improvement on the old lodge which was small, dirty and always overcrowded. Unfortunately the old food standard (rubbish) has transferred to the new lodge.

  As for the runs; take your pick - greens to double blacks. Grouse Mtn is simply laughable in comparison.

• March 02, 2011
  Nightskier from Canada
  

  Loving the fact that the few positive reviews regarding prices are from employees!

  Cypress has the best skiing on the local Vancouver mountains, there is no disputing that fact. But come on guys, prices are getting way out of line! What has happened to the NiteTimer pass where you could ski any day of the week in the evening? Looks like that has been scrapped and the only option now is the Silver pass that excludes a chunk of Dec and Weekends in Jan and Feb. What's with that? What about us folk with families that only get up in the evening? The alternative of paying $43 for 3 hours skiing 7pm - 10pm (with sky chair closed at 9pm) is ludicrous.

  With an edge card the price of a day ticket to Whistler is similar to Cypress, doesn't make a lot of sense to me...

• March 02, 2011
  canali from Canada
  

  Cypruss Mountain is the best place to ski on north shore...Grouse and Seymour suck in comparison...Sure the weather (PNW) can be touch and go...so don't whine and pay $70...instead buy the 'off peak' silver pass....$400...have already used it some 22x this yr by going midweek at night (or any-time in the day mon-fri)....during blackout periods Jan/Feb weekends I go to Whistler or Baker to really let the legs go.

• March 01, 2011
  Ricardo from Spain
  

  Come on guys, get the Gold Medal Card and after going 2 times you are paying 5$ less than Grouse Mountain and just 5$ more than Seymour. Don't be silly, don't you tell me you are paying those 70 bucks every time you come, because I don't think that people coming at least 2 times in the whole season is paying that at all.

  Cypress is way ahead in facilities, chairlifts speed and services than the other mountains. Not even the terrain parks are better in the other mountains, because just the fact they are built for people more skilled doesn't mean anything. The terrain park in Cypress is great to start learning your first tricks and have some safe fun, and the upper part has a couple of sick jumps and walls if you want something "better".

  I work in the parking lot, and we provide the best service we can, under sunshine, snow or rain. If we charged 20$ to park at the top in the weekends is not a matter of an American company owning it and trying to screw the people. It is just Vancouver, ladies and gentlemen, there is money in this city and that extra comfort just has to be there for the ones that can afford it (usually we get it full). Those are the ones that can go to an organic-food supermarket and buy some good stuff for an astronomic price. But nobody would probably complain about that, I guess it is not as visible as a sign right in front of you saying 20$.

  Go to Cypress, get a Gold Medal Card, have so much fun like a kid on all that snow we are getting and then think again before posting those comments. Let's keep up the good vibes!!