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Visitor reviews for Grouse Mountain Ski Resort

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• January 19, 2012
  Roger from United Kingdom
  

  I've skied Grouse quite a few times and think another reviewers comments are very fair. Grouse does not pretend to be Whistler - it's smaller, no doubt. But it's offers plenty runs for most day-skiers, friendly staff and a view over Vancouver that is wonderful on a clear day. Lines busy mid morning at weekends but then so are plenty of other ski hills. Enjoy.

• Grouse Mountain Ratings

  Based on 16 votes. Vote

  Access: 4.5 (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 Grouse Mountain.	Public Transport: 4.8 (1) There are no buses or taxis to Grouse 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: 3.3 (1) No places to stay in/near Grouse Mountain, (3) a few places to stay in the resort, (5) a wide variety of accommodation suitable to suit all budgets.
  Cheap Rooms: 2.9 (1) No budget accommodation available, (3) just one or two hostels so book ahead, (5) several cheap hostels and pensions available.	Luxury Hotels: 2.8 (1) No luxury accommodation available, (3) just one or two luxury hotels so book ahead, (5) several up-market hotels in Grouse Mountain.
  Ski in/Ski out: 2.3 (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: 2.3 (1) There are no child care facilities at Grouse Mountain, (5) the resort has excellent child-care facilities including at least one reasonably priced creche.
  Snowsure: 3.6 (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) Grouse Mountain is snowsure even in the poorest seasons.	Snowmaking: 4.1 (1) Grouse Mountain relies entirely on natural snow, (3) there are just a few snow cannons, (5) there are snowmaking facilities on all pistes.
  Snow Grooming: 4.0 (1) There are no snow groomers at Grouse Mountain, (3) occasionally some pistes are left ungroomed and in a poor state, (5) all the runs at Grouse Mountain are groomed daily.	Shelter: 3.4 (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) Grouse 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 Grouse 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: 3.1 (1) Grouse 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: 4.4 (1) The staff at Grouse Mountain are rude or unhelpful, (5) lift staff at Grouse Mountain are pleasant, cheerful and eager to help.	Crowds/Queues: 2.6 (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: 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: 3.7 (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: 3.1 (1) The ski runs are featureless and unvaried, (3) the ski runs are varied but not extensive enough for a week, (5) Grouse Mountain has diverse and interesting pistes including forests and high alpine terrain.	Beginners: 3.3 (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: 3.5 (1) No intermediate terrain at Grouse Mountain, (3) intermediate skiers will get bored after a few days, (5) vast areas of cruising runs.	Advanced: 3.5 (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: 3.8 (1) Not even a kicker at Grouse 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: 1.3 (1) There is nowhere to go for cross-country skiing around Grouse Mountain, (3) there are some cross country trails available, (5) the area features many spectacular and well maintained cross-country trails.	Luge/Toboggan: 1.3 (1) No designated luge or toboggan runs, (3) there are toboggan runs that open quite often, (5) Grouse Mountain has long and well maintained luge / toboggan facilities suitable for all ages.
  Mountain Dining: 3.7 (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: 3.5 (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: 2.6 (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: 3.2 (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: 3.9 (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: 3.6 (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): 3.2 (1) Overall, Grouse 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): 3.3 (1) Overall, Grouse 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 16 votes. Vote

• December 24, 2011
  Skiing rocks from Canada
  

  This is an excellent place to visit. Ignore anything bad you hear about this place. On the other side it is a smaller hill. If you are used to giant resorts where you never ski the same thing twice, this may not be the place for you. But I enjoy myself every time I go. G0 here.

• November 20, 2011
  canali from Canada
  

  I had one of their ski y2play passes for 2 seasons...didn't use them that much due to crowds..and the lift (and lineups) on the cut is long and slow ...as others have noted, Grouse is more a tourism destination than a true ski hill...once I discovered Cypress, there was no turning back...was akin to eating at McDonald's thinking the 'beef' is decent, 'til I discovered the 'keg' (Cypress)...or going from black and white tv to colour tv...day and night difference..and so what if you can get to Grouse by local transit...the ride up Cypress mtn to the actual hill is a mere 10-15 min. big deal...and look at what you get.

  real skiers/boarders use Cypress...end of story.

• October 26, 2011
  Adam from Canada
  

  Wow, bunch of grumps in this review thread.

  It's a local mountain you can reach by bus: of course it's busy and skews towards beginners, but really, it's not the end of the darn world. A slope you can reach on a city bus from downtown in an hour is a *good* thing, not a bad one.

  Haven't ridden Seymour. Cypress is much bigger than Grouse and less busy, but they both have their charms. I tend to ride Cypress on weekends and Grouse on weekdays; getting to Cypress is more of an operation. The crowds at Grouse are smaller on weekdays, rarely more than a 2-3 minute wait for the lifts. Cypress has more and bigger runs than Grouse but they have different styles; each has some runs the other doesn't really match. Grouse's blacks are more mogul-y than Cypress', if you like that style, and Grouse has a natural half-pipe run (Coffin), something Cypress lacks. Bottom line, you can have a fun day on either mountain. The staff at both Grouse and Cypress are generally cool, laid-back and pretty flexible if you don't come off as a jackass; I've gotten rain-checks at both mountains, credits for lift passes against season tickets, and stuff like that.

  If you're so darn hardcore and the crowds annoy you so much, hey, go ski/ride the black runs. No crowds on Outer Limits. If you can't cope with the blacks, maybe you're not all that hardcore after all, eh? We were all 'beginners' once, and whether you're a 'beginner' compared to someone else is all relative...

• October 25, 2011
  Edward N from Canada
  

  This season will be my second season of snowboarding at Grouse and I have few complaints. The only issue, as with any resort you will find close to the city, is lift lines. The runs are challenging and the terrain parks are amazing. The tourism on the mountain only supports the resorts ability to maintain and improve their mountain. Sure the restaurant may always be busy but if it is all the important for you to eat there why not make a reservation? The employees on the mountain are generally really chilled people and are always willing to have a quick chat. Between Grouse and Seymor I would choose Grouse. I have not ridden at Cypress so I can't give an opinion on that. Overall, Grouse is a fun mountain for anyone no matter where they are from or what their ability.

• May 10, 2011
  Dude are you serious? from Canada
  

  Aimed at another reviewers comments: if you know so much about the local mountains then you would know that the cooler place to go for the legit locals who are not about tourism would be Seymour. Grouse is a place to go if you're a tourist for sure, but Seymour is way more chillin' so you should stop hating and go there.

  [Note from the editor: the review that this post is aimed at has been edited. Elements of that post were left in place by mistake.]

• April 13, 2011
  Triplany from Canada
  

  Has been 17 years since I was up Grouse and I forgot how fantastic the view is. Especially going down The Cut. Everything was easy to get to and required very little walking. Runs where well maintained, staff were pleasant, facilities were clean although busy with a lot of tourists site-seeing. Only complaint was the gondola wait and how they crammed us all so close couldn't enjoy the ride/view. To be fair they where using the blue gondola as the regular gondola was closed for maintenance. Although I preferred the runs at Cypress, if it's a nice day, out skiing at Grouse just for it's amazing view is worth it.

• March 20, 2011
  Edward from Canada
  

  Cheapest lift ticket in town.
  Most crowded lifts in town.
  Night have the most snow, but also has the most rain.
  More of a tourist attraction than a ski hill. If you're into skiing or snowboarding, more value at Cypress.
  If you're into SnowLimos, penned bears, reindeer, crowds and people in running shoes walking on the piste, this (Grouse Mountain) is the place.

• March 07, 2011
  Mountain Man from Canada
  

  Just spent the day up Grouse after buying one of the Y2Play passes, what a deal! It's good for the rest of this season, and all of next winter, only $650, unreal!!
  Not too busy and tons of snow, friendly staff on the hill and you don't need to drive to the top of a mountain, take a bus to the base and ride the tram up, it rocks!
  Best terrain parks on the North Shore by far, even gives Whistler a run for their money.
  Go Grouse Go

• March 03, 2011
  nhtebgrwn from Canada
  

  The guy who said little snow, that may be the biggest joke. They have over 500 cm base.

• March 03, 2011
  ? from Canada
  

  Grouse has to be the best of the local mountains. It has sick parks and challenging black diamonds. There are way to many tourists though.

• February 28, 2011
  Bozorgzadegan Amir from Iran, Islamic Republic of
  

  Unfortunately I was in Grouse mountain during off-season in Oct.2010. I felt, it is more or less similar to Tochal G-7 in north of Tehran. I mean both are very close to the city and will reach the peak by a gondola from north of the town.

  Of course, G-7 is the 5th highest ski slope in the world regarding altitude.

  Its elevation is more than 3750 meter from sea level. From there you can see the Damavand peak 5671 m. (the roof of Iran) toward the east, and the Hoz-soltan salt lake 80 km in south view during sunny and windy days.

  By the way, disappointedly I returned back down to north Vancouver, hoping to repeat the schedule some days in future, during ski seasons to compensate!

• January 18, 2011
  Offense taken from Canada
  

  I take offense to the review posted, January 03 2011, with the name "Chinks croud the mountain"... This is racist and unacceptable!

  [note from the editor: this text has been removed]

• January 16, 2011
  Vancouver Tanya from Canada
  

  Recently rediscovered Grouse (Grouse Mountain) after a 25 year hiatus of not skiing. Grouse is the hill I learned on and the first one I wanted to visit again. I was impressed how much it's changed over the years. New runs and lifts and a good system for handling the crowds. The Flying Eagle chair at the bottom of The Cut does get really busy, given it is the dominant green run. However, it really slows down at night. Views are amazing at night as well. Gondola runs every four minutes and holds around 100 people so lines move quickly. If you're planning on skiing during the weekend...get there when the mountain first opens and you'll find parking and get on the gondola no problem.

• January 12, 2011
  mike from Canada
  

  Crappy conditions at Grouse Mountain + non transferable ticket = one customer lost. Sorry Grouse Mountain, your competitors would have honoured my ticket for another day and I would have come back, thank you for making me feel unwelcome, don't think I'll be seeing you again.

• January 03, 2011
  Crowds on the mountain from Canada
  

  WOW! I totally agree with another reviewer regarding what is said about the tourism. A skating rink, a wind turbine, snow shoeing, etc, etc, etc, completely ruins the enjoyment of snowboarding or skiing up there. The majority of people on the mountain are either there for tourism and most of skiers and boarders can't ski. Some pack the lines for the lifts and crowd the runs, fill up the restaurants and apres and cut you off and annoy you the whole time you are skiing. The mountain itself is so-so, not much terrain, ok terrain parks and very little snow (there are unmarked obstacles all over etc, etc).

• January 03, 2011
  CFW from Canada
  

  I've skied Grouse for the last 3 seasons on extremely economical seasons passes because my kids are in the Tyee Ski Club. To the critic who objects to the tourist attraction of the place -- wow, dude. The ski hill is 20 minutes from downtown and has a fantastic view of the city. It's unique. Yes, it can get busy. One of the lifts you complain about is a bunny hill lift that replaced a rope tow. The other one is a shortcut to the top. Most people skiing the peak will use the Olympic chair.

  As for the "a bit of a joke, really, among skiers" comment. Not really. While the runs are not Whistler-length, the mountain has an excellent variety of terrain. Its variable conditions have been an excellent learning ground for my kids, who can ski everything from slush to oatmeal to powder and ice. It's a great mountain to hone technique.

  Finally, having skied there in great seasons (2008-09) and poor seasons (2009-10), I have to say that the people who manage and run Grouse Mountain deserve a lot of credit. They do an outstanding job. The skiing experience is excellent.

• December 23, 2010
  John from Canada
  

  Great place! I seem to enjoy it a lot myself! This is my 2nd year going to Grouse Mountain and I love the resort! Keep up the good work!

• November 25, 2010
  J Thomasj from Canada
  

  Grouse Mountain has become an over-priced amusement park. The addition of two insanely slow and useless chairs to take tourists to the phony "wind turbine" and a zipline have made the skiing experience much worse as people jam the gondola - and the restaurants at the top - to go up for tourist things.
  Snowboards had already ruined the once good mogul terrain there. Despite all this, they just keep charging the sheeple more and more $$$.
  A bit of a joke, really, among skiers.

• October 31, 2009
  Stu V from United Kingdom
  

  Grouse (Grouse Mountain) holds a special place for me, it was the 1st "real mountain" that my wife and I snowboarded on, as we stopped at Vancouver on our way to Whistler. We liked it so much we returned there from the UK a couple of years later(in the depths of winter) and got married there.
  The runs are short but enjoyable, the staff are great and the views down to Vancouver are amazing (if the fog stays away).
  If you're going to Whistler, tack on a couple of days at Vancouver (great city), go up Grouse (Grouse Mountain), ski or board all day, have a meal and watch the sun set on Vancouver, then go back out and ride again by floodlight till 10pm. Perfect!

• March 04, 2009
  Thomas from Switzerland
  

  What a great mountain and so close to down town Vancouver. Grouse Mountain has an incredible view with more snow depth than Whistler. There are great runs for beginners to experts at Grouse Mountain but they are short. Lot of activities to do. Awesome.

• January 14, 2009
  Armada skier from Canada
  

  Grouse Mountain is a good warm-up for Whistler, that saying it will not be a "Whistler" experience. The terrain is modest, with a variety of difficulties and the terrain parks are above average. One thing Grouse cannot handle is lineups. They recently put in 2 somewhat useless chairs to try and cut down on the lines but it has been to no avail. On a sunny Sunday, or just Sunday for that matter, you can be expecting an hour long gondola line just to get up with 20-60 minute chairlift lineups. It's rediculous. For all travellers heading to Grouse, I recommend coming mid week, where the conditions are usually the best and lines are non-existent. Happy skiing.

• November 22, 2008
  Habib Abtar from Afghanistan
  

  Hello,
  I recently visited your resort and had an amazing time. I was having trouble finding my way in the fog, when a man in a red vest with a cross came out of nowhere and helped me find my way. He was not a spirit, just a ski patroller but he was very kind and helpful. I think his name was Brad K or something close. What a great hill and great staff. Thanks a lot.

• January 28, 2006
  Derek from Canada
  

  Grouse Mountain is the most scenic mountain resort in the world. This mountain is excellent for everybody. Beginners will enjoy Grouse's nice wide scenic runs with a spectacular view of the city of Vancouver while expert skiers will enjoy some of the nicest terrain of any double black diamond run. Grouse has many other facilities which include great snow shoe trails that lead you to the top of Dam Mountain. Also, it has an 8000 sq feet ice pond with skate rentals. Grouse is an all year round mountain as there is a lot happening up the mountain in the Summer as well.