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Visitor reviews for Mount Seymour Ski Resort

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• January 29, 2012
  Adam from Canada
  

  Rode Seymour for the first time yesterday. In a way it's a slightly strange mountain; as many others have noticed the biggest drawback is the lift setup. Aside from magic carpets, it has three actual lifts, all two-person non-express. Broadly, they kind of cover the entire vertical of the mountain in sections, but they're not set up to be ridden sequentially.

  The top lift is Brockton, the middle is Mystery, and the bottom is Lodge. But to get from the top of Lodge to the bottom of Mystery is an extremely annoying (for a boarder) five-minute hike. Getting from the top of Mystery to the bottom of Brockton is just a short shuttle run which isn't so bad, but there's really only one run *out* from the Brockton area back to the Mystery area, and it can involve a hike on a board.

  The way the lifts are set up makes it feel like a bonsai version of a much bigger resort, where each chair is a separate area, rather than say Grouse, where you can lap the peak to the lowest available elevation on a single chair (Olympic). Brockton in particular feels like a miniaturized version of an alpine bowl, which is kind of cool, but frustrating when each run lasts about 30 seconds and then you're back on a slow two-person chair. One of the best runs on the mountain is Unicorn, except it goes from the top of Mystery to the bottom of Lodge, so you're then stuck with that damn hike from Lodge to Mystery to get back on any decent runs. And, as everyone else pointed out, the chairs are very slow, even by non-express chair standards; even the Lodge lift, which only covers about 60m of vertical (if that), seems to take just forever.

  Another reviewer has a point when he says they can't increase overall lift capacity too much without overwhelming the available space on the runs; but as well as increasing capacity and speed somewhat, it certainly feels like there could be substantial improvements made to the overall layout of the chairs and the runs such that the whole mountain would flow together, not feel like three separate, tiny areas.

  The other problem with the two-person chairs is it's extremely annoying to be a single, as they don't run singles lines, so you just have to wade into the giant lift line zoo and try and find another single to partner up with.

  On the plus side, it definitely has that friendly, small-town feel many other reviews described; despite the rather chaotic lift lines, everyone in them seems to be cheerful and infallibly polite. All the staff I talked to were very friendly, too. Although all the runs feel too short, the variety of styles and difficulties available is nice. It's odd the double black designation isn't used anywhere, though - there's a substantial gap in difficulty between, say, Unicorn and Cliff House, but they're both denoted single blacks. The terrain features available are impressive and well-maintained, they're available all over the mountain and there's a good variety of difficulties available.

  The facilities available seemed mostly fine, and apparently have been upgraded somewhat lately. The only complaint I had in this area is that there's a small number of locking racks, and on half of them, the locking bar is rusted over or misaligned with the hole, so you can't actually use it. The rest of the few locking board slots are, as usual, full of (unlocked) skis left by idiots who don't understand what the hell a locking rack is for, or that some of the spots are not longer than others just to make it easier to stuff your skis into them any old way...so in the end I couldn't actually find anywhere to lock up my board, and bearing in mind another reviewer's note about theft, had to drag it inside to lunch with me. It would be nice if the staff could keep an eye on the racks, shift stuff about when necessary, and fix the broken ones. Cypress and Grouse both have substantially more locking racks, in better condition.

  Overall, it was an interesting mountain with some good plus points. The drawbacks are probably less of an issue if you're on skis, and the parks probably are the best out of the three lower mainland mountains. But as an all-mountain boarder I'd probably rather be at either of the other two mountains, until the lift situation is sorted out.

• Mount Seymour Ratings

  Based on 18 votes. Vote

  Access: 4.9 (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 Mount Seymour.	Public Transport: 3.9 (1) There are no buses or taxis to Mount Seymour, (3) there are slow or infrequent buses / trains available, (5) getting to the resort is easy with frequent bus / train connections.
  Scenery: 4.4 (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: 2.9 (1) No places to stay in/near Mount Seymour, (3) a few places to stay in the resort, (5) a wide variety of accommodation suitable to suit all budgets.
  Cheap Rooms: 3.1 (1) No budget accommodation available, (3) just one or two hostels so book ahead, (5) several cheap hostels and pensions available.	Luxury Hotels: 2.6 (1) No luxury accommodation available, (3) just one or two luxury hotels so book ahead, (5) several up-market hotels in Mount Seymour.
  Ski in/Ski out: 3.1 (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: 3.2 (1) There are no child care facilities at Mount Seymour, (5) the resort has excellent child-care facilities including at least one reasonably priced creche.
  Snowsure: 4.1 (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) Mount Seymour is snowsure even in the poorest seasons.	Snowmaking: 1.6 (1) Mount Seymour relies entirely on natural snow, (3) there are just a few snow cannons, (5) there are snowmaking facilities on all pistes.
  Snow Grooming: 4.5 (1) There are no snow groomers at Mount Seymour, (3) occasionally some pistes are left ungroomed and in a poor state, (5) all the runs at Mount Seymour are groomed daily.	Shelter: 4.2 (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) Mount Seymour is mostly in forest where you can ski in flat-light and windy days, lifts rarely close.
  Nearby options: 3.0 (1) If snow conditions are poor at Mount Seymour, 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: 4.3 (1) Mount Seymour 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: 4.5 (1) The staff at Mount Seymour are rude or unhelpful, (5) lift staff at Mount Seymour 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: 4.5 (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: 4.5 (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) Mount Seymour has diverse and interesting pistes including forests and high alpine terrain.	Beginners: 4.7 (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: 4.4 (1) No intermediate terrain at Mount Seymour, (3) intermediate skiers will get bored after a few days, (5) vast areas of cruising runs.	Advanced: 4.2 (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: 4.8 (1) Not even a kicker at Mount Seymour, (3) average sized park quite well looked after, (5) huge park area and expertly crafted pipes, jumps and boardercross trails.	Off-piste: 3.9 (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: 2.6 (1) There is nowhere to go for cross-country skiing around Mount Seymour, (3) there are some cross country trails available, (5) the area features many spectacular and well maintained cross-country trails.	Luge/Toboggan: 4.2 (1) No designated luge or toboggan runs, (3) there are toboggan runs that open quite often, (5) Mount Seymour has long and well maintained luge / toboggan facilities suitable for all ages.
  Mountain Dining: 3.6 (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: 3.4 (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: 3.5 (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: 2.0 (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: 2.9 (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: 4.6 (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: 4.1 (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): 4.3 (1) Overall, Mount Seymour 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, Mount Seymour 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 18 votes. Vote

• January 27, 2012
  Albert White from Canada
  

  Children's ski lessons very dissappointing. Didn't teach them much. Too many kids per teacher. Not worth the money.

• January 19, 2012
  Danny Stone from Canada
  

  Needs a gondola, Mystery chair is brutal!!

• January 19, 2012
  Oliver from Canada
  

  I am writing this as an avid Seymour enthusiast. I get a pass for Mount Seymour every year because, when compared to the other two local mountains, Seymour has the the friendliest local vibe, great terrain/ parks, back country, and hosts a number of top shelf events. Only 2 things concern me.

  1) I understand Environment Canada slashed their funding for their weather reports above tree line including freezing levels and such...but seriously Snow-forcast.com licks....its always innacurate...always, always, always....and I'm not talking by just a little bit. Snow-forcast.com has been displaying incorrect reports since Seymour decided to start using them. I really hope you are not paying these guys a cent.

  2) With the amount of people that travel into the back country, I am surprised that you're park does not have an emergency 2 way radio frequency...Whistler has one, and is posted all throughout the area. All your lifties, and patrol use radio's why not have an emergency radio frequency for back country users?

  Just a suggestion.

  O.

  [note from the editor: we aim to improve the forecasts for the area]

• January 19, 2012
  Steve from North Vancouver from Canada
  

  This season Mount Seymour has done some wonderful up - dates. As a family mountain it is both cost effective and a great all around winter playground. They have improved ticket checking at the lifts, new parking regulations among other improvements.
  As a Family Seasons pass holder I congratulate the Seymour team on some wonderful improvements this season.
  Keep-up the great work :-)

• January 17, 2012
  Kat from Canada
  

  Mount Seymour is a great resort. I learned to board there when I was young and it is still my mountain of choice in Vancouver over 12 years later. The instructors are awesome and there is a laid back atmosphere. Unfortunately, people took advantage of the mountain and got away with riding for free for way too long. They are working at upgrading the mountain, but first they need to crackdown on the free riders. I think the magic carpet (replacing the rope tow) is a great start to making some upgrades. Please pay for your passes and tickets, it's on the cheaper side of the resorts, and I would love to see some more upgrades. The tree runs are awesome and the back country is the best in the lower mainland. Plus, they are the highest of the 3 local mountains so they get the most snow. They don't use snow machines like the others and have just as much, if not more real snow. Lastly, I do agree there is a lot of theft there, but you are responsible for your own equipment. If you buy an expensive board and can't spend a little extra on a lock to ensure it isn't stolen that is your fault, not theirs. Take responsibility for yourself, don't expect others to be responsible for your neglect.

• January 14, 2012
  andrew from Canada
  

  I fully agree with the response on January 12. A person can easily lock their gear in their vehicle. I find the staff pleasant and very helpful. Way to go Seymour staff.

• January 12, 2012
  dsand from Canada
  

  I feel I must speak out for Mt Seymour as a regular skier on the mountain. The last review (Jan 10, 2012) does not reflect my 3 year experience of Mt Seymour. I have always found the staff to be courteous and conscientious in the manner with which they get riders on and off the lifts.
  I have always found the boundary to the ski area to be well marked.
  The chairlifts are older than in some resorts, but there are bonuses to that, firstly, it costs a lot less to ski there, secondly, at any one time there are more people on the chairs - leaving plenty of room on the trails.
  Lastly, I have skied all over the world and do not recall one single resort that is able to "take responsibility for theft", that would require very tall fencing, searches of all vehicles leaving the area, and a small police force. There are ski/board locks available at any retailer for small sums of money, or equipment can be easily locked into your vehicle while eating. I know how frustrating it is, my husband had his skis stolen in France, but that, I am afraid, is the way of the world, and we now use locks. Unfortunately, thieves target racks outside cafes, restaurants and shops everywhere.

• January 10, 2012
  p.markham from Canada
  

  My grandson's $500 snowboard & $35 gloves were stolen from their 'secluded' ski rack while we were inside eating (they said we couldn't bring our ski equipment etc inside!). They just say "oh sorry" ...... no sign warning you that you’re leaving your valuables in a high theft area! No Ski locks on the racks, like at Mt Washington, Van. Is., Why? Because they are cheap & don't care about the customers. They refuse to take any responsibility after each theft!
  The danger/out of bounds area are very, very poorly identified!
  The chair lift doesn't stop even when people have fallen & more people continue to pile into them.
  The Bunny Run chair lift is ‘first class’ & runs perfectly!

• January 04, 2012
  Curtis from Canada
  

  Worst lifts ever.

• December 22, 2011
  Pete S from Canada
  

  Mount Seymour is a good family hill with reasonable pricing and decent terrain. All my kids have learned or are learning to ski here. Staff are great, quite relaxed. This is how you'll want to be at Seymour as well -- you'll have a great time if you just chill and let it be a relaxed, family mountain. It's not going be Whistler-style comfy fast lifts.

  One major update to former reviews -- the nasty rope tow at Goldie is gone. So now your kids don't have to deal with that but instead can ride a covered magic carpet to the top.

  I think if they put in a 3 man lift chair (4 would overload the hill) with a bit more speed at Mystery, it'd improve the hill dramatically. They probably have to be somewhat careful as there are only so many people the parking lot and the hill can take.

• April 13, 2011
  Triplany from Canada
  

  When I was a kid my Dad took my sister and I skiing at Seymour all the time so it has a very special place in my heart. After not skiing for 16 years I got into snowboarding this season and now I could take my own family out. The facilities, drive up, was almost exactly as I remember it from a kid. Went to the Bunny Hill to let the kids warm up. Sadly, they still use the worst tow rope in existence; 2 runs my kids had tore a part of their gloves. Go get a pair of new gloves for them and head to Mystery chairlift. What a fantastic view as you slowly climb up the mountain. They had a ton of fresh snow so was some of the funnest runs I had this year. Sadly, I probably won't be going back with my family. The Tow rope is just bad for beginners, the facilities are really dated, due to accidents on the road up we had to wait a few hours for it to be cleared to drive down, the distance between Mystery chairlift and the lodge requires a good deal of walking. For the price, I will probably take my family to Cypress, Grouse, or Hemlock (in that order).

• February 05, 2011
  Marcus Strefensto from Canada
  

  This season, there have been terrible conditions but the hill (Mount Seymour) was still really fun. The only controllable problem is that the lifts are old and slow. The main lift takes so long my legs go numb by the time I get to the top. The season pass is pretty reasonably priced. The other local mountain with a reasonable price is Grouse but their runs are too flat and wide open. Seymour has a nice variety of skill levels and one of the nicest parks I've ridden in.
  I would rate it 7.5 out of 10.

• December 13, 2008
  Chris B from Canada
  

  Mount Seymour has something for everyone. I started snowboarding last season and rode here every day. It's got mellow slopes to learn on and the ski school staff were awesome. I progressed to the intermediate slopes and by the end of the season I was riding some of their black runs which are great. Not the longest runs but great natural terrain. Not like Grouse where it's all just flat and wide. The terrain parks are awesome and I saw JP Walker and Chris Dufficy here riding one day. Lots of pros seem to call it home. I mainly learned how to jump in the Mushroom Park but plan on hitting the bigger parks this season.

  My little brothers and sisters LOVE the tubing runs, and I kinda enjoy them too. You go so quicly it's great. Staff at Mount Seymour are awesome, some of the buildings are old but it's got a nice family feel. Service can be slow in the bar but it's got a nice feel so you can hang out there.

  Love Mount Seymour. Easy access to get to, nice local feel and pro riders to watch and learn from.

• January 30, 2006
  Warren Terrace from Canada
  

  This is a great family hill. There is a terrain part for the boarders, an area for toboganing and inner-tubing and a variety of beginner to intermediate terrain. They do not have much in the way of snow making equipment but have a higher elevation which means less chance of getting wet on the typically “West Coast.” The facilities are basic and a little dated but the staff are great and the lift passes are reasonably priced.