Jane P from CANADA writes:
I have skied at many hills over the years (both in North America and abroad) and unfortunately, I have to say that Mt. W is NOT one of the best. However, there are some real positives for the resort. The addition of the Boomerang has been great. It provides challenging terrain, amazing views and when the snow is good, some incredible skiing. It is also more peaceful b/c of the advanced terrain, shorter line ups and fewer people on the runs. Mt. Washington does have one of the more beautiful settings in the province with the mountains and the ocean below. There are not many places that you can going skiing for part of the day and then go (for example) golfing, fishing, kayaking, or biking for the other part. Also, it's proximity and access to Strathcona Park is a HUGE asset. And the fact that it is still small and not a huge corporate resort is rather refreshing. If run properly it truly could be the gem of the westcoast.
Sadly, however, it has some serious flaws...
(1) It does get lots of snow, but lets face it...it is mostly cement or ice. Only sometimes does it get the nice, dry fluffy stuff. It really is not a big deal that it gets an annual 10.5 metres of snow. I'd rather have less snow, but it be the good stuff. Much more enjoyable.
(2) Mt. W's management is truly "unfortunate". If they read any of these reviews they'd realize that their poor quality of service is probably the most common complaint. They really do need to do a better job. The bad attitude of management has a trickle down effect and is evident in the bad attitudes of many of the staff. Poor customer service is easy and inexpensive to fix (relatively speaking) and would go a long way for improving the overall experience for guests. Mt. W somehow needs to understand that they CAN NOT forego great customer service just b/c they "think" they are the only "game in town". The "I don't care" attitude will eventually come back to bite them (especially in an economy where people will be very selective as to how they spend their money). To think their guests won't go elsewhere is foolish. It is cheaper to buy a season pass at an interior mountain and with the cheap flights and discount accommodations you can get a better and less expensive experience elsewhere. I also noticed that some of the "little" perks they gave their season pass holders in the past have been eliminated this year (ie- the 10% discount at the store is gone). I believe the cost of the passes also went up. In my personal opinion, I don't think it is good business to penalize those who (most consistently) support the mountain.
(3) It is also becoming an increasingly well known fact (and many of the staff will admit to it) that Mt. W is more concerned about getting bums on seats than anything else. Unfortunately, the mountain is small and can not handle the number of "bums" they are getting. The mountain is seriously over crowded and safety is a HUGE issue. According to some of the staff, they have more accidents on Mt. W than any other hill. This is mainly due to the fact that they have too many runs that intersect. It is very hard for beginner skiers/boarders to find a safe place to ski/ride where they won't be mowed down by someone crossing a run and not looking where they are going. The design of the runs and placements of the chairs is ill-conceived and poorly thought out. And of course if anything should happen to you...it won't be the fault of the mountain. Their negligent design approach doesn't seem to matter. The owners DO need to put in the infrastructure to handle the numbers that the mountain is attracting and would like to continue to attract. It should be noted that Mt. W (apparently) has the 3rd highest number of season pass holders in the province (yet no reasonable way to handle all these guests). And as one person (below) pointed out, the line ups can get nasty as the "system" is not well thought out and staff do not do a good job of handling the numbers.
(4) Activities on the mountain tend to be poorly organized. They will often advertise activities that don't even happen (or only parts of it happen). Staff tend to be unfriendly and nobody seems to know anything. Ask staff a question and the first thing they say is "I don't know" and then don't even try to find help. Admittedly you do find the odd nice staff person and someone who really does want to help and provide a good experience, but sadly that is more rare than typical.
(5) No apres-ski family entertainment. Most mountains have this service and it makes it really fun for families to go together to an apres-ski event with live music or entertainment. It really adds to the alpine experience. This was done at most resorts when they were still small.
(6) No other activities to do on the mountain other than ski/board or tube. It would be fantastic to have a skating area, some other shops and restaurants. Maybe even spa services. Many people come to the mountain who can not ski/board or tube. What can they do? Nothing. At other resorts, there are options for them. When speaking to Mt. W management they will tell you that they have lots of plans, but nothing ever seems to happen. They will also tell you that b/c of the temperature, they can not create and maintain a skating rink. I think if Butchart Gardens in Victoria can do it...surely Mt. W can. I realize that temperatures are often above zero, but there must be a way that a rink can be created. It would be a wonderful addition. And what about other things such as horse-drawn sleigh rides, snowmobiling, etc?
If you really want an alpine experience, you are really better off going to the interior mountains. Better value for the money and safer. I do hope that Mt. W takes a good hard look at what they are doing and make the necessary improvements that would turn them into one of the finest family-oriented ski resorts around. Good luck to them.
2008-11-25 |
