Peak 2 Peak Gondola

The Peak 2 Peak Gondola connects Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain at a dizzying height of 436 metres(1427 feet). It runs all winter and in the summer when the mountains are open for sightseeing and hiking. The Peak 2 Peak Gondola runs very fast as it carries up to 4100 people per hour at 7.5 metres per second or 16.8 miles per hour!

Whistler & Garibaldi Hiking

Alexander Falls Ancient Cedars Black Tusk Blackcomb Mountain Brandywine Falls Brandywine Meadows Brew Lake Callaghan Lake Cheakamus Lake Cheakamus River Cirque Lake Flank Trail Garibaldi Lake Garibaldi Park Helm Creek Jane Lakes Joffre Lakes Keyhole Hot Springs Logger’s Lake Madeley Lake Meager Hot Springs Nairn Falls Newt Lake Panorama Ridge Parkhurst Ghost Town Rainbow Falls Rainbow Lake Ring Lake Russet Lake Sea to Sky Trail Skookumchuck Hot Springs Sloquet Hot Springs Mount Sproatt Taylor Meadows Train Wreck Wedgemount Lake Whistler Mountain

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The overall length you travel one way is 4.4 kilometres or 2.7 miles and that distance is covered in just 11 minutes! The entire 11 minutes is pretty thrilling right from the start as you creep along in the loading bay then suddenly shoot out at full speed, gaining elevation rapidly. Owing to the great span of the supporting columns, over 3 kilometres, the journey across dips down into the valley before rising up the other side. Despite this considerable dip in the middle, you are still chillingly high. From over 400 metres or nearly 1500 feet above the ground Fitzsimmons Creek and the thousands of treetops looks wonderfully distant. One side of the cabin faces Whistler Valley descending to Whistler Village and several lakes. Alta Lake and Lost Lake are visible and the much larger Green Lake in the distance. Fitzsimmons Creek that flows below runs through Whistler Village and into Green Lake. Green Lake then empties into Green River, north to Lillooet Lake. Lillooet Lake flows to Harrison Lake via Lillooet River, which then flows into the Fraser River which reaches the Pacific Ocean in Vancouver. An interesting characteristic of Whistler’s other big lake, Alta Lake is that it flows in two directions. One end flows to Green Lake via the River of Golden Dreams then the route just described. The other end flows to Nita Lake, then Alpha Lake, then Cheakamus River to the Squamish River, finally reaching Howe Sound where it then meets the Pacific Ocean at Vancouver. Fantastic.

Peak2Peak Gondola

The other side of the Peak 2 Peak Gondola gives you a marvellous view of the meeting point between the two local mountain ranges that you are crossing between. The Fitzsimmons Range on the Whistler Mountain side and the Spearhead Range on the Blackcomb Mountain side. The two mountain ranges meet at the Overlord Massif. A massif is a term used to denote a cluster of mountain peaks all attributed to the most prominent peak among them. Overlord Mountain is the dramatically beautiful mountain visible at the end of the valley with Overlord Glacier descending down the valley. To the right of Overlord Mountain is The Fissile. Another beautiful mountain with its dark red colour and angular, pyramid like shape. The Fissile is so stunning that it inspired the design of Whistler Village to have an unobstructed view of it from Village Gate Boulevard. Through much of Whistler Village and certainly at Village Gate Boulevard you will catch a dramatically beautiful view of this gorgeous mountain. Both end of the Peak 2 Peak Gondola are located next to restaurants, gift shops, washrooms and quite a lot else. The Rendezvous Lodge is at the Blackcomb Mountain end, and the Roundhouse Lodge is at the Whistler Mountain end.

Peak2Peak Gondola

Peak2Peak Overlord and The Fissile

Russet Lake in Garibaldi Provincial Park

Russet Lake Hike Rating Russet Lake is a fantastic hiking destination in July. Located close to where the Fitzsimmons Range meets the Spearhead Range and at the foot of The Fissile. The Fitzsimmons Range is the range of mountains that includes Whistler Mountain. The Spearhead Range is the mountain range that lays across the valley, cut by Fitzsimmons Creek. If you have ever been on the Peak2Peak Gondola that connects Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain, you would have noticed at the mid-point a river that runs down the valley. This is Fitzsimmons Creek which is fed by Russet Lake and Overlord Glacier as well as hundreds of small streams. Russet Lake can be hiked to via the free, BC Parks Garibaldi Provincial Park trail that starts a couple hundred metres up from the base of Whistler Mountain. The big bus stop on Blackcomb Way has a trailhead mapboard for the Singing Pass trail to Russet Lake. It is quite a long and boring trail that constantly ascends for about a dozen kilometres through the forest before getting scenic. A nicer alternative is to buy a lift pass and ride the Whistler Gondola up Whistler Mountain, then hike the Musical Bumps trail or the High Note trail to Russet Lake.

Both are shorter than the Singing Pass trail, and constantly amazing. Also, you ride most of the ascent by gondola. No matter what way you hike to Russet Lake, if you do it in July you will likely have gorgeous weather and a wonderful time at the lake. Russet Lake has a cute old hut that anyone can use(with a campsite park permit) as well as several nice tent clearings. The campsite sits near the base of The Fissile, at the shore of Russet Lake, and overlooking Overlord Glacier. A small stream runs along the campsite that you can drink straight from. From the campsite you can hike in several directions to see some incredible sights. The Fissile is a challenging scramble.

Overlord Glacier is just an easy hike down the valley. The small and comparatively warm, Adit Lakes sit up from Russet Lake on the opposite side of the valley from The Fissile. Russet Lake is paradise in July, but keep in mind that it can get busy, especially on weekends. If you are camping, get your BC Parks camping permit ahead of time. If you are day hiking, you don’t have to pay a think, except the Whistler lift pass if you hike in that way. If you hike up Singing Pass, it is of course free, and you can return via Whistler Mountain on the Peak Express Chair and/or the Whistler Gondola for free.

Hiking Whistler Mountain

Whistler Mountain Hike Rating Whistler Mountain's huge winter snowfalls mean that alpine hiking usually takes until late June to open up. So July and August are the months where the Whistler Mountain hiking trails are clear of snow and beautiful. Valleys of flowers, distant glaciers, alpine lakes, and plenty of hiking trails to choose from. From the Roundhouse you can start hiking the Musical Bumps trail towards Russet Lake or hike down to the Peak Express Chair and ride up to the summit of Whistler Mountain. An easy interpretive hiking trail loops around the summit and the more challenging Half Note and High Note trails run out along the ridge that overlooks the Whistler valley and Cheakamus Lake. The High Note trail eventually links to the Musical Bumps trail which takes you to Russet Lake in Garibaldi Provincial Park.

Hiking Blackcomb Mountain

Blackcomb Mountain Hike Rating Blackcomb Mountain in July is a stunning place to hike. The Blackcomb Gondola, completed in 2018, takes you all the way to Rendezvous Lodge and Peak2Peak Gondola. The Blackcomb Mountain trails start the moment you exit either the Blackcomb Gondoal or the Peak2Peak Gondola, and immediately give you stunning views of Whistler valley. The trail then ascends up and along a winding route that opens up to great views across to Whistler Mountain. At every trail junction you can circle back to where you started or continue another leg. At each turn you have very nice mapboards and signs indicating where to go and how long you likely will take to hike it and return in time for the Peak2Peak which stops around 4pm.

BC and Whistler Hiking Now and Then!

Here are two excellent books on hiking and geology of British Columbia. Matt Gunn's Scrambles in Southwest British Columbia includes the various routes to the summit of Wedge Mountain as well as summit routes to the neighbouring peaks, Weart, Cook, Parkhurst and Rethel. Mount Weart is the second highest mountain in Garibaldi Park and is located just north of Wedge Mountain, separated by the Wedge-Weart Col. Published in 2005, Scrambles in Southwest British Columbia is still the best guide in print or online. A Passion for Mountains by Kathryn Bridge is a fascinating look at Don and Phyllis Munday's prolific exploration of the mountains in BC. Based out of Vancouver, they were dominant figures of the climbing community in the early 1900's. In 1923 they visited their friend Neal Carter in Alta Lake(Whistler) and explored the mountains around the valley.. many for the first time!

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