Big White Ski Resort, Canada

The Big White Ski Resort Terrain

The Big White Ski Resort features an expansive 2,665 acres of skiable terrain. It is the third largest ski area in BC and has 105 kilometers of marked runs with 118 clearly designated trails according to rider ability and level.

The sizeable terrain has something for every ability or level of skiers and snowboarders. The slopes range from gentle and mellow beginner and intermediate slopes to advanced double black diamonds that expert and advanced riders love.

The resort’s official terrain stats stand at:

• 18% beginner, 
• 54% intermediate, 
• 22% advanced 
• 6% expert

32% of the slopes are well-maintained and groomed to the delight of intermediates and beginners. However, there’s sufficient off-piste and backcountry terrain complete with bumps, glades, and tight trees for daring expert and advanced riders.

Big White’s Beginner Terrain

At the Happy Valley, there is a great beginner area with magic carpets and tow lifts. Novice skiers and snowboarders get to learn at their own pace without being scared by pro riders schussing by. Aside from the Happy Valley, there are also gentle runs off the Plaza Chair which are also frequented by beginners.

Confident beginners can explore more challenging green runs elsewhere in the resort. For example, steeper beginner runs can be found around Millie’s Mile, the Mega Ogo Slow run, and pistes off the Gem Lake chair. However, these runs can be somehow intimidating to inexperienced riders, although they serve as great transition terrain to becoming intermediates.

Big White’s Intermediate Terrain

With 54% of the slopes designated as blue runs, intermediates enjoy the largest proportion of the resort’s pistes. The intermediate slopes are graced with steep well-groomed runs, well-spaced glades, and lots of cruisers. The terrain caters to every level of intermediates, from low-end to strong riders. 

Big White’s Pipe and Terrain Park

The resort has a large terrain park with various-sized jumps, boxes, and rails for different rider skills. There’s also a standard half pipe which, in turn, is contingent on the amount of snow. The Big White resort’s terrain park also has a thrilling cross course for skiers and snowboarders.

Big White’s Advanced Terrain

The advanced terrain is a haven for advanced riders and has tons of features including off-piste nooks and crannies and tight tree skiing. The terrain also has numerous ungroomed black pistes nicknamed “Shaky Knees” that further down transform into steep moguls.

The best of the advanced terrain is near Gem Lake chair which also has lots of powder. Advanced riders also love the great powder at the Sun Rype bowl when the weather is right and there is great visibility after a snow dump. The Black Bear chairlift has great tree skiing opportunities which dip below the Falcon Chair and leads down to the Gem Lake Express high-speed quad.

Expert Terrain and Skiing at Big White

Although the resort has limited expert terrain, expert riders can access the alpine bowl via the Cliff chairlift. Snow conditions generally dictate the level of snow sports activity, but these areas are not for the faint of heart. 

The alpine bowl is closely monitored by the resort’s snow patrol because it is steep and avalanche prone. To ski here, you need the appropriate safety gear and even so, you’re pretty much on your own.

Lifts at Big White Ski Resort

The resort has an expansive network of conveniently placed lifts that allow thrill-seekers to access every part of the terrain. And some of the lifts are placed right next to lodges so you can exit your accommodation and get on to them.

The resort has the following named lifts:

• Lara’s Gondola – this is an 8-person gondola that scales an 89-meter vertical and covers a length of 600 meters in about 2 minutes.
• The Snow Ghost Express – This high-speed six-pack takes 9 minutes to scale a 450-meter vertical and travel a length of 1,868 meters.
• Gem Lake Express – this is a high-speed quad that travels the longest distance (2,445 meters). It takes 9 minutes to scale a 711-meter vertical
• Ridge Rocket Express – This high-speed quad covers a length of 1,814 meters and climbs a 441-meter vertical in 6.5 minutes
• Black Forest Express – This is also a high-speed quad that covers a length of 1,458 meters and climbs a 317-meter vertical in 6.5 minutes.
• Bullet Express – This high-speed quad is about 1,770 meters long and takes 6.5 minutes to cover the distance and scale a 403-meter vertical.
• Powder Chair – This is a high-speed quad that climbs a 305-meter vertical and covers a length of 896 meters in 6.5 minutes
• The Plaza Chair – This is a high-speed quad that runs a 592-meter length and climbs a 105-meter vertical in 4.5 minutes.
• 3 Fixed grip doubles – These include the Telus Park Chair (592 meters), Falcon Chair (795 meters), and Cliff Chair (651 meters).
• 1 T-bar, the alpine T-bar – this lift runs 1,276 meters and climbs a 333-meter elevation in 12 minutes
• 3 Magic carpets – These include the Kids Carpet and the Big White Tube Park.

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How To Get A Ski Pass To the Big White Ski Resort

The resort has tickets for different access levels which are fairly inexpensive. To get your desired tickets, you can purchase them from the resort’s website. Keep in mind, though, that you will still need to get a physical pass when you get to the resort.

Ticket prices vary due to various reasons. If you purchase your tickets in advance, you could enjoy early access discounts and sales and save money. In addition, the more the number of days you load on your ticket, the larger the discount. Tickets are generally cheaper before the season starts but get pricier way into the season, with the most expensive times being during the season’s peak and the holidays.

You may access the following ticket types:

• Single/Multi-Day tickets
• Season passes 

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Big White Ski Resort Snowcam  

Curious to know what the snow is like today at Big White Ski Resort?

The following is a live webcam feed of the slopes at the Big White Ski Resort. We’ve curated the best views to show you the current snow conditions around the resort.