BC: Coastline to Alpine

We want you to have the best experience in BC, so it’s important to be sure that this is the perfect mountain bike tour, with the right level of challenge, for you.

You’re a very experienced mountain biker, riding at least three times a week through the season and comfortable on: steep, fast singletrack descents; tough climbs; technical rock chutes; drop-offs; boardwalk; and muddy, forested singletrack. Read more on our advanced skill level.

Does this sound like you? Your vacation time is precious and we want to be absolutely sure that you’re making the most of it, by finding the perfect adventure for you. Be honest with yourself, if this adventure isn’t right for you, we have other tours that may well be a better fit for your mountain biking experience and ability.

Please note: The skill level required reflects an overall rating for the trails on the trip but you should expect to find sections and obstacles that push your ability levels.

Skill level: Advanced

• You are very confident handling all types of riding and obstacles, including drops (up to 1 foot plus), rocks, logs, switchbacks, large rock gardens, slabs, all mountain terrain and sustained technical singletrack
• You can brake, use gears and corner instinctively
• You have excellent bike handling skills and can lift front and rear wheels, do small jumps, corner, climb and descend steep and technical sinlgetrack trails
• You have considerable experience of riding on a wide variety of technical terrains including: rocky, rooty, muddy, loose, fast singletrack, exposed trails, bedrock for extended periods
• You ride at least three times a week and rarely get off and walk sections
• You can climb and descend comfortably on technical singletrack for as long as required

Fitness level: 6/7

• You have an excellent level of bike fitness, exercising four or five times every week throughout the year, for at least an hour at a time, and strong enough to climb on technical singletrack for sustained periods
• You are comfortable mountain biking up to six hours a day at a moderate pace, with snack and photo stops, for four or more consecutive days
• You can tackle several serious climbs a day, up to 600 metres each

Typical trails you’ll be riding

• The trails in British Columbia can be man made of varying trail surface, that will require you to choose your own riding line and decide if it is suitable to ride
• Double track: undulating and sometimes steep jeep tracks made up of a hard-packed and loose dirt surface
• Singletrack: you will encounter up to head-sized, fixed and loose rocks, as well as fixed bedrock style trails, north shore bridges, drops of varying sizes, slabs, and large tree roots
• The surface may be dry and loose, or wet and muddy depending on weather conditions
• Trails in the forest will have roots crossing them and may be narrow through the trees

The ideal bike for the British Columbia trails is a good quality full-suspension mountain bike with 29” or 27.5” wheels, dropper seat post, and 140mm -160mm of travel front and rear.

If you’re planning on travelling with your own bike, we have some handy tips on how to do this. When travelling with your own bike, you must ensure that it has been properly serviced before the trip.

We have a fleet of Yeti SB140 and SB160 full suspension mountain bikes available to rent in BC, which are ideal for the local trails.

We only run small group adventures to ensure that everyone has the best experience possible, and there will be a maximum of 10 people in each group. The minimum number of people we require to run our mountain bike tour British Columbia is four.

Our Coastline to Alpine mountain bike tour in BC caters for a wide age range; typically between 30- and 55-years-old. Regardless of age, you must have the appropriate level of physical fitness and mountain biking skills to participate in this adventure. Please refer to clause 14 of our terms and conditions of booking to find more information on rider age.

This mountain bike tour British Columbia is a guided mountain bike vacation, ideal for advanced mountain bikers.

Riding here, in the mountain biking mecca of BC, you’ll experience some tough climbs and technical descents, with drop-offs and north shore, as well as miles and miles of lovely flowing singletrack through the high alpine, and in the world-famous Whistler bike park.

The distances we cover each day range from 20km to 50km, in accordance with the technical difficulty of each trail.

Each evening your guides will chat with you about the following day’s mountain biking and give you an idea of the sorts of trails you can look forward to. If there’s anything you feel anxious about, your guides will be happy to discuss it with you.

No, you only need to carry a 20 litre back pack with you whilst riding. You support team will move your luggage to the accommodation as required.

Your guide will be very happy to give you some bike skills training during your trip to help improve your confidence and your enjoyment of your mountain bike tour British Columbia.

If there is a section that you would prefer not to ride, then you can simply hop off your bike and walk. You won’t be the only one to walk certain sections and it’s not a competition in biking ability; it’s a mountain bike adventure!

Your mountain bike guides are local to British Columbia and experienced professionals who have a real passion for mountain biking and for the culture and wild landscape of this region of Canada.

Your safety is their number one priority, closely followed by your enjoyment of the tour. They will always be on-hand to answer any questions or requests you may have throughout your trip.

On this mountain bike tour British Columbia you will be staying in comfortable chalets, lodges and guest houses.

Bedrooms are spacious and well-equipped and in Whistler there’s a jacuzzi and bike garage/workshop area for storing and fixing your bikes.

You’ll be just a short walk from town where there are plenty of great bars and restaurants for dinner and relaxing in the evening.

Breakfast is included each day and your evening meal on the final night is included also.

Whilst not all lunches and dinners are included in the tour price, we will eat together as a group every mealtime.

A good quality full suspension mountain bike with 140mm – 160mm travel front and rear will be ideal for this mountain bike tour British Columbia. Tyre choice is also important for our mountain bike tour British Columbia, particularly on the front, and you should have a high volume tyre, like a Hans Dampf or similar.

We can arrange bike hire for you for the duration of your trip and have a fleet of fantastic Yeti full suspension bikes available on a first-come, first-served basis.

For details of all the kit required for your mountain biking tour British Columbia please read the full kit list to find out what you need to pack for your mountain bike tour British Columbia, Canada.

There is a chance that you will see bears during your mountain biking tour in British Columbia. Your guide is fully wilderness trained and highly experienced at guiding groups of mountain bikers through the BC back country, and it is imperative that you follow the instructions of your guide at all times whilst out on the trails.

Unfortunately not. We are working hard to provide each and every customer who rides with us an unparalleled mountain bike experience in every destination we ride. This takes years of experience, riding and planning to get right, and a drone adds a very real danger to the group’s riding experience and health & safety.

Riders travelling from Europe can fly direct to Vancouver international airport. Here is a selection of airlines that operate service to/from Vancouver: British Airways, Lufthansa, Virgin Atlantic, KLM.
Riders travelling from North/South America have a wide choice of airlines operating flights to/from Vancouver, including: American Airlines, United Airlines, Air Canada.

Riders from Australia and New Zealand can fly with British Airways and Air Canada.

You must book your bike on to your flight in advance, otherwise you could face a heavy charge at the airport. Here are some handy tips and video on packing your bike for travel.

Visas
Most visitors entering Canada require an Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) or a visitor visa. Please check the Canadian Government’s travel requirement information for more details before booking your mountain bike tour British Columbia.

Arrival and departure details

Your mountain bike tour British Columbia will start on day 1 at your H+I recommended hotel. Your guide and/or driver will meet you in the hotel lobby and he/she will be holding an H+I Adventures sign.

Ideally, you should arrive into Vancouver 1 or 2 days before your trip starts to allow for any flight or luggage delays, and we recommend staying at the Blue Horizon Hotel, which is located closed to Stanley Park for easy exploring, and a convenient location for your pick up on day 1.

If you are arriving on day 1 of our adventure we require you to be in Vancouver city, ready for pick-up no later than 9am.

On the last day of your adventure we will return you to Vancouver airport for around 1pm, so you should book your return flight no earlier than 3pm that day. If you have an earlier flight please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate you.

Our mountain bike guides are qualified to the very highest level in Canada. This includes first-aid and for this type of trip they also hold a Wilderness Expedition Leader Award, which means that they have the knowledge and experience to lead a group safely in these remote, wild parts of Canada.

In addition to formal qualifications, our guides have years of experience in the saddle on the Whistler trails and will be able to enhance your holiday with facts 
and fables on local history, flora and fauna.

The team is made up of local riders who are experts in their fields, superb local guides and genuinely nice people. Their passion for mountain biking and for British Columbia is truly infectious and they’re completely committed to responsible tourism and making sure that our business is run as sustainably as possible.

One of the things that sets our holidays apart from other mountain bike tours around the world is the excellent accommodation we use, and our mountain bike tour British Columbia is no exception.

We understand that when you’ve had a big day in the saddle on the BC trails, you want a warm welcome, hot shower and a comfortable place to relax and unwind.

You’ll feel at home in local guest houses, chalets and lodges on your BC journey from North Shore to Whistler.

You will enjoy delicious meals and snacks, in the best local restaurants and bars in Whistler village and on the Sunshine Coast, and a few beers at the Whistler Brewing Company.

Whilst not all lunches and dinners are included in the tour price, we will eat together as a group at each mealtime.

• No special vaccinations are required for visiting Canada
• British Columbia is a vibrant, natural habitat for many species of wildlife, including bears. Your guide has many years of experience and wilderness training in this environment, so you MUST follow his instructions at all times while mountain biking in 
the area
• Your guide is a trained first-aider/first-responder, 
but it is your responsibility to ensure that you are managing your own health and safety at all times on your mountain bike holiday with us

You should always consult your own doctor or physician before travelling to new countries to seek their advice on matters concerning your health abroad.

Your health and safety is on tour our top priority so when you travel with us you also have the peace of mind knowing that you will be covered by Global Rescue emergency medical and evacuation services.

The currency in Canada is the Canadian dollar (CAD).

There are cash machines and banks in Whistler village, which you will be able to access every day.

Tipping
It is not compulsory to tip your guides and drivers in Canada, but if you feel you have had a good experience on your mountain bike tour British Columbia, you can tip at your discretion. We recommend around 5% of your tour price, but it’s up to you.

You are required as a condition of booking to be insured against medical and personal accident risks. In this policy you must include cover for mountain biking and we recommend that you take out a policy which covers cancellation and baggage, including your bike.

We work with Global Rescue whose policies are specially designed for adventure travel and you can arrange your insurance cover directly with them.