Why Ziplining in Whistler is Awesome

People come to Whistler from all over the world to marvel at its beauty. The towering mountains, the lush old-growth forests, the tumbling white-water rivers, and the charming town: these are all breathtaking parts of the Whistler experience.

Whilst many people explore these elements on foot, on skis, on boards or in kayaks, how about flying over them? If you choose to have a go on a Whistler mountain zipline you can fly over the beautiful landscape that brought you to Whistler in the first place. Its one of the best outdoor activities this town has to offer.

This guide will talk through the best mountain ziplines in Whistler and we’ll even tell you about a Whistler zipline discount.

Ziptrek Ecotours 

Breathtaking in more ways than one

Ziptrek Ecotours, whose origins go back to 2001, has grown in popularity and won an increasing number of tourism awards. They’ve got two Whistler Excellence Awards and Best Adventure Tours under their belt. Their adventure area is based directly above Whistler Village and their Guest Services desk is located in the Carleton Lodge in Whistler’s main village.

Ziptrek is different to other zip line tour companies because of their commitment to sustainable development. Rather than clear-cut swathes of forest for their ziplines, Ziptrek employees will climb each tree and move the cables up and through the branches by hand to preserve the trees. Furthermore, Ziptrek has worked with an expert in tree physiology, Dr Reese Halter, to use living trees where possible for the man-made platforms and anchors. Thats pretty neat if you ask us.

Ziptrek tours have a minimum age of six years old, excepting the Sasquatch tour for which the minimum age is ten. There is an upper weight limit for all of the zip trek tours, and this is 272 lbs (125 kg).

Check Out the Following ZipTrek Tours!

Tandem Zipline Acrobatics

• The Bear Tour: The Ziptrek Bear tour is the original tour and is suitable for families with young children and first-time zippers (particularly those who feel the fear). If you are feeling overly apprehensive, but you still want to partake, we’d recommend starting with the Bear tour which has shorter and less steep lines. Prices start at $119 for adults and $99 for youth.
• The Eagle Tour: Five zip lines, four treetop bridges, and it takes between two to three hours. This is a high adrenaline rush tour starting with a launch pad on top of the Olympic Station on Whistler mountain at an elevation of 1000 meters. You’ll experience panoramic views of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains on this tour. This tour starts and ends in Whistler village. Prices start from $149 for adults and $129 for youth.
• The Mammoth Tour: Ten zip lines, eight treetop bridges, and it takes a little over four hours. This longer tour combines both the Bear and Eagle tours, with food provided halfway through. The longest zip line descents a massive 30-storeys, and the last zipline will take you right back into Whistler village. Prices start at $209 for adults and $189 for youth, making this a good deal for those you really want to make a day out of the ziplining.
• The Sasquatch Tour: The Sasquatch is one zip line, but not just any zip line. It’s the longest zipline in North America spanning over 2km or 7000 feet, with a drop height at the launch of 1,600 feet (or 160 storeys!). There are lots of tour combinations that can help you save money if you want to combine the Sasquatch with other zip tours. You can access this zip line either via shuttle van or via the Peak 2 Peak Gondola, or you can combine it with any of the other tours (except the Twilight Tour). Prices for adults for Sasquatch only with shuttle are $129 and for youth (remember they have to be ten for this tour) at $109.
• Treetrek Tour: Nine treetop bridges, roughly two hours from start to finish. This tour is perfect for groups who want to adventure amongst the trees, but without the zip line experience. This tour takes you across suspension bridges, boardwalks, suspended stairways and trails. This is the most economical option with adults starting at $49 and youth at $39.
• Twilight Tour: Six zip lines, eight treetop bridges, and it takes three hours. If you are visiting Whistler in winter, ziplining doesn’t mean you’ll be sacrificing a day on the slopes. Ziptrek offers this tour in winter to complement days on the slopes. The tour starts in the early evening and is a unique apres-ski. Prices start at $119 for adults and $99 for youth.

Superfly 

Bundle up for a winter time zipline with Superfly

Like Ziptrek, Superfly Ziplines is open year round. The minimum age is seven, and the maximum weight is 250 lbs (114 kg). Superfly is located in old-growth forests of Cougar Mountain, 10 mins drive from Whistler Village. The Superfly headquarters sees as many as 1000 people on busy days and is the perfect place to host parties, groups, corporate retreats and events.

Superfly keeps things simple with one epic tour on offer. The tour lasts around three hours and features two of Canada’s longest ziplines at over a kilometre long, 600 feet high and speeds as high as 100 km per hour. Prices for adults are $149 and for children (12 years and under) $109.

If the idea of an evening flying experience has piqued your interest, Superfly also offers the twilight experience. Best thing: these come at lower prices, with adults costing $129.

Looking for something with a little less of an adrenaline rush, but by no means less exciting check out the the Superfly Treetop adventure course which consists over 70 different obstacles such as balance beams and rope swings, some as high as 60 feet above the forest floor. A typical Treetop tour lasts three to four hours long, and the prices are $69 or $59 for twilight (4pm to 5pm). This standard tour is for adults (as participants must be able to reach 180 cm or 5.9 ft).

For kids aged between seven and 13 a shorter TreeTop adventure tour is available. This tour, which lasts between one to two and a half hours, features fun challenges such as a climbing wall, suspension bridge and fisherman’s net. The best part? It only costs $39.

After a long day of yoga…. ziplining anyone?

Note: The Treetop  adventure course is only open for the summer only (usually May – October).

Another awesome thing about Superfly: we’ve got a Whistler zipline discount for you! If you mention Forged Axe Throwing when you book directly with Superfly you’ll receive a helpful little discount to make your zipline adventure that much more affordable!

5 Thing to Know – Before You Go

Don’t be a Zip-line newb

1. Arrive with time to spare: There are stringent regulations that come with ziplining, and one of these is the necessity to sign a waiver (something you also do for other high-adrenaline activities, you’ll notice you also sign one when axe throwing at Forged). You’re not going to want to feel rushed before you hurtle across an alleyway, and anyway: the headquarters for for both Ziptrek and Superfly are located within beautiful settings, so why not get there early and enjoy the atmosphere.
2. Dress for the weather: as you might imagine, flying through the air might feel a little breezy to say the least. Not only that, but Ziptrek and Superfly are open in the winter as well. This means that layers may be your best friend, especially if you’re taking on this amazing adventure in the cooler months. If you’re coming in winter, it’s recommended that you wear the same thing you’d wear skiing or snowboarding.
3. Ziplining is not the time to go glam: whilst we’re sure your bedazzled, dangly earrings are lovely, they are not suitable for a zip lining experience. We wouldn’t want you losing them to the dense, wild Whistler forests. The same goes for any loose objects: caps, spare change, wallets, etc. Since you will be wearing a harness, refrain from wearing any teeny-tiny shorts as this could get uncomfortable, especially for the men.
4. Surrender the selfie: whilst people do use their phones or go-pros to snap action shots, we’d recommend saving the photo ops for the canopy hang out sessions. It doesn’t take a lot to lose grip of something when travelling at high speed on a zip line, and we’d hate for you to lose all your holiday snaps (trust us, you won’t be able to find your device in the forest floor below). If you still insist on catching that in-action photo, then at least backup all your photos before. Your welcome. Another option: Ziptrek provide each guest with a GoPro camera, and guests then have the option to purchase the video card and associated footage.  
5. You may get hooked: Sip lining is heaps of fun and therefore it’s not so out of the question that a day of flying will get you addicted to the rush. If that is the case, fortunately you can always pop over to Whistler Bungee for another high adrenaline activity.

Ziplining in Whistler is Pretty Neat 

Speed demons need only apply to a zip line tour of whistler

As you’ve probably gathered already, seeing Whistler mountain by zipline is not only a popular option, but it makes a fantastic winter activity. With Superfly you can fly down two of Canada’s longest zip lines in the winter season.

With Ziptrek you could choose to ski during the day and zip line during the evening with the Twilight Tour. Make sure to bring warm clothes as you’ll not only be at high altitude but also hurtling through the icy air. Don’t forget to use the special Forged Axe Throwing whistler zipline discount!

The two Whistler mountain zipline companies offer breathtaking views and an adventure to remember. Whether you choose a gentler tour suitable for young families or first-time ‘zippers’ or whether you choose to race down the longest zipline in North America with your close friends (see our Bachelor party and Bachelorette party guides for some more inspiration), zip lining is a once in a lifetime kind of adventure- even more so when it takes place within stunning landscape. With our Whistler zip line discount this makes a trip even more worth it.