Blog
Elin Edlund
Operator · Squamish · Nov 13, 2026
Guided backcountry skiing in Whistler: ski it like a local
Guided backcountry skiing in Whistler: ski it like a local
You came for the lifts, and Whistler Blackcomb has plenty. But a lot of the best skiing in Whistler and the Sea to Sky is in the backcountry, past the boundary ropes and up the highway. To ski it well you need three things most visitors don't bring: a read on this week's snowpack, partners you trust in avalanche terrain, and a plan for the day.
A guide covers all three, and with us you tour alongside the locals.
Ski touring in Whistler with the locals
Aurora Backcountry Pass is a season pass for the backcountry, and most of the people who hold one live here. Book a day and you join them on the skin track: locals who tour these mountains all winter, with an ACMG guide leading.
So you get more than a guided tour. You hear what the snowpack has been doing and what people have been skiing, from people who've been out in it all season. For a day, four or more, you're part of the local crew.
Who books a backcountry guide in Whistler
- You're travelling solo. No touring partners here, no local knowledge. A Pass day gives you both.
- Your crew is happy on the lifts and you're not. Take a day or two out on your own and meet them for dinner.
- Your whole crew wants a day off the hill. Friends, a partner, a sibling, a parent.
Skiers and splitboarders both. Every lead guide is ACMG or IFMGA certified.
What a guided ski touring day looks like
The Sea to Sky Regular Trip is our everyday trip: 8 hours, anywhere from the Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish to Whistler and out to Duffey Lake.
Your guide picks the meet spot and the objective 24 to 48 hours ahead, based on snow, weather and avalanche conditions. You won't know exactly where you're going when you book. That's on purpose: the guide takes you where the snow is good and the hazard is manageable that week.
Plan on 3 to 4 hours of skinning uphill, with the guide setting the pace and the line. If conditions call for it, your guide will pick a mellower objective.
Already have a Whistler lift pass?
Some days start at the Roundhouse on Whistler Mountain, and you need a lift ticket to get up there. If you're already holding a multi-day ticket or season pass, put it to work: ride up like any other morning, then head past the ropes with your guide.
No lift pass? Whistler Blackcomb sells a backcountry lift ticket for skiers and splitboarders carrying a transceiver, probe, shovel and skins. It only works on the lifts that reach the backcountry access points. We don't sell it: buy it yourself before you meet us, and pick up your rental gear first, since you need your avalanche kit to buy the ticket. Your guide sends the meet spot and access details the day before.
What a backcountry guide costs in Whistler
Prices in CAD, per person, plus GST. A pass is for one person and can't be shared across a crew.
One day: no pass needed. Join for free, pick a day on the schedule and book it.
Sea to Sky Pass: 4 guided days for $732. Use them in one visit or spread them over the season, December to the end of April. Four days on the pass saves $228 over four single days. Three single days ($720) cost less than the pass, so the pass pays off at four.
Plan to use all four days this season. Unused days don't carry over.
Here for longer? We have bigger passes too: see all passes.
Solo or with your crew
Every trip runs with 3 or more people. If you're here on fixed dates, this is the part to plan around.
Solo: book a day that already has people on it, or book early so others can join yours. If a day doesn't reach 3, we cancel it: a $240 day is refunded, and a Sea to Sky Pass day goes back on your pass. Need a set date? Add the $200 upgrade and the day runs with just 1 or 2 people. It's $200 per day, not per person, and other people can still join. The upgrade is non-refundable, unless we cancel the day.
Crew of 3 or more: you fill the minimum yourselves. Others can still join the day. One guide takes up to 6 people; a bigger group gets a second guide, and the price per person stays the same.
Crew of 4 to 6, booking 1 to 3 days: a private guide is $850 a day for up to 6 people, which costs less than four or more single days at $240. You pick the day and nobody else joins. Seven or more need a second guide, so a private day for 7 is $1,700.
Do you need backcountry experience?
You should be:
- A solid intermediate skier or rider, or better
- Comfortable on ungroomed black runs
- Able to skin uphill for 3 to 4 hours
New to touring? Book a private guided day instead. Your guide will spend it on the basics and give you a proper introduction to touring.
What to bring, and where to rent it in Whistler and Squamish
Follow the full gear list on our website. It matters: if you show up without the required gear, your guide can turn you away and you'll lose the day you booked. The short version:
- Touring skis or a splitboard, with skins
- Avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe
- Layers, food and water for an 8-hour day
We don't provide or rent gear, so book rentals ahead. Both shops below rent full touring setups and avalanche kits, and let you pick up the day before.
- *Whistler: *evo Backcountry, in the Crystal Lodge in Whistler Village.
- *Squamish: *Bluebird, 38342 Buckley Ave.
Getting there: getting to the meet spot is up to you, and it can be in Squamish, Whistler or out at Duffey Lake. We can sometimes run a shuttle on request, but it isn't guaranteed. If you don't have a car, ask when you book and have a backup plan.
How to book
- Join for free at aurorabackcountrypass.com. Membership also opens our community, where guides and local Pass holders post through the season.
- Choose a single day or the Sea to Sky Pass, and book online.
- Plans change? Cancel up to 24 hours before.