I was last in Whistler in 2007 and we rode off the top off Whistler mountain down Khyber pass to celebrate Len’s birthday. Back then we had to shuttle to the top in a truck, but now, there’s a lift to the top. I arrive the last weekend top of the world is open to bikes and Kira and I head up on my first day in the park, nothing like a baptism of fire.
I had taken the Patriot with me, but Kira managed to wangle me a rental bike, a GT Force, its fair to say bikes have changed since the Patriot was designed, the rear suspension tracks over everything, staying in contact with the ground, gripping, bouncing and generally making life easier, brakes have improved too, one finger braking stopping on the steepest of ground with minimal effort, arm pump seems to be a thing of the past.
A couple of warm up runs on the lower slopes, B line, bluezeum, Wednesday night delight, ho chi min, heart of darkness, ninja cougar, karate monkey, samurai pizza cat, afternoon delight, family x, all before heading up.
The views are stunning, anticipating these I have taken my team hip flask to celebrate, full of espresso martini, carefully prepared by Jim prior to my trip. Jim knows how to mix a cocktail and only a nip is consumed as any more would have consequences on one’s ability to navigate, and we are just over 7,000 feet with over an hour of down to contend with!
Dropping in, blind, I follow the leader, there’s a couple of moves to make near the top, one off camber rock slab, perhaps 4/5 feet, but it’s steep, proper steep, now usually you can see a line, there’s usually a something obvious, not on this occasion. I push the side wall of the tyre against the camber and ride through, after that the trail is more natural, flowy and never ending.
We hit a couple of rock face rolls on Drop in Clinic and Duffman on the lower section of the mountain, “its on if you let it roll.”
Top of the world, into upper no joke, no joke, drop in clinic, duff man, mackenzie, shady acres , delbocca vista, ho chi min, again, heart of darkness, some days are better than others, this is one of those days!
Ending the day at the GLC, the only way to finish 5.6Ks of down