Revelstoke, BC

If Banff and Whistler are too ‘touristy’ for you, if you wan’t the beauty of the Rockies, the magic of the remote wilderness, the opportunities for outdoor adventure and the friendliness of the Canadian locals- then Revelstoke is for you! This pretty little mountain town might be small, but it packs a mighty punch. Revy, as it’s known to locals and fans of the town, has one of the most difficult/steepest Ski mountains in Canada so it’s no wonder it draws some of the best Skiers and Boarders from around the world. This is not the slope to learn on! Even if you’re not a confident Boarder (like us!!) there’s still so much to do in Revy, you won’t feel left out or disappointed!

Getting there:

Revy is a 4.5 hour drive from Vancouver, or a 2.5 hour drive from Kelowna which was our stop before in the Okanagan Valley (I’ll do a post on this too!) Revy was our first introduction to REAL snow, you know, shovel-your-front-door-to-get-outside type snow. It didn’t help we were in the middle of a Polar Vortex! Revy usually sits at a pleasant 0 to -5 most of the winter, but we had freak -25 degree temps- which made for stunning scenery but man, thats cold. Almost everyone drives to Revy and you likely will need a car. we hired ours in Vancouver and Revy was a stop on our 5 week roadtrip through the Rockies. Take the scenic route over the highway route, and stop at Halcyon Hot Springs at Naksup for a relaxing soak before heading into Revy. On this route there are two local ferries… the first  is Needles Ferry which leaves every half hour all day and the second the Shelter Bay Ferry leaves every hour. Both are free!

Where to stay:

There are a multitude of different accommodations to suit your needs and budget! we had the absolute pleasure of staying at Glacier House resort a gorgeous lodge style hotel with a main lodge as well as divine little individual log cabins, all in the most beautiful snowy scenery. Literally step out of your cabin and onto a snow mobile as Glacier House offers a ‘stay and play’ option-using their cabins as the perfect base for your adventure holiday, be it, snowmobiling, heliski, or snowboard/ski packages- they can organise it all for you and pick you up at your doorstep! We did a snowmobile package, with Great Canadian Tours and it was so incredible. Their cabins all have fireplaces and ours even had a private hot tub on our front doorstep, looking over the backcountry, pure perfection.

Other recommended accom:
Budget: The Cube
Intermediate: The Regent
Lux: Glacier House

What to do:

If you board or ski you’ll love the challenge of Revy mountain. There’s almost no green runs so it’s definitely not for beginners. Great Canadian Tours offer loads of tours in both Winter and Summer. We did the 3.5 hour intro to Snowmobiling and can 100% recommend! An awesome took the 3 of us on a Private tour high up into the mountains, teaching us how to ride the snowmobiles while taking in the epic scenery. Lots of free time to cut laps around frozen lakes too! I did fall off ( but you just fall into powder so don’t worry) and accidentally go over a jump… whoops! A little pit stop for cookies and hot chocolate made for a perfect morning on the mountain. #revelstoked!

If you love dogs you NEED to go husky sledding! I am usually anti-animal tours on holiday- We avoid circuses, and animal rides and often visit shelters and orphanages- BUT these husky dogs absolutely LOVE running and live for this. We did a tour with Revelstoke Dog Sledding Adventures and had an absolute ball. You get to help harness up the pups, learn how to drive the sled yourself, and zoom through the backcountry pulled by the most beautiful, loving pups. And plenty of cuddles! It was -20 degrees (so unusual!) and our face froze and our eyelashes froze but our hearts were so full and happy.

Ever wondered what it was like to be a professional Axe thrower? well, now you can. Drop into Peak Axe Throwing for a seriously surprisingly fun time. Throwing an axe at a bullseye is actually easier and way more fun than I thought it could be and is a super fun and chill evening. Have dinner at a local pub (we love Big Eddies) a few drinks, and then grab yourself an axe.

Hit up the local Ice Rink for an Ice Hockey Match! The local team is is The Grizzlies and honestlt it’s so fun! Entry is only $11, you can get drink tickets at the door and rug up and watch the excitement (and most likely a fight or two)

There are so many winter walks, local cafes and bars to keep you warm in, and in the summer the National Park is an adventurers delight! We adored our time in Revy, and we hope you do too!

Eat and Drink:

The Village Idiot- Busy local ski pub, ENORMOUS pizza-like the size of two heads.
Big Eddies- Definitely more locals, cheap eats and daily specials-best seafood chowder!!!
La Baguette- Amazing coffee and cafe style food. French, so of course the coffee is good!
Paramjits Kitchen- Indian/German fusion, sounds weird huh? It’s good!
Main St cafe- for yummy brekky and a warm vibe.
Monashee Craft Distillery- Intimate distillery/bar with awesome cocktail skills.