Ziptrek Ecotours opened Whistler's first commercial zipline network in 2002, when most visitors assumed the resort closed with the ski lifts each spring. The company's founders, a pair of New Zealand adventure guides, saw opportunity in the temperate rainforest canopy that rose 30 metres above the valley floor.
By 2007, they had strung five permanent lines between old-growth Douglas fir and western red cedar, creating a year-round alternative to lift-accessed recreation. Winter ziplining whistler operations began as an experiment during the 2010 Olympic season, when organizers sought non-snow activities for warm-weather spectators.
The attraction sits at 660 metres elevation on Blackcomb's lower slopes, where Pacific moisture meets coastal mountain air. Seasonal snowfall averages 11.7 metres annually, blanketing the forest floor from December through March while leaving the upper canopy exposed. Guides clip participants into harnesses rated to 130 kilograms and lead them along suspended bridges connecting five zipline spans. The longest line measures 305 metres and reaches speeds near 80 kilometres per hour. Each tour group caps at ten participants, with two certified guides managing the sequence.
Ziptrek operates eight distinct routes across 30 hectares of protected forest, ranging from the family-oriented Bear Tour to the two-hour Eagle Tour that includes a cliffside rappel station. The Winter Après Tour, introduced in 2018, concludes with a fireside pause at a mid-canopy platform stocked with local craft beer and smoked salmon canapés. All tours run daily between 08:00 and 18:00, with headlamp-equipped twilight departures available from November through February. The company employs 42 seasonal guides and maintains its own rigging inspection protocol audited quarterly by the Association for Challenge Course Technology.
Whistler's tourism economy generates CA$1.4 billion annually, with summer and shoulder-season activities now matching winter revenue. Canopy tours represent the valley's fastest-growing adventure segment, drawing 87,000 participants in 2025. Ziptrek's model has been replicated across 14 jurisdictions in British Columbia, though Whistler remains the only site offering year-round operations above 600 metres elevation.
3 hr
