Ice Cave Hiking in Whistler, B.C.

I am no stranger to adventure travel, I love jumping off cliffs or out of planes, but I was not quite sure what ice cave exploring entailed. We all got “suited up” in ice boots, pants and jackets to prepare for ice cave hiking.

I am lucky enough to be part of the Virtuoso Study tour with the Whistler and Vancouver Tourism Boards with 10 other travel advisers. We explored Vancouver and then moved on to ice cave hiking in Whistler.

Soaring over the mountains above Whistler, British Columbia, I poke my Nikon lens flush against the window of the 6-seater helicopter for the perfect shot. I am a helicopter virgin, and Blackcomb Helicopters made me feel at ease from the start.

Being very prone to motion sickness, I am prepared for the worst— but it never came. Unlike a plane there is no take off and shaking down the runway and liftoff. You just put your huge headphones on, check in with the pilot, and begin to slowly hover upwards.

Helicopter Ride to Ice Caps in Whistler, B.C.

We fly above the mountains of Whistler and Blackcomb to Canada’s largest, southernmost ice caps. I feel like a grade-A badass darting in between mountain summits and chatting up the pilot about his flight experience.

We swoop in to meet the other chopper and smoothly land on an ice cap. Stepping out into that utter silence where everything in a 360-degree view covered is in snow is breathtaking.  Camping chairs are set up for us and we enjoy hot chocolate while learning about the many experiences our hosts Headline Mountain Holidays and Blackcomb Helicopters offer.

They can do just about everything – from corporate events to romantic proposals on ice caps in Whistler. They even airlift geo-domes on to remote icecaps for overnight adventures. They also offer heli biking and heli skiing in Blackcomb and Whistler. Their choppers are equipped to bring stand-up paddles boards to a remote mountain-top lake for a tranquil paddle and picnic.

Ice Cave Hiking in Whistler

Next we venture to a small opening where the ice cave began. We use our poles to shimmy down into the entrance. Fun fact: it’s actually warmer inside the cave. One inside, I feel transported to an alternate time, maybe the Ice Age? The natural ice sculptures are a marvel. There are shades of blue coming through the ice that I didn’t even know exist. We are lead from one grand hall to the next. Half of the time we can use the poles to walk, the other half we are just down on the ground sliding down the ice flows. It is hard to believe this is man-made and not a tourist attraction. I hope the photos do this experience come justice.

On this Ice Cape tour, our experienced, informative guide from Head-line Mountain Holidays explains glacier dynamics. He introduces us to their latest project, the “Ice Cap Research Initiative” and how Head-Line is working to better understand and impart knowledge of these ice fields to the broader community. It is quite possibly one of the more fascinating natural world wonders I have ever witnessed.