Beginning this Monday, the days at Whistler Blackcomb are getting shorter.
Earlier sunsets will prompt Whistler Mountain Bike Park to close lifts 15 minutes earlier across the board starting Aug. 14, the resort reminded riders in an Instagram post on Thursday afternoon.
Whistler Village Gondola's new operating hours will be 10 a.m. to 7:45 p.m., shifting ahead from the 8 p.m. last call riders have enjoyed since the Bike Park opened for the 2023 season on May 19. Over on Creekside, the gondola will shut for the day at 6:45 p.m. beginning Monday, as will the Garbanzo Chair.
Riders will only have a week to adjust to the new closing times, before operating hours reduce by another 15 minutes on Aug. 21, and again on Aug. 28.
Before the Bike Park's season comes to an end on Oct. 9, the Whistler Village Gondola will close on Sept. 5 for required maintenance ahead of another winter. The Fitz Zone will remain open, but will only be accessible via the Creekside Gondola—meaning bikers who ride out to the Village won't be able to hop on a lift and head back uphill, unless those riders are down for a 4.8-kilometre pedal south to Creekside.
The Garbanzo Chair is scheduled to spin from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily beginning Sept. 5, before that lift shuts down for the season on Sept. 24. The Creekside Gondola, meanwhile, will run between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily from Sept. 5 to Oct. 9.
The only Bike Park lift unaffected by earlier closing times is Peak Express, which provides access to the iconic Top of the World trail. Peak Chair's operating hours will remain consistent until the lift closes for good on Sept. 4. The lift opens at 11 a.m. daily, spinning until 4 p.m. on weekdays, and until 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
The move doesn't affect sightseeing operations. The Blackcomb Gondola is open to sightseers from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily until Sept. 24, with the Peak 2 Peak Gondola open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sightseers can head up Peak Express from 11 a.m. to check out the Cloudraker Skybridge and Raven's Eye lookout, before downloading back to the valley via the Whistler Village Gondola until that lift closes on Sept. 5. (Uphill access to the Whistler Village Gondola is reserved for mountain bikers during the day.)
Visit Whistler Blackcomb's website for a full list of updated operating hours, trail maps and terrain closures.
