Key takeaways
- Ziptrek Ecotours runs more than one course under its own name, including one called Sasquatch, rather than a single numbered zipline.
- Every one of the named courses checks in at the same Ziptrek Outfitting Base, at the foot of the Excalibur Gondola in Whistler village.
- Because the courses are named rather than numbered, read the exact title of the listing you are booking before you commit to a date.
- Whichever course your listing names, expect two guides, a helmet, a harness and a three-hour outing through old-growth forest.
Ziptrek Names Its Courses
Ziptrek Ecotours, the company that runs the zipline courses in the valley between Whistler and Blackcomb, does not number its routes. Each one has a name instead, and the keyword data and the operator's own gallery show at least three in current use: Sasquatch, Eagle and Bear.
That naming habit is harmless once you know about it, and confusing if you do not. Two people can each say they are doing the Whistler zipline and be booked onto two different courses that share a brand, a valley and a starting point but nothing else about their specific route.
Where The Name Sasquatch Comes From
Sasquatch is a Salish word, adopted into English for the forest-dwelling creature of Pacific Northwest folklore. It has been part of the region's storytelling long before any zipline was built through this valley, which is why the name reads as a local one rather than an invented marketing label.
Eagle and Bear need less explaining. Both are animals a visitor to this stretch of the Coast Mountains might reasonably expect to hear about, and naming a forest course after local wildlife or local legend is a common enough choice among operators working the same patch of trees. None of the three names is a clue to a route's length or difficulty; they are simply what each course is called.
A suspension bridge crossing the old-growth forest between Whistler and Blackcomb.
Check The Listing Before You Book
Because the courses are named rather than numbered, the single most useful thing a careful traveller can do is read the exact title of the listing in front of them. A listing that says Sasquatch is not the same booking as one that says Eagle or Bear, even though all three sit under the same Ziptrek brand and start from the same base.
This matters most if you have a particular course in mind, whether because a friend recommended it by name or because a specific photograph in the gallery caught your eye. The name printed on your confirmation is the course you will actually do, and it is worth a second look before you pay.
What Every Named Course Shares
Whichever course you end up booking, the setting is the same. All of them run through the strip of old-growth forest that fills the valley between Whistler and Blackcomb, following the creek that cuts through it, and the route includes suspension bridges and platforms built into the trees rather than a single line from A to B.
The equipment and staffing are also constant. Every booking includes a helmet and a harness, and every group is led by two guides rather than one, which is worth knowing if you are used to single-guide operations elsewhere. The outing itself is booked as a three-hour block, run in English, with free cancellation offered on the booking.
None of that changes by name. What can change between Sasquatch, Eagle and Bear is the specific route each one follows through that forest, and that detail sits with the listing you book rather than with the shared description above. Treat this section as the common ground and the listing itself as the specifics.
What To Bring, And Who It Suits
Footwear is the one packing detail that applies to every named course without exception. Closed-toe shoes are required, and open-toed shoes are not allowed on any of them, whatever the specific listing says on its cover. Ziptrek supplies a helmet and a harness, but not footwear, so that part is on you.
The same restrictions run across the whole brand rather than sitting on one course alone. None of the named tours, whichever one your booking names, are suitable for children under six, for pregnant women, for people with mobility impairments, or for people over 125 kilograms.
Hotel pickup and drop-off is not included on any of these bookings. You will need your own way to and from the Ziptrek Outfitting Base at the Excalibur Gondola, whichever named course is on your confirmation.
Getting To The Right Starting Point
Every named course checks in at the same place: the Ziptrek Outfitting Base, at the foot of the Excalibur Gondola in Whistler village. If you already know the village, this is a straightforward walk from most of the accommodation in the centre; if you do not, the gondola building itself is a good landmark to aim for.
Turning up at the right building does not tell you which course you are on. Staff at the base work from your booking, so the name on your confirmation, not the building you arrive at, is what determines which route you actually walk and zip through that day.
Sasquatch, Eagle And Bear: Choosing Between Them
There is no shortcut to choosing between the named courses beyond reading what each specific listing tells you at the point of booking. Anyone comparing Sasquatch, Eagle and Bear side by side is really comparing three separate bookings, each with its own listing title, rather than three tiers of one product.
If you want to do more than one, treat each as its own three-hour outing rather than an add-on to the first. They check in at the same base and run through the same forest, but each is booked and guided as a separate visit, so plan your day around two or three distinct blocks of time rather than one longer one. Leave a gap between bookings rather than stacking them back to back.
