North Whistler Mountain Bike Trails: Out There

Out There is a relatively new black-rated mountain bike trail north of Whistler that is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the best cross-country/all-mountain descent trails in the area. The best way to access the trail is by pedaling up the first 3 kilometers of Comfortably Numb, though it is also possible to pedal or drive up a steep gravel road to the trail entrance. The Comfortably Numb route is undulating (but mostly uphill) technical single track; it’s a nice warm-up, but it is quite a bit longer than the direct road, and it goes up and over every bump along the way (you'll quickly understand why some locals refer to it as "uncomfortable bum"). If you’re in a hurry or are annoyed by unnecessary pedaling, stick to the road. After 3 kilometers on Comfortably Numb the trail joins the road for 350 meters before veering off to the right. To get to Out There, continue up the road for another 100 meters and watch for a trail leading into the forest from a pullout on the left.

The first section of Out There is a short climb followed by a quick descent down to a viewpoint where you’ll see the trail sign and a nice view looking out over the valley. There are two more short climbing sections lower down on the trail, but for the most part it is fairly consistent downhill with some fun, flowing turns near the top, tight technical stuff toward the bottom, and tricky fun rock slabs sprinkled frequently throughout. The middle section of the trail was built along a vein of exposed, rocky terrain through the forest, and these rock rolls are the signature features of this one. Some of the the lines on Out There are just a little bit more challenging than other black diamond trails nearby, but they are still mostly ridable for the average mountain biker. There are a few wooden TTFs mixed in as well, but for the most part they are only used to link up the rock features.

If you’d like to support local trail development and maintenance, visit Whistler Off Road Cycling Association to see how you can help.