whistler garbonzo, any opinions ?
- Thread starter jcc
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go to the forum on www.nsmb.com there's a few threads about it.
there is also one in the PNW forum here.
there is also one in the PNW forum here.
I thought you'd never ask. It was a lot of fun. Lots of new stuff and new features to find. The upper trails are very different from the lower stuff but I think that is partially due to them being so new. Some of those are going to get really tech when they are worn in. Lots of natural hits and plenty of man made ones. It's kind of mind boggling to think about the potential of that mountain. Killer views too. When it was getting really hot in line at the bottom, it was nice to cool off in the chilled high alpine air. The unload station is quite exposed and gets a good breeze coming of the snow fields.
i like it. looong, raw singletrack with some neat features (the manager drop/roll rock, the rock wall ride, a couple creek gaps, a cool step-up, etc...). great views & no crowds. a nice change from the paved lower trails.
I like it, but until they open an upper version of A-Line it's not going to make a noticable dent in the lift line length. It seems like %90 of riders there ride A-Line and Dirt merchant, so Garbanzo doesn't interest them.
It's nice that Garbanzo has virtually no line but would be even nicer if more people were riding up top to help deal with the long lines for the lower chair on the weekends.
It's nice that Garbanzo has virtually no line but would be even nicer if more people were riding up top to help deal with the long lines for the lower chair on the weekends.
Favorite quote from nsmb.com, "If I'm in your way don't Kohut me, just yell and I'll move over".
Kohut? As in the crazy dude with the DH wheelchair?crashing_sux said:
I am interested to try it, I'll be up there this weekend riding a Knolly V-Tach and my Imperial. I'm not a fan of A-Line so it sounds pretty good so far, especially if there are not that many people on the new trails.
There are a couple of guys in DH wheelchairs, Kohut is just the one known for being an absolute prick, hence "don't Kohut me".
yeah, there is a big debate over him supposedly yelling at people for gaping on A-line. People say he thinks of it as his trail or something...I have no opinion on the matter but there is a multi-page thread on NSMB about it all.thaflyinfatman said:
Gaping as in staring, or did you mean "gapping" or something else altogether? I don't see how either of those would cause issues :Spunkassean said:
I guess he gets pissed when people are going slow on A-line but since my problem is finding a way to pass him that's never been an issue for me. I've just had him be rude to me and friends of mine in the lift line.
I just thought it was funny, I don't take it too seriously though, I think part of why he has such a bad rep is that he is so easily identified. There are probably plenty of other rude guys riding here but after they've been an ass to you, and later a friend tells you a story about some guy being an ass to them you don't ever know it's the same guy. With Stacy everyone knows it's him because of the wheelchair.
I just thought it was funny, I don't take it too seriously though, I think part of why he has such a bad rep is that he is so easily identified. There are probably plenty of other rude guys riding here but after they've been an ass to you, and later a friend tells you a story about some guy being an ass to them you don't ever know it's the same guy. With Stacy everyone knows it's him because of the wheelchair.
There are a lot of rude people at Whistler lately. My GF was complaining about several rude riders who were jerks about wanting to pass on Smoke and Mirrors. That is a intermediate trail and she was in a lesson. Of course they are going to be slow. You should expect slow riders on blue square trails. I get grumpy about joeys on xc hardtails on double black diamonds but only if they won't let you pass. More filters like the beginning of a-line would be good. You can't be a jerk with a sponsors name on your chest though.
Kohut isn't that fast either. I've passed him more than once.
Kohut isn't that fast either. I've passed him more than once.
I can completely understand why people get pissed at riders rolling over all of the jumps at A-Line but I think they also need to understand that these people have nowhere else to go. You certainly can't learn to hit the jumps on A-Line by riding B-line. There are plans to turn B-Line into a mini A-line with smaller jumps just to solve this issue, it can't happen soon enough.
crashing_sux said:
Agreed, 100%. If there was a real b-line I would be all over it. Instead I get to be slow on a-line. I didn't have a problem with people yelling at me the day I went up on a-line, but I did try to keep over to the side (first thought during my ballerina fall as T calls it)
Oh...and wednesday there is probably a bbq at my place and another showing of The Collective if you wanna come by (Canada day
)
gaping as in "flailing" or riding like a "kook" it more or less comes down to Stacey getting upset with riders who he (supposedly) thinks "shouldn't" be on A-line due to lack of skill or technical ability...thaflyinfatman said:
This brings up something that's been on my mind...
I'll (hopefully) be headed up to Whistler in August; never been there B4.
So, what would be a recommended progression of trails to work "up to" A-Line? I'm coming up from Utah, am used to steep and loose, drops to tranny (<=10ft), but no really big gaps, etc. outside of some doubles at the local dirt jumps. If there's kind of an unwritten series of trails to hit if your a newbie to Whistler, that's what I'm interested in. Even some guidelines. I have no delusions about my skill level: I just moved up to Expert DH, and I'll hit some decent stuff once I work up to it (36 years of bumps and bruises has taught me a bit of "look before you leap" caution), but I do like to get a good bit of warm-up in before going full-bore. Hence my question about what might be a good way to work into a week-long Whistler trip such that I a) don't kill myself in the first half-hour, and b) don't piss off half the mountain trying to scope, study, and warm-up on a run inappropriate to that particular activity.
Are there any immediate plans to groom B-Line into a mini A-Line? It certainly sounds logical in terms of a progressive difficulty...
Yeah, I'm probably thinking about things too much
, but it's like getting seeded in a race right ahead of a guy you know can smoke your arse, and then kinda mentally looking over your (edit)shoulder the entire run wondering when he's going catch you and run your sorry, slow butt off the course.
Cheers!
I'll (hopefully) be headed up to Whistler in August; never been there B4.
So, what would be a recommended progression of trails to work "up to" A-Line? I'm coming up from Utah, am used to steep and loose, drops to tranny (<=10ft), but no really big gaps, etc. outside of some doubles at the local dirt jumps. If there's kind of an unwritten series of trails to hit if your a newbie to Whistler, that's what I'm interested in. Even some guidelines. I have no delusions about my skill level: I just moved up to Expert DH, and I'll hit some decent stuff once I work up to it (36 years of bumps and bruises has taught me a bit of "look before you leap" caution), but I do like to get a good bit of warm-up in before going full-bore. Hence my question about what might be a good way to work into a week-long Whistler trip such that I a) don't kill myself in the first half-hour, and b) don't piss off half the mountain trying to scope, study, and warm-up on a run inappropriate to that particular activity.Are there any immediate plans to groom B-Line into a mini A-Line? It certainly sounds logical in terms of a progressive difficulty...
Yeah, I'm probably thinking about things too much
, but it's like getting seeded in a race right ahead of a guy you know can smoke your arse, and then kinda mentally looking over your (edit)shoulder the entire run wondering when he's going catch you and run your sorry, slow butt off the course. Cheers!
Sprung, IMHO there is nothing on A-Line that would be above your "seasoned" expert DH capabilities. All of the jumps are tables and none are very big, all of the drops have bypasses and are also not that big. Start on B-Line if you like but I personally find it harder to get a flow on B-Line due to the lack of berms and overall rhythm. There are lots of trails on the mountain but for a person with your level of experience, A-Line is a great place to start.
Ride B-line and get warmed up... then hit A-line. The only way to get ready for it is to ride it.
There are some practice drops and jumps and the bottom of Joyride that are an okay warm up. You can see them from the lift on the left hand side about 2/3's the way up the mountain.
Whistler DH is a good run to get used to the speed too. No jumps, but some drops/steeps.
There are some practice drops and jumps and the bottom of Joyride that are an okay warm up. You can see them from the lift on the left hand side about 2/3's the way up the mountain.
Whistler DH is a good run to get used to the speed too. No jumps, but some drops/steeps.
I would be willing to be the groomed whistler will seem technically easy but fast. I doubt you will have a problem.SprungShoulders said:This brings up something that's been on my mind...
I'll (hopefully) be headed up to Whistler in August; never been there B4.
Still just rumours. Nothing solid from the mountain yet. As a beginner I would love a place to start. A-line is really easy once you get used to air. But to start there from scratch is a big step (imo)
This is A-line....Yeah, I'm probably thinking about things too much
Cheers!
Whooooooosho....Whoooooooosh.....vroooooom.....whoooosh whooooosh whooosh....braaaaap.,....whoooosh.....whoooosh...
A-line is all tranny (nice ones from what I can tell after I land on top of the table
) and most trails are made to pick up speed so there is almost all trannies. Once you get it, the speed people ride a-line is awesome to watch 
Hey
I had the chance to ride A-line last year aswell when I was at a camp out there. For starters I am live in Illionis, as in the midwest/plain states, and there is nothing here like what we rode in Whistler. Best advice just try to ride A-line and just roll everything nice and smooth, then go BIG. Nothing was to overwelling, took everything in strides.
Lata
Randy
I had the chance to ride A-line last year aswell when I was at a camp out there. For starters I am live in Illionis, as in the midwest/plain states, and there is nothing here like what we rode in Whistler. Best advice just try to ride A-line and just roll everything nice and smooth, then go BIG. Nothing was to overwelling, took everything in strides.
Lata
Randy
Thanks for all the info, guys. Great stuff.
Great stuff. LOL! I'll have to using the word "seasoned" more, outside the context of food...it sure beats "over the hill old fart".
I am well on my way to being seasoned myself, so I am getting familiar with these type of terms before it's too late...
Sprung, you've got nothing to worry about. The fact that you are conscientious enough to ask is awesome. A-line and Dirt Merchant (to name just two) are as wide as many fire roads, and it sounds like you'll be smart enough to get to the side if you want to stop to scope out any particular section, so no sweat. I actually prefer hitting Dirt Merchant down to A-line, both have big flowy tables and fast berms, a few smallish gaps, you don't need to pedal once you get used to it. You'll be so psyched after two or three runs, you'll be killing it. The big drops are optional, and you can roll the rest. There are a few jerks there, I've seen guys yelling at people who are going fine, just not as fast, but they're just jerks and you shouldn't pay attention to them, they don't own the mountain. If you want to stop, go ahead, just be aware of people behind you and coming down the mountain. Yeah, you can ride B-line to warm up if you want but compared to the sketchy loose steep stuff in Utah you will be in traction heaven, and nothing is really that steep unless it's your choice to hit something optional. Enjoy, wish I was going too...
PS, I'm 34 man, unless things really deteriorate in the next couple of years, 36 is NOT an old fart, so rock it.
PS, I'm 34 man, unless things really deteriorate in the next couple of years, 36 is NOT an old fart, so rock it.