It’s time to run away to the wilderness! This morning you’ll don our riding gear and head out to the start of the trailhead, where you’ll meet your amazing wranglers, support crew, and of course the horses! If you’ve arranged the transfer service, you’ll be picked up from your hotel in Whistler at around 8.15am.

Arriving at the trailhead at 9:30, you’ll get the low-down on the day’s plan, be paired up with your steeds and hit the trail for a 15 kilometre (9.3 mile) ride. With alpine forests, crystalline streams and views to die for, today’s journey is sure to get your globetrotting hearts thudding! You’ll climb about 2,000 feet in total, pausing for a saddlebag-packed lunch at an extraordinary lookout point, before arriving at the base camp near Birkenhead Lake in the afternoon. Here you’ll be reunited with your luggage, and if you’ve made it in good time and the weather permits, you might be tempted to take a dip in the river near camp before the sun sets. 

The base camp is equipped with a hot shower, composting toilet, covered kitchen and dining area and platform tents to keep you warm and dry in the chilly Canadian nights. A hearty dinner will be cooked over the campfire as the stars emerge between the peaks.

Over the next two days, the order of the trails you ride is interchangeable depending on the weather. Each day will begin with a filling cooked breakfast and end at base camp with another tasty supper and a good night’s sleep. 

On one day, you’ll visit the Li-lik-hel mine, trailering the horses to the starting point of the trail then climbing about 6,000 feet to the historic mine site. You’ll be following the route that was originally cut by the miners and then pounded in by horses transporting the gold ore in the early 1900s. Reaching the mine site, you’ll be able to explore it on foot and see how the old miners extracted gold ore by following the veins in the rock. The horses will doze beneath the pines while you enjoy a packed lunch with a stunning view over the valley below. Following a different miners’ track back to the trucks, you’ll load the horses and head back to camp, arriving at around 5pm. 

On another day, you’ll mount up at camp and explore the route encircling Birkenhead Lake. With relatively little change in altitude, it’s a cruisey ride through peaceful native forests. There may also be more opportunities to trot and canter due to the smoother terrain. The views across Birkenhead Lake and beyond are picture perfect, especially with Sun God Mountain watching over you from afar. At your lunch stop, you’ll have the chance to cool off in the water, then you’ll ride on around the lake back to camp. 

It’s time to head back to civilisation, booo! After a leisurely breakfast, you’ll pack your bags and mount up for the trip back to the trailhead. There are a number of different trails you can take today, and you can decide which one tickles your fancy in the morning.  You’ll arrive back at the start of the trailhead around 5pm where you’ll bid sad farewells to the horses and wranglers, before heading off on your merry way. 

Remember it’s important to book a night’s accommodation in Whistler at the end of the ride, as you won’t get back there before 6pm in the evening. 

The closest major international airport is Vancouver (YVR), about 2.5hrs drive away. Guests are encouraged to hire a car and drive to the ride location – the Sea to Sky Highway is an incredibly scenic route.

Alternatively, should you prefer to catch a bus from Vancouver to Whistler, a transfer service can be arranged through Whistler Shuttle. The ride hosts can arrange for pick up/drop off at Whistler Hotels for an additional charge of $250 CAD per person round trip. Pick up would be at 8.15am on the morning of day 1. Drop off would be around 6pm on the last day. You are expected to be at the ride location no later than 9.30am on day 1, and won’t finish until around 4pm on day 5, so it is important to arrange accommodation in Whistler both before and after the ride.