9 Vancouver Winter Activities that Adrenaline Junkies Will Love

January 5, 2022

5 min read

Person climbing an icy rock face wearing a yellow helmet, orange jacket, black pants, and yellow crampons, using an ice axe.

Warm-up this winter in Vancouver by getting your blood pumping with an adrenaline rush. Try extreme sports like ice climbing and bungee jumping, ride a snowmobile or bobsled, or soar through the air on a zipline or helicopter. You won’t want to miss these adventurous Vancouver winter activities.

Hit a Terrain Park

Challenge yourself to get some air under your skis or snowboard this winter with a visit to a terrain park. Mount Seymour, Grouse Mountain, Cypress Mountain, and Whistler Blackcomb each have multiple terrain parks with features ranging from beginner to expert so you can hit the jumps, bumps, rails, and boxes. If you want to try some extreme features, head to Whistler Blackcomb to ride the huge 18-foot-tall half-pipe.

A person in black clothing performing a high jump trick on skis above a snowy ramp with a city and water body in the background at dusk.

Zipline Through the Snow

Ziplining isn’t just a summer activity! Bundle up warm, then strap into a harness and fly through the snowflakes in Whistler. Both Superfly Ziplines and Ziptrek can get you flying.

Two people ziplining over a snowy forest with snow-covered mountains in the background.

Try Ice Climbing

Have you ever wanted to climb a frozen waterfall? It might seem extreme, but with the help of expert guides, some crampons, and an ice axe, even beginners can make it a reality. Book a trip with Mountain Skills Academy & Adventures. They’ll lead you to an icy waterfall near Squamish or Whistler, supply all the safety gear, and coach you up the wall.

A person wearing a blue helmet and patterned jacket ice climbing on a frozen waterfall with two people belaying below in snowy forest.

Ride an Olympic Bobsled

Did you know you can ride on the 2010 Winter Olympic bobsled track in Whistler? You’ll climb into a 4-person bobsled with a trained pilot and hurtle down the track, hitting speeds up to 125km an hour! Book your ride through the Whistler Sliding Centre, a non-profit organization that helps future Olympians train in bobsled, luge, and skeleton.

Four-person bobsled team in black helmets riding a red bobsled on an ice track.

Go Flightseeing

See the snowy mountains from the air on a helicopter flightseeing tour with Blackcomb Helicopters in Whistler. You’ll fly over 12,000-year-old glaciers and finish the tour with a unique mountain top landing.

Person standing with arms raised next to a red helicopter on snowy mountain terrain under a partly cloudy sky.

Bungee Jump into a Frozen River Canyon

Add in a snowy scene, and bungee jumping can seem almost serene. Well okay, there’s not much serenity to be found in plunging 50 meters off a bridge, but the winter wonderland around you might distract you from your fear of heights! Whistler Bungee offers jumps all winter long from their bridge over the frozen Cheakamus River.

Person in red jacket bungee jumping over a snowy forested river canyon with another person watching from the platform.

Go Snowmobiling

Explore the backcountry on a snowmobile. It’s an easy way to go deep into BC’s wilderness while getting a bit of an adrenaline rush as you drive a powerful machine. Don’t forget your camera to capture the spectacular mountain views. Both Canadian Wilderness Adventures and The Adventure Group offer snowmobile tours in the Whistler area.

Four people riding snowmobiles on a snowy mountain trail with snow-covered trees and mountains under a blue sky.

Drive Your Own Dog Sled

Go dashing through the snow in a dog sled. After a professional musher helps you harness up a team of adorable sled dogs, you’ll ride in a cozy sleigh and even have a chance to drive the team yourself. Contact Canadian Wilderness Adventures to book a trip through the old-growth forests of the Callaghan Valley near Whistler.

Person standing on a dog sled with another person sitting wrapped in a red blanket, pulled by six dogs through snowy landscape with pine trees.

Try Backcountry Skiing

Leave the crowds at the resort behind and ski tour into the Whistler backcountry with the help of an experienced guide from Mountain Skills Academy. If you’ve never backcountry skied before, you can enroll in an intro course to learn the basics including both uphill and downhill techniques.