Well, if you missed the second installment of the Benchmark Ski series this past Saturday hope you had a good excuse because it was a blast!!  This time we had 153 skiers of varying abilities and speeds come together for a very social 30km ski and amazing BBQ lunch at the Callaghan Country lodge.



Let me start with the fact there is simply no better value for your money then the Benchmark Ski Series.  At only 10 bucks, you get a trail ticket and BBQ lunch (which I will get to in a moment) but honestly 10 bucks! You can’t beat it.  If you need rentals, well, you can still do the entire day for less than $40 (HST Included!!). That’s right, Trail Ticket, Lunch, Rentals for under 40 bucks! Oh and how could I forget   this…FREE Parking!  Excuse me if I sound like a bad infomercial but good value is hard to come by these days, especially in the expensive world of winter sports.

I recently spent a day with some friends at a certain ski resort somewhere between Squamish and Pemberton (I’m sure you know the one) and was shocked by how expensive it was especially for those who cant afford the $1200 seasons pass. $100 for a lift ticket and $20 for a lunch consisting of a bowl of chili and some pizza! Not to mention the $8 Parking, and rentals if required at nearly $100, is hardly affordable and certainly of questionable value in my humble opinion.

I guess this “Value” comes back to the culture of Callaghan Country; the place just has genuinely good vibes.  There is a truly relaxed laid back feel to the whole place.  Right from check in where I was met by the very friendly Kim and Pixie right through to when I entered the Lodge for the first time I was welcomed by Tim, jumping up and down waving a piece of cardboard around trying to stop the smoke detector from blasting.  I guess 150 burgers is a lot for the kitchen to handle, but Evan, Kristi and Nicole handled the mass of guests with warmth and efficiency.  Expecting a burger served to me on a napkin, I was pleasantly surprised to receive table service including, hot chocolate, juice, chips salsa and a full burger spread, complete with potato salad.  Brad, the owner of Callaghan Country made sure to circulate through the group and check in to see how everyone was doing,  this genuine hospitality really complimented the entire experience.


The lunch break was a great way to connect with other skiers and make new friends.  I was surprised by how many of the participants were relatively new to the sport, and new to the Callaghan.  My friend Dan who had never been up there before mentioned that he will certainly be coming back, but this time he will be taking full advantage of the overnight accommodations and Finnish style sauna.


Callaghan Country really is a relaxing contrast to the somehow hyper corporate feel that seems to permeate certain ski towns these days.  Callaghan Country reminds you of way it should be, very real and very genuine.  The ski itself is pretty spectacular in both terms of the scenery and the physical challenge; the 14km trek into the lodge is almost entirely uphill. (Which also means it’s nearly entirely downhill on the way out) The trails cut through the forest, and up into the alpine, from the lodge you have amazing panoramic views of the mountains and glaciers.


The entire group of skiers seemed to be having an awesome time, and really great weather, great food, new friends and some good exercise will put a smile on just about anyone’s face….

Well, I will be embarking on a trek back into the lodge next week to take full advantage of the Sauna with my good friend Kim, stay tuned…

 More photos available...Callaghan Country's Flickr Collection

Well, if you missed the second installment of the Benchmark Ski series this past Saturday hope you had a good excuse because it was a blast!!  This time we had 153 skiers of varying abilities and speeds come together for a very social 30km ski and amazing BBQ lunch at the Callaghan Country lodge.



Let me start with the fact there is simply no better value for your money then the Benchmark Ski Series.  At only 10 bucks, you get a trail ticket and BBQ lunch (which I will get to in a moment) but honestly 10 bucks! You can’t beat it.  If you need rentals, well, you can still do the entire day for less than $40 (HST Included!!). That’s right, Trail Ticket, Lunch, Rentals for under 40 bucks! Oh and how could I forget   this…FREE Parking!  Excuse me if I sound like a bad infomercial but good value is hard to come by these days, especially in the expensive world of winter sports.

I recently spent a day with some friends at a certain ski resort somewhere between Squamish and Pemberton (I’m sure you know the one) and was shocked by how expensive it was especially for those who cant afford the $1200 seasons pass. $100 for a lift ticket and $20 for a lunch consisting of a bowl of chili and some pizza! Not to mention the $8 Parking, and rentals if required at nearly $100, is hardly affordable and certainly of questionable value in my humble opinion.

I guess this “Value” comes back to the culture of Callaghan Country; the place just has genuinely good vibes.  There is a truly relaxed laid back feel to the whole place.  Right from check in where I was met by the very friendly Kim and Pixie right through to when I entered the Lodge for the first time I was welcomed by Tim, jumping up and down waving a piece of cardboard around trying to stop the smoke detector from blasting.  I guess 150 burgers is a lot for the kitchen to handle, but Evan, Kristi and Nicole handled the mass of guests with warmth and efficiency.  Expecting a burger served to me on a napkin, I was pleasantly surprised to receive table service including, hot chocolate, juice, chips salsa and a full burger spread, complete with potato salad.  Brad, the owner of Callaghan Country made sure to circulate through the group and check in to see how everyone was doing,  this genuine hospitality really complimented the entire experience.


The lunch break was a great way to connect with other skiers and make new friends.  I was surprised by how many of the participants were relatively new to the sport, and new to the Callaghan.  My friend Dan who had never been up there before mentioned that he will certainly be coming back, but this time he will be taking full advantage of the overnight accommodations and Finnish style sauna.


Callaghan Country really is a relaxing contrast to the somehow hyper corporate feel that seems to permeate certain ski towns these days.  Callaghan Country reminds you of way it should be, very real and very genuine.  The ski itself is pretty spectacular in both terms of the scenery and the physical challenge; the 14km trek into the lodge is almost entirely uphill. (Which also means it’s nearly entirely downhill on the way out) The trails cut through the forest, and up into the alpine, from the lodge you have amazing panoramic views of the mountains and glaciers.


The entire group of skiers seemed to be having an awesome time, and really great weather, great food, new friends and some good exercise will put a smile on just about anyone’s face….

Well, I will be embarking on a trek back into the lodge next week to take full advantage of the Sauna with my good friend Kim, stay tuned…

 More photos available...Callaghan Country's Flickr Collection