Sunsets, connections, and high alpine adventure—a night on Whistler Blackcomb
Words :: Feet Banks
Whistler BC, a warm summer Saturday night in mid-August. The Village is vibrating with excited patio-ers, families on post-dinner ice cream missions, and no fewer than six separate stagette parties of brides-to-be and their closest, squealiest friends. Gone are the tacky penis-shaped straws/hats/glass/whatever popular at such events around the turn of the millennium, replaced instead by choreographed dance routines, R-rated group singalongs, silver sequined jackets and/or veils, total merriment, and, yes, lots of squealing. Everyone seems to be having a hell of a good time.
Up on top of Whistler Mountain, beneath a smattering of stars and a plump almost-full moon periodically peering through rolling clouds, there’s an entirely different kind of fun to be had at the second annual Helly Hansen Summit Sleepover. Essentially the best Whistler camping trip ever, the Summit Sleepover offers ten lucky contest winners and their guests the opportunity to do something very few people ever experience—spend a night in a tent on Whistler Mountain within ski area boundaries.
Add in a mountaintop feast, a live musical performance, sunset s’mores and a thrilling rip up the Via Ferrata to Whistler Peak (with charcuterie for après) and the right clothing for whatever mother nature has in store, and the result is extraordinary.
“I think the sleepover is a combination of a really good spiritual retreat and the excitement of adventuring in the mountains,” says Sarah Personne, retail store manager for both Whistler Helly Hansen stores. A relatively new resident to town, Personne adds that her first Summit Sleepover delivered in ways she wasn’t expecting. “It expanded my experience here—not just in these mountains, but with the whole community. It just showcases so much of what makes Whistler special.”
Contest winners mostly hailed from around British Columbia but there were participants from Spain, UK and the Czech Republic intermixed with a few media members, an influencer or two, born-and-raised local photographer Michael Overbeck, and some key Helly Hansen and Whistler Blackcomb staff to ensure everything ran smoothly.
“Breathing life into an event in the mountains isn’t just about planning,” explains Sleepover mastermind and Helly Hansen Canada Brand & Customer Marketing Manager Courtney Tennant. “It’s about creating an extraordinary experience where the grandeur of nature meets the thrill of adventure. “
And the thrills started early. Sleepover guests gathered Saturday morning at Whistler’s largest Helly Hansen store to get equipped for the adventure ahead—basically a shopping spree of top-notch gear to protect them from sun, rain, sleet and everything in between.
“It was such a fun vibe meeting the guests,” Personne says. “They arrived and realized we were gearing them up from head to toe. They were exchanging items and sizes off the rack so everyone had the perfect fit and would be going up the mountain with gear they were excited about, not just a random grab bag.”
Mountain weather that day was sunny and mild so one of the hottest ticket items was the Men’s Lifa® Active Solen Graphic Hoodie, a sweat-wicking, odor-resistant, super lightweight top that offers UPF 50 sun protection and somehow (magically) isn’t too hot even with the hood pulled up in the blazing sun over Whistler Peak.
After gearing up, the crew headed up the Blackcomb Gondola then crossed the iconic PEAK2PEAK gondola (world’s longest unsupported span for a lift of this kind, also the highest lift of its kind, and part of the world’s longest continuous lift system) before pitching camp in an alpine meadow a short hike from the Whistler Roundhouse. Official introductions were made while nearby hikers and mountain visitors looked on with envy—no one is allowed to camp in that spot, ever, unless they’re part of the Summit Sleepover. (Plus, we had propane fire pits and benches with faux white fur blankets).
New friendships began to forge and then it was time to get some air beneath our toes and scurry up the sheer cliffs of Whistler Peak on the Via Ferrata with guides from the Mountain Skills Academy & Adventures. Italian for “the iron way”, a via ferrata is a system of metal (rebar) ladder rungs anchored into the rock. Led by a guide who can speak to the geology (or biology) of the area as easily as the task ahead, climbers ascended in small teams, clipping their dual tethers into short sections of continuous safety cables along the way. Almost immediately the Via Ferrata gets you into that dry-mouthed excited feeling of looking down and seeing a whole lot of air beneath your toes.
“That was way spicier than I remember,” exclaimed photographer Mike Overbeck at the top. And it was. With enough stoke to build an appetite, it was time for après (or a short nap) then onto dinner, a mountain-top feast in the Whistler Roundhouse. Fresh-sliced prime rib (with two kinds of horseradish) dominated most plates but the candied salmon kale Caesar salad held its own too. (And more than a few Sleepover guests opted to garnish their meals with a scoop of ultra-creamy mac and cheese from the kid’s buffet for an added culinary adventure.)
Post-dinner conversations focused on adventures past, present and future while one of the finest sunsets of the summer (they are always so much better up at elevation!) materialized across the Whistler Valley. Then it was back to camp for s’mores, refreshments, laughs and a private concert by Jenna Mae Music.
The fall of darkness brought cooler temps and more clouds as a fat orange moon clambered over the eastern ridgeline while Summit Sleepover guests donned their insulated layers and kept the party going. (“The Odin Hooded Insulator is essential,” Personne says. “Smart, light, packable and warm. Everyone should have one of those.”)
But one thing about the mountains: They are always in charge. At one point Whistler Blackcomb Ski Patrol arrived to explain that a lightning storm was approaching the area, and if it came too close, we’d have to relocate to a safer space inside the Roundhouse restaurant. And at 4 am, with rain beginning to smatter down, that’s exactly what happened. With weather instruments recording lightning strikes within 70 kilometres of the ski resort and rapidly approaching, safety took priority as Whistler Blackcomb staff shuttled our entire crew, with sleeping pads and bags, to safety.
“Sleeping in the Roundhouse!” Overbeck enthused. “Man, this would have been a dream come true for 12-year-old me!” That sense of wonder, of doing another “first time ever” thing, kept everyone’s spirits high through the relocation and right into coffee and breakfast the next morning. “High in the alpine, every moment is elevated,” says Tennant, when asked about her favourite part of this year’s Summit Sleepover on Whistler Blackcomb. “Every detail is magnified, and every memory is forged against this breathtaking backdrop of mountains, but what truly makes it unforgettable are the people. The smiles of the guests when they first arrive at camp with full bags and eager anticipation. The sweat of the Whistler Blackcomb team as they toil beside us, navigating logistics and backup plans. The support and brilliance of our Helly Hansen team members, each of whom brings boundless energy and a true passion to elevate each other. THIS is what makes all the challenges that transpire behind the scenes worth it.”
New to these mountains and coming out of her first-ever Summit Sleepover, Sarah Personne agrees. “For me, the best part were the new people I met and all the conversations I had. Each one felt so special.” Personne brought her own passion to the weekend in the form of an instant, Polaroid-style camera, taking photos of every guest and gifting them to each person at the end of the adventure. “We live in such a high-speed society,” she says, “and this event is such a unique way for all of us to just unplug and soak in the experience and connect to ourselves and to nature and to each other. It’s so valuable to just slow down. That is what camping is all about right?”
Yes, it is. Especially when it comes with comfy gear, vertical adventure and a prime rib dinner. Helly Hansen Summit Sleepover is something to squeal about.
Be sure to follow Helly Hansen on Instagram and watch for more exciting events coming your way, including the 3rd annual Summit Sleepover — launching spring 2025!
