I love biking - and I love skiing. So far, skiing has usually lost out in winter, as my longing for sunshine and warmth outweighed my desire to ski. But perhaps the two could be combined? An advert for an airline got me thinking about Canada. During my research, I came across Squamish in British Columbia. The small town is just 40 minutes away from the winter sports paradise of Whistler, but the climate there is completely different, as Squamish is located at the end of Howe Sound, a fjord that allows the Pacific Ocean to reach far inland. The sea acts like a huge central heating system here and softens the climate.
Like emigrants, my friend Nathan and I arrive in Squamish. We heave our mountain of bulky luggage out of the shuttle bus and pile it up in an empty car park right next to the Sea-to-Sky Highway. This highway is famous among mountain bikers, as bike park fans from all over the world make the pilgrimage from Vancouver to their mecca Whistler in summer. Our destination, Squamish, is practically at the pee break between the airport and the superlative bike park. We look after the bus as it drives away, a little wistful, because we both have unforgettable memories of Whistler. Now it's Squamish. Let's see what the next five weeks bring. I'm hoping for lots of good days in the snow and on the trails - and I hope to meet lots of cool people. Because experience has taught me that whether you have fun in a foreign country is closely linked to who you meet.
Less than two minutes later, a pick-up truck honks at us. It's Nathan's photographer colleague Fraser Britton, who lives in Squamish. Neither Nathan nor Fraser knew we were coming. Over the next few days, it turns out that some VIPs from the mountain bike scene have set up camp in our neighbourhood. Miranda Miller, Brandon Semenuk and Darcy Turenne live in Squamish, Remy Metallier, Thomas Vanderham, Brett Tippie and Micayla Gatto in the neighbourhood. So we can't be that wrong with our choice, the area must have something - and I'm already looking forward to finding out exactly what it is.
I would be lying if I said the winter in Squamish was particularly mild. Mild as we know it from Italy. No, on an average winter day it rains in Squamish and snows in Whistler. That's the only difference. For die-hard Canadians, this may feel like the Italian Riviera, but not for me. That was disappointment number 1. Disappointment number 2: We make the mistake of travelling to Whistler to ski at the weekend. The Olympic ski resort is like a madhouse. We stand our feet flat in endless lift queues, pay a horrendous 120 euros for a day ticket and can't find any of the world-famous champagne powder. Our decision: we'd rather go biking after all.
Admittedly, the conditions are anything but cosy, but once you've been swallowed up by the dream forest with its moss-covered trees and many mysterious sounds, you won't want to get out any time soon. There are trails everywhere. It's a fun labyrinth of paths that are only designed for mountain bikes. That's a huge difference to the hiking trails we cycle on in Europe. The only disadvantage is that there are no lifts. In Squamish, we have to pedal up everywhere ourselves, push or hump if necessary, as many paths are steep and littered with slippery roots. But that's a price we're happy to pay. Because there's nothing else to complain about. The trails look as if trail gnomes with hoes and spades had recently brought everything into top condition. Many boggy areas are covered with narrow wooden planks, which really gave us a hard time at the start. One wrong move and even waterproofs no longer help. Funnily enough, the fact that it is mostly wet, often raining lightly and we rarely see the sun hardly bothers us.
As different as the trails are, as creative and funny are their names and the corresponding signposting. Our favourite trails are: Cakewalk, Somewhere over There, Tinder or Your Mum and Fred. However, we only rode a few trails twice in the five weeks. Because there are simply too many.
And then there are all the other things you have to do in Squamish - including us, of course. This definitely includes a hike up the gigantic rock that watches over the small town: the Chief, a 700 metre high granite boulder. We don't meet anyone here either. We feel as if we are completely alone in the wilderness. A feeling that is completely foreign to us in densely populated Europe.
Our most impressive biking experience was on a trail that you won't find on any map - it's called Britannia. The exhausting, miserable 800 metre ascent on a gravel road starts about 10 kilometres before Squamish and ended for us above the snow line. The descent is almost endless and peppered with large rocks, some of which you can and should drive over if you are travelling with locals and don't want to be labelled a wimp.
We rode equally impressive "rock rollers" a few days later in Pemberton. There is a similarly large trail network there. The small town is just over an hour's drive from Squamish, but is well known in the mountain bike scene. And rightly so, because here, further inland, the climate is more stable and the trails are sandier. We worked our way up the legendary "Nimby Climbing Trail" and during the whole uphill I wondered why we can't manage to build such a fun uphill trail back home in Europe. At the top, we see a rusty trumpet. It has been nailed to a tree and marks the "Rusty Trumbone" trail. On the descent, I can only cheer - what an awesome rollercoaster this trail is. After bike experiences like this, I seriously think about emigrating. Although it has to be said: We had a mild winter and luckily we were actually always able to go biking - mostly wrapped up in rain gear though. I was already impressed by Squamish in the mucky season - it's hard to imagine how amazing this trail paradise must be in summer.
In short: I've seen a lot, but if there's an outdoor heaven on earth, then for me it's Squamish.
Interview with Steffi Marth: "Nothing like it"
Biking to Canada in winter - a bit unusual, isn't it?
Not if you want to combine skiing and biking. And that worked well. We were lucky enough to have a mild winter - and in the end we did more biking than skiing.
How many trails are there in Squamish?
I can't give you a number, but so many that we couldn't drive them all in 5 weeks.
When you think of Canada, you inevitably think of extreme stunts. Are the trails there very demanding?
Yes, there are double-diamond trails with crazy stunts. They were unrideable for me. But that's only 5 per cent. All the trails are labelled according to difficulty; there's something for everyone.
How do you find the trails?
You need an app called Trailforks. Not only can you find the trails, but you can also see how difficult they are. This app is an absolute must in Canada; it also works in Whistler or on the Northshore. What's special about Squamish is that you don't just ride up and back down, but one trail leads to the next - it's a huge, interconnected network.
Which bike do you recommend?
An enduro bike is sufficient for most trails, but there are also big bikers who shuttle and concentrate on the difficult trails.
Which trails can the Squamish trails be compared to?
There's nothing like it. That's why Squamish is such a trail paradise. It's also down to the trail culture there. Everything is well maintained.
You were also on the road in Pemberton. What was that like?
The trail network in Pemberton is somewhat smaller than in Squamish, but also incredibly good. The town itself is the dog's nest, Squamish offers much more.
Do you occasionally meet a pro on the trail?
That can happen, but the trail network is so extensive that it hasn't happened to us. Unless we made a specific appointment.
With whom?
With Thomas Vanderham, for example.
What's it like to bike with such a superhero?
Totally relaxed.
Was he able to give you some tips?
Yes, I squeezed him out straight away, because in my eyes Vanderham has a great style. As I don't just want to ride fast, but also beautifully, that was particularly exciting. He showed me the inverted tabletop. It's very important that your knee is on the frame.
