Escape Route
Addresses:
- Whistler Store
113-4350 Lorimer Road
Whistler, British Columbia - Squamish Store
40222 Glenalder Place
Squamish, British Columbia - Alpine Demo Centre
7-4433 Sundial Place
Whistler, British Columbia
Store Hours:
- Whistler Store:
- Sunday – Thursday: 9am – 6pm
- Friday – Saturday: 9am – 7pm
- Squamish Store:
- Sunday – Saturday: 9am – 6pm
- Alpine Demo Centre
- Sunday – Saturday: 9am – 6pm
- Whistler Store:
Website: ESCAPEROUTE.CA
Email:
- Whistler Store: whistler@escaperoute.ca
- Squamish Store: squamish@escaperoute.ca
- Alpine Demo Centre: adc@escaperoute.ca
Phone:
- Whistler Store: (604) 938-3228
- Squamish Store: (604) 892-3228
- Alpine Demo Centre: (604) 962-3228
Intro
James Retty opened the first Escape Route in Whistler in 1989, with the Squamish store and Alpine Demo Centre following in 2010 and 2017, respectively. With three locations — one of which is dedicated solely to demo gear — Escape Route has an incredible selection of products for backcountry skiers and riders.
The two retail locations are fully stocked for both summer and winter adventures and have ski techs and boot fitters ready to help you dial in your gear. Escape Route knows their customer base and consequently have what you need to travel in the backcountry — regardless of the season.
Brands
Escape Route has top-of-the-line gear for everything from backcountry skiing to ski mountaineering and splitboarding from brands such as DPS, Dynafit, Black Diamond, Arc’teryx, Arbor, Mammut, Hestra, Atomic, G3, Salomon, and Spline Splitboards.
Services
Escape Route offers custom boot fitting services from qualified technicians, skin trimming, tech / AT binding mounts, and tuning services. They were the first DPS Phantom shop in Canada and they also have Mammut and BCA cartridge rental and refill stations.
Ski Demos
Both the Alpine Demo Centre in Whistler and the Squamish store rent everything you need to backcountry ski and ride. With a great selection of demo skis from DPS, G3, RMU, Atomic, Black Diamond, and Dynafit and a mix of AT / tech bindings, it’s tempting to leave your gear at home next time you head to the Whistler area.
They also rent a selection of Scarpa and Dynafit AT boots, splitboards, snowshoes, beacons, probes, shovels, and avy packs.
Online Presence
Escape Route’s website is more than just an e-commerce site. It provides gear reviews, articles like “Ski Touring Essentials for Beginners,” local recommendations, and even recipes for energy bites. In addition to the plethora of information you can find on their site, you can also use it to make reservations for demo gear and purchase new gear.
Bottom Line
With over 30 years of experience recreating in the terrain around the Sea to Sky Corridor and also outfitting customers with gear to do the same, Escape Route is more than just a gear shop — they also offer courses, connect you to guides, lead guided trail runs, and have plenty of recommendations if you’re new to the area or are a local looking to further explore it. And if you happen to be in the area on a Wednesday night, head down to the Squamish store for their weekly ski tour event.
For those in the Squamish or Whistler area, stop by Escape Route and tell them Blister sent you. And if you can’t make it, check out the shop via their online store.