Retallack - the world acclaimed backcountry catskiing destination, and Riley McIntosh – previous founder of Rilor Wilderness, renowned trail builder and mountain biker; have teamed up to offer a unique backcountry mountain biking experience.
Retallack is already hard at work developing new trails, hiring and training professional guides, and preparing its operations for the initial season debut in July that runs until October. Customers will be able to access descents of up to 5,000 vertical feet via a combination of off-road vehicles and helicopters. Luxury food and accommodations will be provided at Retallack’s 11,000 sq ft lodge - located in the heart of the Selkirk Mountains, and accessible by car approximately one hour north of Nelson, BC.
“I am so stoked that customers will now be able to experience epic backcountry trails, gourmet food, luxury accommodation, and a freeride mountain bike experience that dreams are made of,” Mr McIntosh said.
“I can’t wait to share the flowing trails, with nothing but miles of winding single-track separating them from a fully stocked bar, gourmet dinner, hot tub, sauna, and massage waiting at the bottom – all for a package value that is comparable to what you’d spend on a typical bike park trip,” he said.
Retallack General Manager, Phil Pinfold, said that the company’s first priority is to build on Retallack’s reputation for outstanding terrain by providing exceptional service to both new and existing customers. Packages and trails will be geared towards both intermediate and advanced riders.
“We are really excited that Riley has joined the Retallack team and shares our Kootenay vibe. We feel that his involvement and input will be of massive benefit to us and freeriders alike,” he said.
Retallack Director, Kevin Arcuri, said that its owners and management team were thrilled to be pioneers in the guided backcountry mountain biking industry and that its summer mountain biking operations would mirror the professionalism and safety standards of its winter backcountry catskiing operations.
“We are dedicated to providing the highest quality backcountry experience to our customers. Retallack is 100% owned by expert skiers, snowboarders, and mountain bikers – including legendary freeskiers Seth Morrison and Tanner Hall. All of our decisions are thus made by riders, for riders,” he said.
Retallack Chairman, Chris McNamara, stressed the company would take care to ensure that its mountain biking operations were in keeping with the company’s status as one of the greenest backcountry destinations in Canada.
“Retallack has committed to a multi-year expansion plan. We have the skills, talent and commitment necessary to make this successful, while ensuring that the company remains an industry leader in terms of environmental and safety practices,” he said.
For additional information and reservations go to www.retallack.com.
Cat and Heli skiing are things that I dream of in the Winter, then snap back to reality and head to the local hill for a $50 pass to ride with a few thousand "friends". I like this idea and am hoping that it is a lot more affordable than a snow trip and if that is the case, then you can expect more folks to give it a go. Nice work Retallack and Riley!
looks awesome !!! Hopefully the prices will work out similar to a Whistler trip as stated in the article, but I can see it ending up at a yuppie/upscale price point...lodge, fully stocked beer fridges, hot tubs, heli's and guides don't come cheap....definitely on my to-do list though....on a side note it looks like Baldface have dropped their summer program, as there's nothing showing on their website any more, hopefully I'm wrong and they're still offering packages....definitely heading out to the Koots soon
That was legend! Not sure when the blokes will be back, but I hope it's not too long. Those guys are the most fun crew you could ever hope to have out.
Very very killer looking place and trails..beautiful forests.......time to save up some money and time off !! The only place in Canada I have been biking is Monte St. Anne and Bromont, and while I know they are not BC or shore riding, they were and are great places to rail some technical stuff. SO I am looking forward to maybe being able to get out to this place for a bit of a stay...Nice work I hope it succeeds !
never been to retallack or any cat operation but I'd say it's 19 and up because of the apres. minors might kinda kill the whole vibe in the lodge. I could be wrong.
Ok, the director's commentary on Life Cycles says the trail in that section is Powerslave in Nelson, BC. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that isn't where Retallack is...
15 minutes from my house! Riley was trying to get a guiding operation going in the Slocan Lake area, just south of New Denver. It created a few ripples with the locals(riders included) so I think the idea of hooking up with a company like Retallack which already has a tenure in place made sense.
There are no "Rilor Trails" in the Slocan Lake area except for Tunnelvision (see roller coaster pic above) which Rilor has been asked to remove by the province. The trails that Rilor was using last year are established trails built by locals and open to anyone. Some are shuttle rides, some are ride ups and most are both. You don't need a stock market porfolio or a huge wad of petrodollars to ride here, just a cool vibe. Locals will happily shuttle friendly visitors.
