Garbanzo Express Opening Dates
Garbanzo Express usually opens on or within a few days of Whistler Mountain’s opening day. It was an opening-day lift in 2022-23 and was running by 27 November in 2024-25. It is not quite as certain as Emerald or the Village Gondola, but it rarely waits long.
Where Garbanzo Express sits in the opening order
Garbanzo climbs 669 m — the largest single-chair vertical on Whistler Mountain — up the steeper, more heavily gladed mid-mountain between the Creekside and Village sides.
It is a storm-day favourite. Sheltered, treed and steep, it holds snow and visibility when the alpine is unrideable, and locals head straight for it on a big day.
It appears in some opening-day lists and not others, which suggests it goes when the lower runs have filled in rather than being guaranteed on day one. In 2024-25 it was running by 27 November, five days after the mountain opened.
Garbanzo Express at a glance
| Lift type | Four-person high-speed detachable quad |
|---|---|
| Built | 1999, Doppelmayr |
| Vertical rise | 669 m — the largest single-chair vertical on Whistler Mountain |
| Length | 2,156 m |
| Ride time | About 7 minutes 50 seconds |
| Capacity | 2,800 people per hour |
| Terrain served | Steep mid and lower mountain pitches and glades, including the Bear Paw and Little Whistler flanks |
| Summer | Runs for the Whistler Mountain Bike Park |
Historical opening dates
Whistler Blackcomb does not publish a per-lift opening archive, so these dates come from the resort’s own Terrain Alert announcements and from archived snapshots of its lift status feed.
| Season | Opened | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 24 November 2022 | Opening-day lift |
| 2023-24 | Not in the opening-day list | Running by 7 December |
| 2024-25 | By 27 November 2024 | Named in the terrain update alongside Harmony |
| 2025-26 | By 1 January 2026 | Still closed on 2 December |
| 2026-27 | On or shortly after 20 November 2026 |
What Garbanzo Express needs to open
Garbanzo’s terrain is gladed and reaches lower down the mountain than Emerald, so it needs more cover than the mid-mountain lifts before it can run. That is why it sometimes appears on opening day and sometimes a week later.
What to expect for 2026-27
Whistler Blackcomb has confirmed a target opening day of Friday 20 November 2026, conditions permitting.
Treat every date on this page as a planning window rather than a fixed commitment. Lift openings are decided on the morning, on the basis of snow depth, avalanche control work, wind and visibility.
When does Garbanzo Express close?
Garbanzo runs to the end of Whistler Mountain’s season, in recent years between 14 and 21 April. It also runs through the summer for the bike park.
Common questions
When does Garbanzo Express open at Whistler?
Usually on or within a few days of opening day. It was an opening-day lift in 2022-23 and running by 27 November in 2024-25.
Is Garbanzo good on a storm day?
It is one of the best options at the resort. It is sheltered, treed and steep, so it holds snow and visibility when the alpine is on wind hold.
Does Garbanzo have the biggest vertical at Whistler?
It has the largest single-chair vertical on Whistler Mountain at 669 m, more than Peak Express, Harmony or Big Red.