During our February 2024 trip to Red Mountain, British Columbia, 5 of us opted for a day of cat skiing with Big Red Cat Skiing. The biggest contributing factors for why we chose them was their price and proximity to Red Resort. The price was $580 USD and that was substantially cheaper than the next closest operation I could find, which was Baldface Valhalla at over 700$.
The meeting area was less than 20 mins from the resort and less than an hour by snowcat to get you up into the zone. We were in the middle of a really poor El Niño year and they were in a particularly bad dry period which meant the terrain was pretty limited. In fact they made it seem like we were riding some of the last sections of untouched pow they had and they might be closing down for a couple days until they got a refresh.

Despite all of that, the snow was mostly great, about 6” of fresh and still soft older pow that preserved well thanks to some consistently low temps. We did get led into several zones that had “ghost” tracks that didn’t quite get a full refresh during the last snow but the riding was still great on those laps… you just have a little higher expectation when your paying for cat skiing. 4/5

The terrain was dope. Even the severely limited terrain we were exposed to was phenomenal. One thing to add, we had a couple individuals in the group that really should’ve lowered the ability level of the experience they signed up for… because not only did they slow us down… which was manageable, but at every instance when the guide offered choices of which area to go to next, those 2 individuals spoke up and chose the weaker option for the entire group. Even at times when the guide was very clearly phrasing it for the group to pick the other option. It was super frustrating and made you feel like we weren’t even riding the best terrain we could be in these depleted conditions. However, they did have an insane number of acres that they logged and prepped and with regular British Columbia conditions I think the terrain would be top notch. 4/5

Not really much to say about the snowcat. It was a newer model. Appropriately fast. It fit us comfortably. Had tunes. Our guides gave out some snacks and a choice of wraps to eat. Had a basket for all the boards n skis… Don’t know what else there is to improve upon for a Cat. 5/5

Overall never felt unsafe during our day. We did some basic avalanche drills before we started the day, and never needed to use them outside of that. Everyone was also given a beacon, shovel and probe as well as a Rocky Talkie and were encouraged to use it when needed. That actually made a big difference for our group which regularly uses walkie talkies on the mountain. So multiple times I would be the first guy after the guide and could radio and warn my buddies of super abrupt creek beds or other obstacles on my track that I knew would send them tumbling as they’d most likely follow my line closely. 5/5

The guiding was great. The lead guide communicated well and was very clear about where we could stretch out and explore on our own, and when we needed to be right on his track. Also gave us several opportunities for some appropriately sized cliff drops, and always had a way down for the ones that weren’t about that life. Tail guide was great too. 2 of us got separated for a brief moment but she did a good job of sticking to us and knew where to take us to link back up with the group quickly. And she wasn’t a dick about how we ended up over there to begin with. Lol 5/5

As the cheapest cat skiing operation I could find in that area and honestly one of the cheapest ones anywhere, how could you not get a 5/5 in Value. Especially with all the price hikes after Covid, $580 was a steal.

Fun Factor is a weird category for me, several things took away from the overall experience. The snow quality compared to what it should’ve been when paying for cat skiing was somewhat weak… that was my 3rd time cat skiing, and while the other 2 were in Japan, the snow and ghost tracks were disappointing. And the fact that we signed up for an “advanced” day and were mixed with 2 people that were essentially plowing down every run was rough. I still give it a 4 because both things were mostly out of their hands… but its not a perfect 5.

I would absolutely go back and ride with them again… as always… hopefully in better snow.
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Enjoyed a couple days skiing with Big Red Cats in BC. Mostly tree skiing, which I love. Plenty of terrane available to this company to find fresh on each run. My only complaint was the trees were a bit tight for the vertical pitch we were skiing. I had a bit of trouble finding rhythm with my turns. (Frequently I found myself with 8 to 10 turns and then Bushwacking through trees to find an opening). Cut Blocks were a blast when we skied them. Management and Guides were all very nice. Safety was taken seriously. Take note: only water supplied was Hot Water, which made no sense at all. Plan on bringing your own H2O!!
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Being a large well-oiled machine has some great advantages, with the most obvious one being the highly likelihood of being matched with those of similar proficiency and speed (because when there’s a mismatch, your day is only half as good). You can pick an ability group to start with, and they may do a little shuffling of guests between snowcats if the fit isn’t quite right.

Being large also enables them to have extra snow safety officer/s in the field, so less of your precious skiing time is wasted waiting for your guide to dig a pit or eyeball a run (only to pick another), plus the safety benefits. It is also assumed that having lots of lead guides adds to the brains trust of knowledge regarding avalanche mitigation.

The safety briefing was done very efficiently and effectively and they have the resources to pull together various snow safety videos to supplement the face to face session.

On this trip, we went out for a couple of days. The snow quality varied a little but overall it was quite lovely without being super deep. One day the guides tried to keep us away from wind affected slopes, and thankfully there was an array of treed areas to choose from. All the runs varied a fair bit. There were only a couple that were super steep and very technical, and others just solidly steep and ideal for letting the boards go a little.

We had an incredible time with BRCs. The skiing was so much fun, the vibe in the snowcat was great, and the stoke kept going during après ski whilst Kieren showed us some pics. We stayed at The Josie Hotel at the base of Red Mountain, which as you’d expect for such a deluxe hotel, really topped off the overall experience.

See our full review of Big Red Cats for more information.
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What an awesome experience we had with Big Red Cats! As first timers, the whole package was a great experience for us! Loved the tree runs with fresh powder down, and enjoyed the professional and organized way the guides kept us safe all day.
Thanks a lot! Jasper from flatland Holland
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Had a day with big red cats on the 29th of December 2018 and what a day it was. I haven't tried heli skiing yet but this must be close.  Really good friendly team,  nobody rushing you and the group was from intermediate to advanced . A few were a good bit better than myself but nobody was rushed and we had between 9 and 11 runs, and the cat in between was good for getting a recharge of the legs.

Would definitely recommend this to anyone as it's probably the most memorable days skiing I have done. And very safe also without being too tame. If you are reading this guys from big red cats,  thanks so much for a great day!
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I stayed with Big red cats for a 5 Day Cat Skiing package over the 2015/16 new years holidays. I was a little apprehensive booking the trip after the lackluster snow years we have had lately. But boy am I glad I did. Mother nature delivered the goods, over 3 feet of fresh powdery goodness. It stopped snowing after my second day but even after 3 days of no fresh snow the guides were still getting us untracked powder.

I have only cat skied with Monarch and Steamboat powdercats so I didnt know what to expect. But i must say it was amazing my first run was 45 degrees and trees. "welcome to BC cat skiing" we did steeps, glades, cliffs from 1 meter to 5 meters. the guides were great the safetey training was very thorough and the lead guides did lot of scouting before we were sent down to check for conditions and terrain. I boarded with a lot of people this trip, that have skied with half the cat and Heli operators in BC and they all had Hi praise for the terrain and experience we had.

I stayed in the Red shutter lodge right next to the cat office and their restaurant "Fresh" for 8 nights stay (single occ) the red shutter is an economy lodging with a nice rustic feel, the walls are a little thin thugh so bring your ear plugs if you're a light sleeper. Hot tub, fireplace, wifi all of the basics. the reasturant was great as well, and close.

I cant wait to book next years trip with them.
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It was the first time in catski and the first winter experience to Canada. I have spent a very great day in these remote Monashee mountains. Snow was excellent, very dry and light. The guides were excellent and friendly. The organisation was very professionnal. We have runned 8 times so it's good money worth.

The terrain was something funny with trees but not too many so you have space to follow your way! Comparing to heliski it is very enjoyable because you ski more and for less money. It is a very good alternative for freeride. I would highly recommend.
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My son and I had the opportunity to ski with BRC in mid-January. Being our first time cat skiing (or in the back country for that matter) I was a little concerned about avalanches and other dangers that exist outside the safety of a ski resort. The overnight snowfall was 20-25 cm on top of a not so stable base and Avalanche Canada had raised the avalanche warning to high. We were also placed in an advanced/expert group and as snowboarders I wasn't sure that we'd be able to keep pace with all of the skiers. Turns out all my worrying was completely unfounded.

Our lead guide, Kauri, did a superb job of keeping us safe and educating us on back country risks and hazards. Our tail guide, Kine, kept us all organized and pointed in the right directing while Kauri scouted ahead to find the best lines. After my first two turns any apprehension I had was gone and all I wanted was to get back in the cat and head up for the next run. We had no problem keeping up with the skiers and everyone in the group was very nice. All-in-all it was probably my best day riding ever. If I lived closer I would certainly be keeping an eye out for open seats whenever a storm rolled through. Hopefully we'll get a chance to cat ski again soon and it will be with BRC.
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First cat ski trip. Will definitely not be my last. Great group equally matched in our cats every day. Great environment, safe and quick pace which I liked. Shredded a ton of terrain.
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Spectacular scenery, great runs and excellent guides. We skied with Big Red Cats for 3 days in January 2013. The snow pack was excellent and despite lack of recent snow, the guides found us some great powder runs.

Big Red Cats have a very well managed operation and access to plenty of varied terrain. The guides made sure that each individual was well taken care of and worked hard to find runs to suit everyone's ability.

We also stayed on the mountain and skied Red Mountain Resort which offered excellent on and off piste skiing. No crowds, advanced terrain, and friendly locals willing to show us around. There is something for everyone at Red Mountain. Would love to go back soon.
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