The Arbutus Routes - Westside Dessert Platter XC (Intermediate) route

This route is a simple guide, directions can change with interpretation. If you're unsure about directions or difficulty we highly encourage you to grab a guide on one of our daily Singletrack Tours.

A Westside Intermediate/Advanced XC loop for those looking for a fun adventure in the Valley.


Head left onto Blackcomb Way road and then immediately take a right down the ‘Blackcomb Way Valley Trail’ Follow this left under the Lorimer Road bridge. Take the next two left turns taking you over the Fitzimmons Creek Bridge- follow the Valley Trail from here as it leads along ‘Lorimer Road’. Climb up to the 4 way junction with traffic lights and cross straight over continuing on 'Lorimer Road'.

Once you start descending lorimer road, you will cross over a junction and then turn right after a short descent up the entrace climb into Cut yer bars. Keep right then left at the two main junctions staying on 'Cut yer bars'. Descend and keep left to follow 'Myrtle Phillips Feeder' past the school and back onto Lorimer Road.

Back on Lorimer Road go right and follow this down and take a right descending ‘Lorimer Road Valley trail’. Eventually you will meet a car park where you will take a right and cross the railway line, once you cross the railway go left and climb the steeper crushed gravel, keeping first right and then taking a left into the forest onto ‘Short Connector’. Take a right as you join the ‘Access Road FSR’ and follow this ,keeping left, to the road as it passes several trail entrances.

Take a right along ‘Alta lake road’ looking left for the entrance into ‘Barts Dark Trail’ not long after, take this turn. ‘Barts Dark’ has several fun wooden features, small jumps and drops. At the end of the fast section you will take a left at the fork and follow the trail into ‘A River Runs Through It (RRTI)’. You will pass a few woodwork features and eventually cross a large wooden bridge, soon after the bridge take the turn right onto ‘Rainbow Express’ a fun trail cutting out many of the less inviting aspects of a ‘RRTI’

At the end of ‘Rainbow express you can either take a right and join the road to skip out some more of the flat technical riding, or head straight into ‘RRTI’ to finish in rainbow car park.

From Rainbow carpark you are looking to rejoin ‘Alta Lake Road’ heading south looking for the entrance for ‘Whip me Snip me’ on the right. Climb to the first junction and take the left to join ‘Hot Dog Alley’. At the end of ‘Hot Dog Alley’ Take a right and descend the ‘Scotia Creek' to ‘Alta Lake Road’. Take a right on the road and follow for a while until you take a second right to climb on the ‘West Side Powerlines FSR’.

Once on the FSR you will look to join the singletrack climb up ‘Piece of Cake’ which begins on your right, continue up this following as it crosses the FSR multiple times taking you onto ‘Ala mode'.

Once you complete ‘Ala mode’ the trails continue to flow one after the other. Continue on to 'Salted Caramel' 'Whipped Cream' 'Cherry on Top' 'Green Jello', head left to join the ‘Lower Sproatt FSR’ follow until you take the right onto ‘Whipped Cream’ then onto ‘Cherry on top’ into ‘Greenjello’. At the exit of ‘Green Jello’ you can choose to take a more technical descent down ‘99er’ with some bigger rock roll features, dropping you lower down the same road ‘Stonebridge Drive’ or head further along ‘Lower Sproatt FSR’ taking a right to descend down ‘Beaver Nova'.


At the end of beaver Pond head uphill on Stonebridge Drive past the "Danimal North" trailhead. You will pickup the "Beaver Pass" trail running on the right hand side of the road, it will climb up under the powerlines once there you are looking to join the trail ‘A Cut Above’ to the right which works primarily as a climbing trail, taking care at this point for oncoming riders, ensuring you give right of way to climbing riders.

Descend the tight corners and woodwork of ‘A Cut Above’ joining ‘Whip me Snip me’ at the bottom. You will go Left and uphill a this point, completing the climb descend past the water treatment station and then take the left to descend into the beginning of ‘27 switchbacks’’. Cross the large bridge into the climb and head right at the top to continue the trail into ‘Rainbow Falls Loop’, there is the option to take a much more technical descent to the far right, down ‘Binty’s’.?

Descend Rainbow Falls Loop which provides some excellent berms and flow trail, continuing right and down at the junction with ‘Bob’s rebob’ to descend to the carpark at the bottom.

From this point, take a right on ‘Alta Lake Road’ to return to ‘Rainbow Park’. From the park follow the valley trail back to the village.