Industry News
Summer camps on the Horstman Glacier at Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia, have long been indispensable for anyone who wants to ski and ride in the summer. Located high on Blackcomb Peak, the glacier typically opens from early June to mid-July for freestyle and race camps. It is one of only a few places in North America where you can ski and ride in the summer.
Now, Momentum Camps, a historic summer skiing staple, has announced in a blog post that its operations on the Horstman Glacier at Whistler Blackcomb are indefinitely suspended. The decision comes as Whistler Blackcomb has confirmed that it can no longer maintain summer glacier skiing due to snowpack depletion and glacial recession, which have impacted safety and lift access.
Momentum Camps have been a breeding ground for freestyle skiing talent for over three decades, helping athletes transition from grassroots development to World Cup, X-Games, and Olympic podiums. What started with just 43 campers in 1992 had grown to over 1,200 participants by 2023. Over the years, some of the biggest names in freeskiing have graced the camp as coaches, shaping the next generation of skiers and snowboarders.
With the indefinite suspension of Horstman Glacier operations, Momentum is now forced to rethink its future. This marks the second consecutive year without summer camps on the glacier, following a previous cancellation in 2024 due to low snowfall. In 2020 and 2021, it was closed chiefly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even before that, the resort struggled for many years to open the glacier due to melting snow and glacier retreat, so to some, this is no surprise. While the closure initially seemed temporary, it has become clear that the challenges posed by a warming climate require long-term solutions.
Momentum’s director previously proposed potential fixes, including reengineering the Horstman Glacier’s T-bar lift and implementing snowmaking to compensate for declining natural snowfall. While the latest announcement did not specify whether those solutions are still being explored, Momentum has confirmed that discussions with Whistler Blackcomb are ongoing to find a way to bring summer skiing back.
Despite this setback, Momentum is not giving up. Instead, the camp is shifting focus to its Spring in May Camps, offering moguls, park, hybrid, all-mountain, and snowboard programs on Blackcomb Mountain. These camps provide full-day skiing and riding with faster lift access, expanded terrain, and top-tier coaching. Participants can still experience Momentum’s legendary training environment, with access to the Gemini Freestyle Center’s landing bag and dedicated mogul course.
While Momentum works toward a long-term solution, other summer ski options remain available at Timberline Lodge in Oregon and Woodward Copper in Colorado. However, for those who have made Momentum a summer tradition, the loss of Horstman Glacier skiing marks the end of an era—at least for now.
