WanLong - the best skiing near Beijing.

On a scale from 0 to 20 (0 = the ski mound in Chaoyang park, 10 = Nanshan)
WanLong is a 14 – If only it were closer to Beijing!

Wanlong offers a wide range of slopes for intermediate/advanced skiers. If you think the intermediate hills at Nanshan are a piece of cake, you are ready for WanLong. There are however no options for beginners. The one beginner hill has a slope so gentle it’s only good for first time skiers. Snowboarders get nothing except a lone kicker but the main attraction is the shredding anyway. The trails are long, wide and well-groomed. They even rotate through the trails for mid-day grooming. This attention to detail did not apply to the mogul run which had deep ruts and icy tops. Don’t miss the fun woods trail weaving through the forest. The top of the mountain has panoramic views of the rugged terrain.

WanLong can get natural snow but largely have the same weather patterns as Beijing so if it’s dry in Beijing it’s dry there too. I went just after two days of snow in Beijing hoping to find a nice new carpet of snow. Instead I found about the same amount Beijing had and the wind had mostly drifted it. Stiff winds are more the norm than the exception.

The 4 hour drive time rules out WanLong for a day trip unless you don’t mind your transport time being more than your ski time. Also you won’t feel you’ve really skied the place without a full day. The best way to tackle WanLong is with a group. You won’t have to worry about transport or lodging and will save more than if you went on your own. What’s more, after the slopes close at 5 sharp there is absolutely nothing to do; no bars, no clubs so a group may offer some entertainment options.

Prices: Listed prices are 240 RMB/4hours for a lift ticket and 390 RMB/4hours rental with lift ticket. Buy a full day or two days for discounts. Even better, go with a group and get a group discount. Substantial price increases on holidays so always check before hand. They accept credit cards but there are no ATMs here so be sure to bring enough cash. In a pinch you can get a cash advance from the ticket desk.

Equipment: Only Salomon skis and boots were on offer and this looks unlikely to change anytime soon as they have some kind of advertisement arrangement going on. Minimal waits getting equipment.

Lodge: The first floor housed the equipment area, a few stores and seating for snacks/drinks. The locker area was cramped and hard to get to if crowded. Upstairs eating area offered a range of Chinese food and pizza. Big windows provide great views of the slopes and there is outdoor seating on the wood deck. It’s hard to find a seat if the place is busy. They solved the lines problem by calling out your number when the order is ready but introduced a new problem; the constant announcements can get annoying. You need to go through the hassle of buying a pre-paid plastic card before you can get food.

The attractive lodge at the top of the mountain had a log cabin motif with nice touches like a faux fireplace and an internet station. You can get a wide range of drinks, jiaozi or noodles. Hot chocolate was available but at 28 RMB I expected a bit more than a 4 oz. cup. The better option is to bring your own cocoa mix and use the complimentary hot water. This lodge is perpetually busy.

Hotel: The on-grounds hotel is top rate but pricey; starting off at 958 RMB/night on weekends. Super cheap hotels are just down the road if you are willing to rough it. There are no mid-range options to span the difference. Go with a group to get discounts on the hotel.

Lifts/Runs:
• One easy hill served by a conveyor belt lift.
• Complex network of intermediate/advanced runs with the lower slopes served by 1 quad lift and 1 double lift and upper slopes also served by 1 quad and 1 double (e.g. to get to the very top you have to take two separate lifts in just under 20 min). You can ski the upper slopes, lower slopes or the full top-to-bottom length of most runs. They claim 21 runs but a lot merge into each other and the far right ones are not yet open.

Getting there and back: WanLong operates a sort-of shuttle service for 200 RMB roundtrip that works like this: you call to reserve a place and they call you back if they have enough people to make it profitable for them. That’s not so great for planning purposes. The shuttle departs Beijing at 7:30 am and departs WanLong at 7:30pm. If you have a large enough group to book a full van you can choose your own times. See the groups section below for more options.

Night skiing: No.

Group Trips:
Sports Beijing – Mostly expat family/children activities goes some weekends. http://www.sportsbj.com/

Beijing Snow Team – Mostly expat ski & snowboard club goes some weekends http://www.localnoodles.com/index/rehto/ski.html

Green Leaf – Chinese outdoor club goes every weekend. The smoke-free coach bus left Friday at 7:30pm from 3rd Ring MaDian qiao and arrived 4 hours later. A price of 775 RMB included round trip bus and 1.5 days of skiing. Hotel options ranged from 100 to 180 RMB per night but even the most expensive was very rustic. If I had to find something good to say about it; it was better than hard sleeper on a train. Saturday night dinner of ShuiYangRou included free flow of beer. http://www.lvye.org/ or call 13683060145 (must speak Chinese)

Sanfo – Chinese outdoor equipment store also organizes outings. Goes every weekend http://www.sanfo.com/ski/ or call 13520408250 (must speak Chinese)

LiuXingRen – Chinese outdoor club goes some weekends. http://www.ifindu.com.cn/ski/