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Resort Guide

Suitability	Resort height: 675m
Families:		[Yes]
Glacier:		[Yes]
Beginners:		[5]
Intermediates:		[5]
Advanced:		[5]
Snowboarding:		[5]

Whistler was little known only 25 years ago, but for more than a decade now has been one of the most famous ski resorts in the world. Its success is due to a number of factors, not least the fact that it offers the biggest ski area in North America, spread across two mountains, Whistler and Blackcomb. At the same time as Whistler has grown, the company behind its success, Intrawest, has purchased, or helped re-design, more than a dozen ski resorts across North America, and now in to Europe where it has built ski resorts in Les Arcs and Flaine, France.

For many years Whistler also offered the biggest lift-served vertical drop of any North American ski area, although it is due to lose that crown to upstart British Columbian neighbour Revelstoke in the 2008-9 season. However Whistler has a few ace cards remaining up its sleeve – this winter it will open a new million lift, the Peak-to-peak gondola, which will link the two mountains at altitude. The lift will enter the world record books for having the longest single span between two support towers and being the highest above a valley floor (415m). It will also make it easier to get between ski areas without needing to go via the base of the mountains.

Whistler will also fulfil a dream in 2010 when it jointly hosts the Winter Olympics along with the cities of Richmond and Vancouver. The resort was actually first envisaged as an Olympic venue when it opened in 1966 and has put huge effort in to creating perfect venues for downhill ski, Nordic and bobsleigh events.

Beginners

One of the most off-putting aspects of skiing for beginners can be the sheer exhausting and confusing hassle of the experience for the first time. Buying a lift ticket, getting on the skiwear, finding out about boots, skis and sticks, working up a sweat carrying them to the slope, all just to fall over and then shuffle up the slope, eventually progressing on to a drag lift you can’t stand up on, whilst all the time experienced skiers use you as a slalom pole. Fortunately Whistler offers the opposite experience, there’s car free convenience, everything a few steps away, friendly and professional instructors, easy to ride lifts and dedicated beginner-friendly family zones to build up confidence on the mountain.

Intermediates

With over 200 marked trails, the longest 11km long, crossing more than a dozen powder bowls and three glaciers, served by an enviable fleet of high speed chair lifts and gondolas, this is an intermediate skier’s paradise. A popular option is to buy an early bird First Tracks ticket that gets you out on the slopes before everyone else, with breakfast thrown in. If you get lost in this vast arena a team of volunteer Mountain Hosts are on hand to help you get back on track, or better still you can sign up for a free tour of the best spots with one at the start of your stay.

Advanced

One of the few resorts in the world where expert skiers can spend an entire season and not get bored, the list of attractions for advanced skiers is nearly endless. Insider tips (and there are hundreds) include hidden powder stashes close to the piste in Sun Bowl and the ‘in bounds back country’ (meaning patrolled off-piste skiing) of the recently added Symphony Amphitheatre. If you do want to go right off the pisted area back country trips can easily be organized with an Association of Canadian Mountain Guides instructor. In 2006 Whistler added 494,000 acres of back country powder to its portfolio with the purchase of the Whistler Heli-skiing operation.

Snowboarding

Whistler and Blackcomb each have terrain parks which together offer 80 acres of hits and pipe. Add to this an average snowfall in excess of 10.2 metres (in fact its been well above that the past three seasons), and easy uplift on fast chairs and gondolas and you have snowboarder heaven. In addition the availability of year-round snowfields on the glacier mean that right through the spring and in to the summer Whistler is North America’s leading destination for summer board camps.

Other Activities and Facilities

Whistler has more than 200 shops to choose from, very few ski resorts worldwide can claim such a selection. These include art, craft and souvenir shops, a huge choice of ski and fashion stores and most other shopping options you could wish for. There’s also a long list of other things to do besides skiing, in fact more than half of the over two million visitors the resort receives each year don’t actually hit the snow slopes. Unique options include a new centre opened by the indigenous peoples of the region which is well worth a visit, as is a Zipline Eco tour riding a series of cables and suspension bridges in the forest valley.

Après Ski and Dining Out

There are around 100 places to eat around Whistler and Blackcomb, so you’re unlikely to run out of choice. Options range from traditional North American cuisine through to Thai or sushi thanks to the strong Asian influence on British Columbia’s West Coast. Many of the restaurants are also night spots and there are additional cozy pubs, intimate lounges and electric night clubs to enjoy in the small hours. On top of all the fixed amenities, the resort offers live entertainment all season long including a succession of major festivals.

Families

As you would expect, family facilities at Whistler are world-class on and off the mountain. Babies aged three months and older can be looked after in day care, whilst those three years and older can sign up with one of the Children’s Learning Centres on the mountain to be taken care of all day (or for a shorter period if required). From age 13 there are special ‘teen’ classes.

There’s plenty for families to do together on the snow and off too. The Coco Cola sponsored tube park is great fun or there are sleigh rides, swimming pools, ice rinks, bowling, dog sledding and a host of other family-friendly activities to enjoy together in the largely pedestrianised resort.

Piste Map for Whistler

Accommodation in Whistler

• Alpenglow - 3 star, room only
• Blackcomb Lodge - 3 star, self catering
• Blackcomb Lodge - 3 star, self catering
• Blackcomb Lodge - 3 star, self catering
• Blackcomb Lodge - 3 star, room only
• Cascade Lodge - 3 star, room only
• Chalet Alice - 4 star, catered
• Chalet Monica - 5 star, catered
• Chalet Mountain House - 4 star, catered
• Chateau Whistler - 5 star, bed & breakfast
• Chateau Whistler - 5 star, bed & breakfast
• Crystal Lodge - 3 star, bed & breakfast
• Crystal Lodge - 4 star, room only
• Crystal Lodge - 3 star, room only
• Crystal Lodge - 4 star, room only
• Crystal Lodge - 3 star, room only
• Delta Whistler - 4 star, self catering
• Delta Whistler Suites - 4 star, room only
• Delta Whistler Suites - 4 star, room only
• Delta Whistler Village - 5 star, self catering
• Delta Whistler Village - 5 star, self catering
• Delta Whistler Village - 5 star, self catering
• Fairmont Chateau - 5 star, room only
• Fairmont Chateau Whistler - 5 star, room only
• Fairmont Chateau Whistler-9017 - 5 star, room only
• Four Seasons - 5 star, room only
• Four Seasons Resort - 5 star, room only
• Four Seasons Resort - 5 star, room only
• Glacier Lodge - 3 star, self catering
• Glacier Lodge - 3 star, self catering
• Glaciers Reach - 3 star, self catering
• Hilton Whistler - 4 star, self catering
• Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa - 5 star, self catering
• Holiday Inn Sunspree - 3 star, room only
• Holiday Inn Sunspree - 3 star, self catering
• Holiday Inn Sunspree - 4 star, self catering
• Holiday Inn Sunspree - 4 star, self catering
• Hotel Pinnacle International - 4 star, room only
• Listel Whistler - 4 star, room only
• Listel Whistler Resort - 4 star, room only
• Marquise - 3 star, self catering
• Marriott Residence - 4 star, bed & breakfast
• Marriott Residence - 4 star, bed & breakfast
• Marriott Residence - 4 star, bed & breakfast
• Nita Lake Lodge - 4 star, bed & breakfast
• Nita Lake Lodge - 4 star, bed & breakfast
• Nita Lake Lodge - 5 star, bed & breakfast
• Pinnacle Resort - 3 star, room only
• Pinnacle Resort - 3 star, room only
• Residence Inn By Marriott - 5 star, bed & breakfast
• Residence Inn By Marriott - 5 star, bed & breakfast
• Residence Inn By Marriott - 4 star, bed & breakfast
• Residence Inn By Marriott - 5 star, bed & breakfast
• Stoney Creek - 3 star, self catering
• Tantalus Lodge - 3 star, self catering
• The Aspens - 3 star, self catering
• The Aspens - 4 star, self catering
• The Aspens - 4 star, self catering
• The Blackcomb Lodge - 3 star, room only
• The Blackcomb Lodge - 3 star, room only
• The Blackcomb Lodge - 3 star, room only
• The Summit Lodge - 4 star, room only
• The Tantalus Resort Lodge - 3 star, self catering
• Village Condos - 3 star, room only
• Westin Resort & Spa - 5 star, room only
• Westin Resort & Spa - 5 star, room only
• Westin Resort & Spa - 5 star, self catering
• Westin Resort & Spa - 5 star, self catering
• Westin Resort Spa - 5 star, self catering
• Westin Resort Spa - 5 star, self catering
• Westin Resort Spa - 5 star, self catering
• Whistler Village Inn&suit - 4 star, room only
• Whistler Village Inn&suit - 4 star, self catering
• Whistler Village Inn&suit - 4 star, self catering

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