Whistler Blackcomb
North America’s ultimate ski destination? Our man in Whistler gives you the rundown.
Classics
Words by: Leslie Anthony
Photos by: Mattias Fredrikson
Given the hyperbolic publicity it has received over the past three decades, there’s a danger that British Columbia’s Whistler Blackcomb colossus could become the most overrated ski resort on the planet. The truth, however, is that the size of these mountains, the access to glaciers and high alpine, the sheer scope and diversity of terrain, the spectacular setting, an abundance of snow, and the sheer range of activities, dining and nightlife combine to make Whistler an untouchable experience on the North American continent.
Local Knowledge
These two huge mountains are geologically and topographically different, so there’s a whole lot to learn about each. But that shouldn’t intimidate you — especially if you follow these hard-won tips from folks who’ve skied them for decades.
For max enjoyment, get to the lifts early.
That applies at most ski areas, but here it’s critical. If it’s a powder day and they’re bombing, the alpine won’t open for a while, but don’t worry — the lower mountains have terrain equivalent to several regular-sized ski areas.
If it’s still snowing
while you’re uploading, check the wind direction and head to lee areas (usually northeast aspects) that will always be deeper. Also, check the grooming report; there’s no better way to warm up than 1,000 vertical metres of corduroy covered in fresh snow.
Blackcomb
has more mid-mountain options, fewer people, and an alpine that always opens ahead of Whistler, which is more extensive, more complex, and requires more bombing. This wrinkle is actually a bonus: start on Blackcomb then, when Whistler’s alpine opens, move over to fresh horizons on the Peak 2 Peak Gondola.
Some of Blackcomb’s best skiing
is its most obvious — long, luxurious frontside runs spacious enough to accommodate hundreds of first tracks before Jersey Cream Chair opens. Ski myriad lines from that lift or head to Seventh Heaven, whose traverse passes several worthy but overlooked glades that concentrate snow.
When the alpine opens
on Whistler, hit Harmony Bowl first, then bootpack Flute Peak. Find some of Whistler’s underrated trees to ski, perhaps off Peak Chair, then finish the day with a glorious 11-kilometre Peak to Creek run to Creekside Village and beers with friends at Dusty’s.
For max enjoyment, get to the lifts early.
That applies at most ski areas, but here it’s critical. If it’s a powder day and they’re bombing, the alpine won’t open for a while, but don’t worry — the lower mountains have terrain equivalent to several regular-sized ski areas.
If it’s still snowing
while you’re uploading, check the wind direction and head to lee areas (usually northeast aspects) that will always be deeper. Also, check the grooming report; there’s no better way to warm up than 1,000 vertical metres of corduroy covered in fresh snow.
Blackcomb
has more mid-mountain options, fewer people, and an alpine that always opens ahead of Whistler, which is more extensive, more complex, and requires more bombing. This wrinkle is actually a bonus: start on Blackcomb then, when Whistler’s alpine opens, move over to fresh horizons on the Peak 2 Peak Gondola.
Some of Blackcomb’s best skiing
is its most obvious — long, luxurious frontside runs spacious enough to accommodate hundreds of first tracks before Jersey Cream Chair opens. Ski myriad lines from that lift or head to Seventh Heaven, whose traverse passes several worthy but overlooked glades that concentrate snow.
When the alpine opens
on Whistler, hit Harmony Bowl first, then bootpack Flute Peak. Find some of Whistler’s underrated trees to ski, perhaps off Peak Chair, then finish the day with a glorious 11-kilometre Peak to Creek run to Creekside Village and beers with friends at Dusty’s.
Eat, Drink and be Merry
There are 12 on-mountain restaurants,
but you should proceed with caution — and plenty of money. Horstman Hutand Crystal Hut on Blackcomb and Chick Pea on Whistler will help you beat the cafeteria blues, but timing is critical as they’re all hard to get a seat in.
Whistler’s 200 bars and eateries
offer huge choices, whether family price-point (Old Spaghetti Factory), vegan (Ed’s Bred), casual (Hunter Gather) or fine-dining centred on Pacific Northwest fusion (Araxi, Bearfoot Bistro and new Wild Blue in the village, the intimate Red Door Bistro or Euro-rustic Rimrock Café in Creekside).
Ethnic food? You bet.
Whistler has nine sushi restaurants, but the intertidal jackpot is Sushi Village. Friendly Pasta Lupino’s homemade Italian comfort food rates gold stars despite its tiny size. Pizza options are legion, but the winners are Antico in Village North and Creekbread in Creekside.
There are 12 on-mountain restaurants,
but you should proceed with caution — and plenty of money. Horstman Hutand Crystal Hut on Blackcomb and Chick Pea on Whistler will help you beat the cafeteria blues, but timing is critical as they’re all hard to get a seat in.
Whistler’s 200 bars and eateries
offer huge choices, whether family price-point (Old Spaghetti Factory), vegan (Ed’s Bred), casual (Hunter Gather) or fine-dining centred on Pacific Northwest fusion (Araxi, Bearfoot Bistro and new Wild Blue in the village, the intimate Red Door Bistro or Euro-rustic Rimrock Café in Creekside).
Ethnic food? You bet.
Whistler has nine sushi restaurants, but the intertidal jackpot is Sushi Village. Friendly Pasta Lupino’s homemade Italian comfort food rates gold stars despite its tiny size. Pizza options are legion, but the winners are Antico in Village North and Creekbread in Creekside.
For guaranteed après madness on Village Square,
check out the always-packed Longhorn or GLC; Dusty’s Bar & BBQ in Creekside is an institution for live music and dead meat; and at Blackcomb Base, old-guard Merlin’s is joined by craft-beer standouts Fitzsimmons Pub, HandleBar and RMU.
When it comes to partying in the village,
give the claustrophobic clubs a pass in favour of bars with ambience: Basalt (excellent food), the Amsterdam (people watching), and Dubh Linn Gate (good bands) are all solid. Mallard Lounge at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler can also be fun.
Prefer your libations fresh?
Whistler has options: The Brewpub in Village North; Whistler Brewing (big but mediocre), and Coast Mountain Brewing (small and celebrated) in Function Junction. Also in Function is Moneris Distillery, a purveyor of fine spirits, or head north to Pemberton Distillery for crafty fermentation products from local potatoes.
For guaranteed après madness on Village Square,
check out the always-packed Longhorn or GLC; Dusty’s Bar & BBQ in Creekside is an institution for live music and dead meat; and at Blackcomb Base, old-guard Merlin’s is joined by craft-beer standouts Fitzsimmons Pub, HandleBar and RMU.
When it comes to partying in the village,
give the claustrophobic clubs a pass in favour of bars with ambience: Basalt (excellent food), the Amsterdam (people watching), and Dubh Linn Gate (good bands) are all solid. Mallard Lounge at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler can also be fun.
Prefer your libations fresh?
Whistler has options: The Brewpub in Village North; Whistler Brewing (big but mediocre), and Coast Mountain Brewing (small and celebrated) in Function Junction. Also in Function is Moneris Distillery, a purveyor of fine spirits, or head north to Pemberton Distillery for crafty fermentation products from local potatoes.
Sleep
Between big-city luxury hotel flagships (Four Seasons, Fairmont, Hilton, Westin, PanPacific etc.), and budget options like Pangea Pod Hotel (in the village) and Whistler International Youth Hostel (in Cheakamus Crossing), there exists an array of comfortable middle-range sleeps: Adara, Whistler’s first boutique hotel, Nita Lake Lodge, a wood-beamed masterpiece by the Creekside train station, and Whistler’s premiere B&B, Durlacher Hof, featuring authentic Euro ambience inside and out.
Other Stuff
Whistler Blackcomb owns Whistler Heli-Skiing (whistlerheliskiing.com), but what you’ll find out there is nothing like the resort. Other backcountry options abound, but the majestic Spearhead Range, accessible by touring from both mountains (spearheadhuts.org), can get you a stay at the Kees and Claire Hut (spearheadhuts.org)
If you already ski well but want to take it up a notch, local icon Extremely Canadian (extremelycanadian.com) is the go-to for steep-ski clinics and off-piste adventure. Other guiding options include Whistler Alpine Guides(mountainskillsacademy.com) and Altus Mountain Guides (altusmountainguides.com).
Legacies of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games are many and various: ice-skate and pose with the Olympic Rings at Olympic Plaza; take a 140-kilometre per hour bobsled run at Whistler Sliding Centre; cross-country ski 90 kilometres of meticulous trails at Whistler Olympic Park, where you’ll also see the Olympic Nordic ski jumps and Biathlon Stadium.
Ziptrek Ecotours (ziptrek.com) will hang you from a belt and whisk you through the coastal rainforest on a steel cable at 80 kilometres per hour. If that doesn’t get your attention, Whistler Bungee (whistlerbungee.com) will drop you 53 metres off a bridge above the glacier-fed Cheakamus River — even at night.
For spectacular architecture and First Nations art and culture, visit the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre (slcc.ca) or Audain Art Museum (audainartmuseum.com). And don’t forget a trip to the renowned outdoor pools of the Scandinave, one of Whistler’s numerous spa facilities.
Don't Miss
In-bounds hiking: off of Glacier Chair, make the short hike up Spanky’s Ladder to access Ruby, Diamond, Sapphire and Garnet Bowls — literally an entire ski area unto themselves. Likewise, a five-minute hike above Showcase T-bar gets you to Blackcomb Glacier; either make the spectacular 8-kilometre cruise back to Blackcomb’s lift network, or exit the resort via a gate to the glaciated backcountry of Garibaldi Provincial Park.
Just the Facts
British Columbia’s Coast Mountains rise abruptly from the ocean to over 3 000 metres, stopping moisture-laden Pacific storms in their tracks and dropping over 15 metres of snow annually above 1 800 metres, which accounts for the remnant glaciers at the ski area.
• Skiable area: 8 171 acres (3 307 ha); 241 trails; 16 alpine bowls
• Parks: 5 terrain parks, 1 superpipe, 1 snow-cross course
• Longest run: each mountain boasts a run of 11 km
• Terrain mix: 20%/50%/30%
• Lifts: 32; capacity 69,939 skiers/hr
• Average annual snowfall: 11.4 m (at 1 650 m)
• Snowmaking coverage: 700 acres (284 hectares)
• Whistler: vertical 1 530 m; top elevation 2 182 m
• Blackcomb: vertical 1 609 m; top elevation 2 284 m
Getting there: From Vancouver airport, drive north 136 km on Hwy 99, (the Sea-to-Sky Highway) through jaw-drop ocean and mountain scenery. Snow tires are a must Oct.-April.
LESLIE ANTHONY is a writer and editor who knows a thing or two about snow. Longtime Creative Director of SKIER, former Managing Editor of POWDER, and author of the book White Planet: A Mad Dash Through Modern Global Ski Culture, the resident of Whistler, British Columbia, continues to appear regularly on the masthead of the world’s top ski magazines. His favorite activity? Skiing powder, of course.
LESLIE ANTHONY is a writer and editor who knows a thing or two about snow. Longtime Creative Director of SKIER, former Managing Editor of POWDER, and author of the book White Planet: A Mad Dash Through Modern Global Ski Culture, the resident of Whistler, British Columbia, continues to appear regularly on the masthead of the world’s top ski magazines. His favorite activity? Skiing powder, of course.
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