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Whistler is the largest ski area in North America and is consistently voted the continent’s number one ski resort. The terrain is vast, the facilities state-of-the-art, and the management bend over backwards to make sure the visitor’s every need is anticipated. Many other winter sports are available and in summer the gondola whisks hikers up to instant effortless alpine views.
Bus station, 4338 Main St, T 9325031. Greyhound buses and several other shuttles run between the airport and hotels in Vancouver and Whistler. A free shuttle runs around the village and to the gondola all day. Tourist Information Centre, Highway 99 at Lake Placid Rd, T 9325528, http://www.mywhistler.com, and a more useful Activity and Info Centre, in the Conference Centre at the Whistler Way end of the Village. For skiing information T 9323434, http://www.whistler-blackcomb.com
Sights
The purpose-built Whistler Village is a toy-town maze of fancy hotels, bars, restaurants and sport stores, whose Legoland appearance could attract or repel depending on your taste and state of mind. The smart decision to keep all traffic out of the centre, leaving pedestrians to stroll at leisure between services, reinforces the impression of being in a holiday-camp, and the perpetual party atmosphere is helped along by several major seasonal festivals, with smaller events almost every weekend.
For skiing, Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains each have their own characters and devotees. Whistler is traditionally more laid back and suitable for beginners and intermediates and has a Family Zone at the Emerald Express. The breakdown of terrain for the two hills is very similar at about 15% beginner, 55% intermediate, 30% expert. Blackcomb is the one that breaks most of the records, boasting for example the two longest lift-serviced vertical falls in North America. Its Terrain Park is a favourite with snow-boarders and serious experts. For the latter there is also an Expert Park, which you can only enter with a helmet and a special endorsement on your pass.
Vancouver Island
A short hop across the Strait of Georgia from Vancouver is the largest island on North America’s west coast and a prime destination in its own right, especially for outdoor enthusiasts. Two locations here stand out as supreme excursions: Victoria and Tofino. Located on opposite sides of the island, these towns exemplify the extremely distinctive characters of the two coasts.
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