⛷️ Whistler

What Makes It Worth It

🏛 Whistler Blackcomb

Whistler Blackcomb rises above the Sea-to-Sky corridor 120 kilometres north of Vancouver, its two peaks — Whistler at 2,182 metres and Blackcomb at 2,436 metres — visible on clear days from the ferry crossing Howe Sound far below. The combined ski area covers 8,171 acres across 200 named runs and 16 alpine bowls, making it the largest ski resort in North America by skiable terrain. The vertical drop of 1,609 metres on Blackcomb is the longest on the continent, and the Whistler Blackcomb connection by PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola — at 4.4 kilometres the longest unsupported span of any gondola in the world — allows skiers to move freely between both mountains without descending to the valley.

The snowfall record is extraordinary: Whistler Blackcomb averages 11 metres of snow annually, with the alpine terrain typically skiable from late November through May and sometimes into June. The consistency of powder conditions across multiple mountain aspects means that good skiing is available on almost every day of the season. The glacier zones above the treeline provide summer skiing from late June to early August. Spring skiing in April combines deep stable snowpack with warm temperatures and extended daylight hours that make full-day sessions on the mountain deeply pleasurable.

Whistler Village was purpose-built in the late 1970s and 1980s as a pedestrian ski village — no cars are allowed in the village core, and all accommodation, restaurants, and shops are within walking distance of the gondola bases. The design works: the village has a genuine European alpine atmosphere without feeling contrived, with après-ski spilling from venues onto the outdoor plazas as skiers click out of bindings at the base. The Bearfoot Bistro regularly features on Canada's top restaurant lists, serving caviar and champagne sabering to a skiing clientele. The Audain Art Museum, opened in 2016, houses the finest collection of BC Indigenous and contemporary art outside Vancouver in a building designed specifically for the mountain setting.

Summer in Whistler has grown to rival the ski season for activity and attendance. The Whistler Mountain Bike Park operates the gondola for bike access to 80 kilometres of descending trails ranging from green groomers to extreme double black diamonds. Zipline and aerial adventure tours operate above the treeline. The Lost Lake trail system circles a pristine lake through old-growth forest. Crankworx, the world's premier mountain biking festival held annually in August, draws the world's best riders and tens of thousands of spectators for a week of racing, tricks, and industry events that has made Whistler synonymous with mountain biking culture.

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