Whistler
200 km of pistes
37 Lifts
675 m
High Snow Fall
Whistler is one of the most famous ski towns across the world. It prides itself on its amazing community of seasonaires who live and work in the town. It also offers some of the most diverse terrain for skiing from the tight trees to wide open powder fields. Whistler sits at a low altitude but does not struggle for snow coverage. However, you can often have rain in the village if the temperature is too warm but usually this doesn’t affect the alpine.
Skiing Experience
Whistler has some of the most notoriously technical and difficult terrain compacted into a relatively small area. Whistler offers everything that you could want, from long sweeping groomers to tight tree skiing and serious steeps, all within a stone’s throw of each other.
One highlight on the piste is the Peak to Creek run, which runs 11 km from start to finish. Start at the top of Peak Chair, Whistler Mountain’s highest peak, and send it down all the way to Creekside. You’ll have plenty of time to practice those turns and develop your technique. Whistler boasts a variety of groomers, which really enables you to progress at your desired pace.
Fancy something a little more off-piste? Whistler is famous for its freeride terrain and off-piste skiing. Whistler is a great place to hone those skills, as you can find off-piste terrain at varying degrees of difficulty that are easy to navigate for beginners. If you’re feeling more confident, then explore Peak Chair—this is Whistler’s most famous chair and offers two blue runs, while the rest are all double black diamonds (the highest official difficulty ranking), which will get your heart racing.
Whistler is a two-peak resort with Blackcomb, which is directly connected either from the base of Whistler resort or by using the Peak2Peak, one of the highest unsuspended gondolas in the world. Be sure to explore Blackcomb’s varying slopes. From the steeps of Sudan’s Bowl to the tight tree skiing underneath Crystal Chair, there is something for everyone. Whistler is one of the best resorts in the world for progressing your skiing ability—you can try any type of skiing with ease from most of the lifts. And if touring is your thing, then Whistler has the most expansive backcountry that is all mapped out, making it super safe (although be sure to get your avalanche safety training and get all the right gear necessary).
Beyond the Slopes
Whistler is a vibrant town full of young seasonaires. There are a ton of cool drinking spots and places to hang with your friends. One highlight is El Furniture Warehouse (Furnies) with a happy hour that could rival any spot in town. Enjoy cocktails for less than $5 and indulge in their famous mac ‘n’ cheese for less than $10, which for Canada is extremely cheap. Another highlight is Antico’s happy hour, which offers beer and a pizza for $15. This is some of the best pizza in town, cooked in a stone oven and made fresh, meaning it tastes fantastic. They also offer a range of local beers to choose from.
Whistler does have a significant drawback which can be immediately seen: it’s expensive. Whistler’s cost of living is not cheap at all; however, wages are typically quite high, so relatively it’s not too bad, but it’s definitely something to be aware of. If you are able to get a car or catch a bus to the shops further out of town, you can often work around those higher prices—particularly if you can get down to the shops in Squamish, which offer more generic stores like Walmart.
Whistler also has a vibrant nightlife that suits any occasion. Fancy a few chilled drinks? Then head to Tapley’s and maybe have a game of skee-ball or darts while you’re there. Be sure to check out their bingo, which is always a good time. Fancy something a little more upbeat? Head to one of Whistler’s nightclubs: Buffalo Bill’s, Garfinkel’s, Moe’s, or Après Après. You can find music that fits your preferences. Whistler also loves its pool; you can find a table in the majority of establishments and even in the nightclubs, which offers a more relaxed environment while still allowing you to cut some shapes if you so desire. Overall, Whistler has everything you could ever need, and it’s no surprise they have a significant number of repeat seasonaires.
SZN picks
Crystal Lounge - Karaoke
Every Tuesday night Crystal Lounge does an open mic Karaoke which is always a highlight of any seasonaires week. There are no standards so you can be as good or bad as you like, all they want is 100% effort.
RMU
This is a local establishment located on the main strip in Blackcomb. It offers a variety of events from DJs to open mic comedy nights. RMU is also a ski brand so has a small showroom showing off their gear which provides the bar with a really cool and unique setting
Flute Bowl
This is a must visit during your time in Whistler, just off the back of Symphony bowl there is a cat track which you must hike up to reach the summit. This is about a 30 minute hike but is so worth it at the end. Get to the peak and ski down some of the best open terrain around – the steepness will vary based on which line you choose but if you’re comfortable skiing black runs then you should definitely give this a go.
Blackcomb Park
Blackcomb park is world renowned. It offers a huge variety of features which a re constantly being swapped and changed. It’s been featured in a lot of pro skiing edits over the years. It also has provided some of the best ski industry photos we’ve seen in recent times with its incredible backdrop of the Whistler Blackcomb village.