This trip report compiles my experience over multiple annual trips to Whistler and covers my favorite parts of the mountains, practicalities of getting to and staying in Whistler, plus some recommended experiences.
But first, get pumped for your trip with this supercut from my last visit: sweeping vistas, pow stashes and a couple of epic spills:
Whistler Blackcomb is a combined resort encompassing the previously competing ski areas of Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain. (Watch a great video on their history here.) Whistler Village serves as the base area for both, with gondolas leading up to both mountains and a jaw-dropping "peak to peak" gondola that hangs over the valley between, connecting at about mid-mountain.
The village is located in British Columbia about 2 hours north of Vancouver by way of the Sea to Sky Highway. It's often considered part of the 'coastal range', and despite it's massive size, the base is fairly close to sea level, meaning it's a great choice for those prone to altitude sickness. Unfortunately, it can also mean mixed precipitation. The vertical rise is so great, however, that the alpine region is often a completely different world than the village below.
It's hard to overstate the size of the ski area and the fact that you have two completely separate mountains to explore! Because of the massive vertical rise, the conditions can be very different at the village than up in the alpine and most of the exciting terrain is up high. If you're a confident skier, you generally want to stay on the upper half of the mountain and only hit that full vertical on your final run down to the village.
Getting started: If the line for the Whistler Gondola is super long, consider jumping on the Fitzsimmons Express and working your way up the mountain incrementally. Also note that the high alpine opens about an hour after the base lifts (and closes an hour earlier), so you have some time to warm up the legs. Pro tip, the Whistler gondola often forms a long line around open, but far fewer people line up for the Excalibur gondola, which leads to Blackcomb. My guess is it's simply because "Whistler" is in the name!
Once you reach the Roundhouse Lodge atop the gondola, the trails under Emerald Express and Big Red are great for lapping while you wait for the high alpine to open up. Once it does, your choice is primarily between Peak Express chair for the front Whistler bowls, or Harmony Chair to access the musically-themed back bowls and Symphony Chair. Both are great. In my opinion, the Symphony area felt like more of a world-unto-itself with a mix of upper bowls and lower glades that all funnel back to the same lift. Dedicate at least half a day to this area. Peak Express will instantly terrify the faint of heart as the lift rises up over the massive cliff faces leading to Whistler summit. While some of these entrances are extreme double blacks, there are some more approachable entrances to Whistler Bowl, West Bowl and Bagel Bowl (plus the one blue escape route, Peak to Creek). These will mostly run out into Big Red or Franz Chair, which you'll have to ride up before reconnecting to Peak Express.
You can get started on Blackcomb either by taking Excalibur Gondola from the village, or by taking the mesmerizing Peak to Peak gondola that hangs over the valley between and connects both upper-mountain lodges. Some of the gondola pods even have a glass floor so you can look straight down into the valley below!
Warm up on Blackcomb with a couple laps under the Jersey Cream lift. It connects the terminal of the Excalibur Gondola to the lodge atop the Blackcomb gondola. Once the alpine opens up, Blackcomb has a few distinct areas to choose from:
7th Heaven is a glorious wide-open "prairie" of snow that faces Whistler. It's best when the powder is fresh, or in the afternoon when the sun has softened it up. In fresh pow, it feels like a vast open playground to make any line you feel like.
If you go down the backside of the ridge atop 7th, you enter the middle (on a map at least) portion of Blackcomb's alpine, atop the Horstman Glacier, with lots of challenging options down. This funnels into the Glacier Express. Accessing from the 7th side, if you're feeling spicy, you can keep to skiiers left and cross the ridge to access Soudan's Couloir, Secret Bowl, and the various chutes off of that (get a good look up at these faces from the Jersey Cream chair). I took a "Steep Skiing Clinic" with Extremely Canadian, and Soudan's was one of the toughest lines they took me down - before explaining the youth freeride team uses it as their main course!
To the left of the Glacier Express zone (on a map) you see the backside of Blackcomb, which is home to Blackcomb Glacier. This is a super fun zone with two main ways of accessing:
The easier is to take the Showcase T-Bar from the top of Glacier and cross over the ridge to the top of Blackcomb Glacier, and ride whatever line you'd like right down the middle all the way down to Glacier Road and Crystal Ridge Express.
The more extreme is to boot-pack it up to famed Spanky's Ladder and explore the cliff-dotted bowls that lead down into the same glacier. The bootpack itself feels pretty exposed, and people will be right behind you hustling you along. The Spanky's area is super fun, but I'd recommend going with a partner who's been there for the first time to help you avoid cliffs and show you the ropes!
It's a bit of a journey getting back to Blackcomb Glacier after each lap. Glacier Road will lead you to Crystal Chair (which actually has access to lots of nice gladed runs), and then you'll have to ski back down to Glacier Chair to start the journey again. Make sure you stop at Crystal Hut during one of these laps for a waffle and Bailey's!
During one of the years I visited Whistler Blackcomb, I had the good fortune to discover the ice cave on Blackcomb Glacier, which is technically just outside the ski area. The cave is not always accessible - at many times it is covered in snow from avalanches, and at any time it's probably not safe. I'm glad for the experience but would recommend caution and research!
Whistler Village is a completely pedestrianized downtown chock full of restaurants, shops and accommodations. Built up for the Winter Olympics, the zoning is consistent throughout, with all cars relegated to the perimeter, making for a great après environment. Here are some of my favorite spots:
Because Whistler is a fully pedestrianized village, there’s really no need for a car. Vancouver is the most logical flight destination and is about a two-hour drive away on the “Sea to Sky highway.” There are a few transportation companies offering shuttle bus rides from downtown Vancouver and Vancouver airport:
Whistler is chock-full of hotels, rentable apartments and AirBnB's, ranging from the Fairmont Château Whistler to Pangea Pod Hotel. Just confirm your location is within the walkable downtown for most convenience—a few neighborhoods such as Alpine Meadows and Whistler Creek are not within the walkable portion of town. It's a popular spot, so it's worth booking some time ahead.
I had a great time staying in the Pangea Pod Hotel my first time in Whistler. While you are staying in a "pod" or cubby-style bunk rather than a private room, it is very design-forward, with thoughtful features and a fun restaurant-lounge. Great way to save as a solo traveler!
All text and photographs by Stephen Dagley
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