Whistler

Whistler (12,000 permanent inhabitants, up to 35,000 visitors/day in high season) is the iconic ski resort of Canada's West Coast — located 2h north of Vancouver by the Sea-to-Sky Highway (route 99, one of Canada's most beautiful scenic drives, running along Howe Sound with its fjords and glaciers visible from Squamish). With its partner Blackcomb (both mountains linked since 2003), Whistler-Blackcomb forms the 2nd largest ski area in North America (3,307 hectares after Park City in Utah), with 200 runs, 16 summits, 3 ski glaciers up to 2,284 m altitude, and 37 gondolas, chairlifts and cable cars. Co-host of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games with Vancouver (alpine downhill, super-G, giant slalom, slalom and combined events took place at Whistler Creekside, Nordic events at Whistler Olympic Park in Callaghan Valley), the resort is one of the world's most iconic ski destinations.

Snowfalls at Whistler are among the most abundant in North America: 9-12 metres per year (8-9 m on Whistler, 11-12 m on Blackcomb at higher altitude), with an exceptionally long ski season — Whistler opens late November, closes late April, but Blackcomb Glacier remains open until mid-May (the longest ski season in North America). Epic Pass (Vail Resorts) is recommended for multi-day (1-7 day pass CAD 150-220/day, unlimited Epic Pass CAD 1,100/season bought before November). Ski/snowboard equipment rental CAD 50-90/day. The PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola (inaugurated in 2008, 3.03 km between Whistler and Blackcomb at 436 m height — world record both for free length between pylons 3,024 m and height 436 m) connects one mountain to the other in 11 min, runs year-round (CAD 78 return in summer for non-skiers).

The Whistler Village (pedestrian heart of the resort, opened in 1980 and specifically designed as pedestrian village — one of the first 100% pedestrian ski villages in North America) is organised around the Village Stroll (main pedestrian square), Whistler Village Square and Upper Village (facing Blackcomb). 200+ restaurants and bars (Bearfoot Bistro gastronomic with its champagne cellar, Araxi Pacific Northwest, Caramba! family Italian, FireRock Lounge and Garibaldi Lift Co. for après-ski, Longhorn Saloon legendary), 150+ shops (Lululemon born in Vancouver, Helly Hansen, Patagonia), spas (Scandinave Spa with outdoor saltwater and wood-fire pools — the iconic après-ski experience, CAD 95-145), an intense nightlife scene (Garf's, Buffalo Bills, Tommy Africa's). The village is entirely pedestrian with free shuttles to ski lifts.

Summer (June-October) transforms Whistler into a major destination for MTB and hiking. The Whistler Mountain Bike Park (one of the world's largest, open mid-May to mid-October) offers 200 km of descents on Whistler Mountain slopes — from beginner (Easy Does It) to expert (A-Line, Crabapple Hits, Garbanzo Zone). Day pass CAD 75/person (bike transport in gondola included), full-suspension downhill bike rental CAD 100-180/day (Whistler Sports). Crankworx Festival (mid-August, one of the world's biggest MTB festivals, 10 days of slopestyle, dual slalom, downhill competitions — Red Bull Joyride spectacular finale) draws 100,000 spectators. For non-bikers: alpine hiking (Whistler Peak 2,182 m accessible by cable car CAD 78, High Note Trail 9.5 km loop above Whistler Mountain, Half Note Trail 7 km, Garibaldi Provincial Park adjacent with turquoise Garibaldi Lake 18 km return hike), golf (4 Audubon signature courses: Chateau Whistler Golf Club Robert Trent Jones Jr., Whistler Golf Club Arnold Palmer, Nicklaus North Jack Nicklaus, Big Sky Country Club), zipline (Superfly Zipline CAD 199, one of North America's longest), climbing (Stawamus Chief at Squamish, 700 m granite dome, one of the world's largest, 30 min south).

Access from Vancouver is by Sea-to-Sky Highway (route 99, 120 km, 2h by car) — voted among Canada's most beautiful scenic drives (Howe Sound, fjords, glaciers visible from Squamish view). Iconic stops on the way: Britannia Beach (former copper mine, BC Museum of Mining), Shannon Falls (335 m, 3rd highest waterfall in Canada), Stawamus Chief Provincial Park (Squamish, granite dome, climbing), Brandywine Falls. Express bus from Vancouver: Pacific Coach Lines or Epic Mountain Express (1-2 daily departures, CAD 60-90 return, 2h-2h30). Whistler airport (YVS) only accepts private flights.