Top 10 Things I Like About Whistler Blackcomb
Written: Jan 09 '01 (Updated Jan 18 '01)
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Pros: Read my Top 10 List.
Cons: Lousy airport shuttle service. Too much rain/snow in the afternoon.
The Bottom Line: Whistler Blackcomb is the ultimate ski paradise! It really does offer something for everyone, from beginners to advanced skiers. Main problem: You'll never want to ski anywhere else.
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| Epicure's Full Review: Whistler-Blackcomb |
Even though I live on the East Coast, I am a West Coast skier. Ever loyal to the ski resorts at Mammoth and Lake Tahoe, I plan my Christmas vacations every year to coincide with my brother's scheduled ski trips. My brother loves to organize annual group ski trips for his friends and family, and he, like me, prefers the California slopes. These trips always carry a nostalgic tinge for me because they are in essence a throw-back to my college days - a large group of friends gathered around the fireplace of a rented ski cabin, playing Hearts or Spades while munching on Pop Tarts and watching Star Trek reruns. These trips have become such a tradition for us that I was quite surprised when my brother mentioned Whistler Blackcomb as a possible contender this year. Of course, I had heard of Whistler Blackcomb, but I knew very few details about it, so I immediately began doing some research of my own. Everything that I uncovered in my research appealed to me, but was it all true? YES, YES and YES! What makes Whistler Blackcomb so wonderful? (Drum roll, please)....
1. Can you say POWDER?
There is so much powder that you can practically swim in it. For some people, this is not always desirable. Too much powder can slow you down and make turning difficult. But for me, I love the feeling of being able to roll in the snow, and I love the soft swishing sound that my skis make when I turn on a powdery slope as opposed to the grating sound that an icy terrain produces. Also, the more powder there is, the more daring I am. Powder gives me the illusion of being invincible. The steeper slopes are suddenly so much easier to navigate, and it doesn't even hurt when I fall for the 10th time on a run.
2. The best LIFTS anywhere
Most of the chairs can accommodate up to 4 people. The chairs are comfortably padded, and both the "take-off" and the "landing" are smooth. How many times have you felt like you were being shoved off the chair while you were unloading due to the abrupt, jerky movements of the lift? You will find none of that here. Even though the lifts are definitely high-speed lifts, they slow down considerably when approaching the unloading point. Another great feature of the lifts - many of them are designed with plastic shields that cover the chairs on their way down, so the seats remain dry. Stops in midair are rare. To me, having my chair sway back and forth to the tune of the icy mountain wind while dangling precariously over a row of jagged rocks is one of the most unnerving aspects of skiing, so I was very appreciative of the lifts' reliability.
3. Wide range of RUNS near the TOP of the mountains
One of the best things about skiing at Whistler Blackcomb is that there are runs of varying degrees of difficulty mid-mountain and above. At some ski resorts, the level of difficulty more or less parallels the level of elevation. Not so at Whistler Blackcomb. Why is this important? Because generally, the higher up you go, the more powder and the less crowds there are. This is especially beneficial for beginning skiers because the more powder there is, the easier it is to turn and remain in control. Also, it means you don't need to worry as much about other skiers crashing into you when you fall since there are fewer beginners at higher elevations and the more advanced skiers are better at avoiding accidents.
Some of my favorite beginner and intermediate runs are (I can't ski advanced runs yet, so I don't have any recommendations for black diamonds):
- Jolly Green Giant - Intermediate (Whistler)
- Banana Peel - Intermediate (Whistler)
- The Saddle - Intermediate (Whistler)
- Upper Whiskey Jack - Beginner (Whistler)
- Lower Whiskey Jack - Beginner (Whistler)
- Papoose - Beginner (Whistler)
- Jersey Cream - Intermediate (Blackcomb)
- Cruiser - Intermediate (Blackcomb)
- Springboard - Intermediate (Blackcomb)
- Green Line - Beginner (Blackcomb)
* In general, Whistler has more beginner runs while Blackcomb has more intermediate runs.
Oh, and did I mention that the runs go on forever?!
Some of the more advanced skiers in our group raved about the Nintendo 64 Terrain Park (Blackcomb). The Terrain Park can be reached by the Jersey Cream Express or the Solar Coaster Express.
Tip #1: It gets very windy at higher elevations, and it often snows in the afternoon. I would advise wearing goggles rather than sunglasses because sunglasses do little to protect your cheeks from wind burns and heavy snow.
Tip #2: Pay attention to the postings regarding groomed and ungroomed trails. An ungroomed intermediate is much more difficult to navigate than a groomed intermediate because ungroomed trails tend to have a lot more moguls.
4. Breathtaking alpine SCENERY
Both from the lifts and on the runs, you will encounter some of the most majestic mountain scenery anywhere. From the top of Whistler's Harmony Express, the clouds and mist enshroud the mountain top, creating an ethereal scene of awesome proportions. From a slightly lower vantage point, at the top of Franz's Chair, you can see a pristine, misty blue lake surrounded by a canopy of treetops and the famed Chateau Whistler. As you coast down the slightly sloped paths of Blackcomb's Green Line, the relative flatness of the run allows you to take in the rugged beauty of the snow-covered Douglas Firs. These are just a few of the resort's spectacular views. Whistler Blackcomb is such a picturesque place that I'm sure there are many more wondrous sights.
5. Friendly, helpful ski resort STAFF
This is one of those humiliating moments, which makes me glad that no one carries around a video camera on the slopes. I had never used a T-Bar lift before, so I didn't quite understand the loading technique. It looked easy enough. The bars are in the shape of an anchor. Each bar can accommodate two people. One person stands on each side of the anchor and holds on to the center vertical bar while the curved horizontal bar supports his weight. Someone should have warned me not to lean back too much. I did, and I fell off, causing my husband to fall off as well. We were then dragged by the bar another several feet (our skis had somehow become tangled with the bar) and ended up in a embarrassing heap right in the middle of the lift path, which, of course, halted the entire line. It would have been even worse if the ski lift operator had not been so nice in helping us up and explaining the loading procedure with a warm smile instead of a smirk. He allowed us to take our time and get back on when we felt ready. This is just one example of the good customer service that we experienced at Whistler Blackcomb.
6. Clean, spacious REST STOPS
On the days we skied Whistler, we lunched at the Roundhouse Lodge. On the days we skied Blackcomb, we lunched at the Glacier Creek Lodge. Both were clean, spacious and well-run, featuring a good variety of food (salad and sandwich bar, pizza, burgers, chili bowls, sushi, stir-fry, and other hot entrees), and friendly service. Like all ski resorts, the food was overpriced. Our lunch for two at the Roundhouse Lodge, consisting of a wrap sandwich, a beef stir-fry, two drinks and a cookie costs around $25.00 CAN. Still, we were happy that the food was relatively fresh and the dining area was virtually litter-free. Also, we found a table for 7 within minutes after obtaining our lunch.
Tip: We were warned by the locals never to leave our skis unattended unless they are properly locked. Locks can be rented or purchased from any number of ski rental stores in Whistler Village. We rented our locks for $1.00 CAN per day from Affinity Sports (604-932-6611).
7. A lively AFTER-HOURS SCENE
Most of the shops and restaurants in Whistler Village stay open until 10:00 or 11:00 p.m.; most of the bars until 2:00 a.m. This makes Whistler Village quite a bustling evening spot - a fun place to dine and take a stroll after dinner. I enjoyed shopping in the evening as the crowds were much smaller then. I found fantastic deals on ski gloves and snow blades (my new passion!). I must be honest and tell you that this is one of the few trips where I did not discover any good restaurants (unless you count afternoon tea at Chateau Whistler). We had such a wonderfully stocked kitchen in our rented condo that we stayed in and cooked half of the time. When we did dine out, most of the people in our group wanted to go somewhere casual and familiar (e.g., The Old Spaghetti Factory) rather than try some of the restaurants that did catch my eye (Monk's Grill, Fogata, Il Caminetto di Umberto).
Tip: If you are interested in getting a late-night snack, Uli's Flipside (604-935-1107), a local favorite featuring generous, inexpensive pasta dishes, is one of the few restaurants in the Village which serves after midnight. The food can be a bit bland, but the atmosphere is fun.
8. Efficient TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM within the Whistler Blackcomb area
There were 7 people in our group, so rather than rent 2 separate cars, we decided to rely on the Whistler Blackcomb public transportation system. It turned out to be a wise decision indeed. We never had to worry about finding parking or lugging our ski equipment from the parking lot to the lift area. There was a bus that stopped just a block from our condo on Casabella Crescent in the Montebello II development (separate epinion to come), which dropped us right in front of the Whistler Blackcomb gondola base. Each ride costs $1.50 CAN per person. There were also several free shuttles which traveled from the gondola base to a number of nearby hotels and attractions. The shuttle stops are located on Blackcomb Way, the main road adjacent to Whistler Village. Finally, taxis are plentiful in the Village area with a Taxi Circle close to Village Gate Boulevard. If you happen to be having dinner at a hotel or restaurant, most of them would be happy to call a taxi for you. It usually takes about 10-15 minutes for the taxi to arrive.
9. LUXURY at the base of the mountains
I have always loved the idea of staying at a comfortable, ski-in, ski-out hotel at the base of a mountain. What a luxury it would be to roll out of bed each morning, walk downstairs and have the ski valet hand me my skis and poles and dry boots as I head out to the gondola situated right outside the hotel lobby! I have yet to make this fantasy a reality because my brother usually books us at a condo or cabin near the ski resort. Of course, at other ski resorts that we have visited in the past, there were no upscale hotels at the foot of the mountain. At Whistler Blackcomb, I came across 3 places that I am putting on my list for next year - the Chateau Whistler, a Fairmont hotel located near the Wizard Express, the Pan Pacific and the Westin, both located near the Fitzsimmons Express and the Whistler Village Gondola. I walked through all 3 hotels, spending the most time at the Chateau Whistler since I had afternoon tea and a massage treatment there (separate epinion to come). They all seem to be excellent choices if your goal is pampering and convenience.
10. Availability of OTHER RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES
If you should ever tire of skiing (as if that were even possible), there are a number of other snow-related activities in the Whistler Blackcomb area to keep you entertained. Sleigh rides: Blackcomb Sleigh Rides (604-932-7631) offers entertainment sleigh rides ($45.00 CAN per person) as well as dinner sleigh rides ($79.00 CAN per person), which includes a fondue feast. Snowmobiling: Canadian Snowmobile Adventures (877-938-1616) offers snowmobiling tours ranging from 2 hours ($99.00 CAN per single rider) to 7 hours ($299 CAN per single rider). Snowshoeing: Whistler Outdoor Experience (604-932-3389) offers 1.5-hour nature walks ($43.00 CAN per person) and 3-hour ghost town hikes ($65.00 CAN per person). Helicopter Tours: Helicopter Adventures (800-330-HELI) offers a variety of tours, which can be customized, including landing on top of an ancient glacier. Even though I checked into all of the above-mentioned activities, we actually did not try any of them because we could not tear ourselves away from the skiing, but if we had stayed another few days, we probably would have since our muscles were screaming out in pain by the fourth day.
A WARNING REGARDING TRANSPORTATION TO THE AIRPORT: The only unpleasant encounter I had at Whistler Blackcomb was in connection with the shuttle service to the Vancouver Airport. While there are several transportation options to the Vancouver Airport (train, Greyhound, taxi, shuttle), the Whistler Express is the only affordable option if you have an early morning flight because it is the only one which runs 24 hours a day. Of course, you could hire a limo or a taxi, but both would be much more expensive than the $55.00 CAN per person that the Whistler Express charges. The Whistler Express has a policy that requires you to leave at least 5 hours before your scheduled plane departure time even though it takes a little under 2 hours to reach the airport provided there are no weather conditions.
My husband and I had an 8:00 a.m. flight. When we called Whistler Express to arrange for airport transportation, their representative failed to inform us of the 5-hour policy; rather she told us that our pick-up time was scheduled for 4:30 a.m. That sounded reasonable to us. We called back the night before our departure to confirm our reservation, and that's when we were told that our pick-up was actually scheduled for 2:30 a.m! We could not believe it. What if we hadn't called to confirm?! We'd probably be sleeping at 2:30! Plus, what about this nonsensical 5-hour policy that we were hearing about for the first time?! Of course, if there were road conditions, we understand the need for extra time, but on a perfectly clear night, 5 hours is a ridiculous amount of time to budget for a trip to the airport.
Regardless of what I said, they refused to honor the original 4:30 a.m. time that we were given. They claimed that there were no other vans available for the rest of the evening, so either we take the 2:30 a.m. van or find some other mode of transportation as if we had another choice. (Whistler Express has a complete monopoly on the airport shuttle service business from Whistler.) Our driver showed up promptly at 2:30 a.m., and informed us that his next scheduled pick-up at the Holiday Inn in Whistler Village was not until 3:00 a.m. So we drove 5 minutes to the hotel parking lot, and then proceeded to sit there for another 25 minutes. We arrived at Vancouver Airport at 4:45 a.m. - more than 3 hours before the time of our scheduled flight! We ended up spending the rest of the morning sleeping on some very uncomfortable chairs.
Moral of the story: Until some other shuttle service comes along, don't schedule early morning flights!
Airport transportation aside, what a trip! Methinks it's time to begin a new tradition.
Recommended:
Yes
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I generally avoid temptation....unless I can't resist it.
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