Welcome To Whistler-Blackcomb!
Complete Guide to Skiing And Snowboarding

It's a real snow stopper, these majestic views from these magic mountains.

By Phil Chambers, Whistler Resident

When the subject of premier mountain resorts arises, one place always stands tall.

Whistler, B.C.

With two mountains, a raucous village and enough beauty to fill all four seasons, it's a destination of dreams.

Whistler combines views like this with outstanding skiing and boarding.

There is more to Whistler than skiing and snowboarding. During the summer, there's mountain-biking, horse riding, golf, fishing, and.....get this........Eco-challenge! Yes, it's true, Whistler is home of the very first Eco-challenge.

It also hosted several events during the 2010 Winter Olympics: The men's and women's downhill, cross-country events and bobsledding, luge and skeleton from the fast and fantastic Whistler Sliding Centre.

And it's always giving its guests a gold medal performance.

Whistler Village has shops, restaurants and bars in a compact area.

Getting To Whistler, Transportation From Vancouver Airport

Located northeast of Vancouver, B.C., Whistler is reached via Highway 99 (the Sea to Sky Highway) past some incredible mountain and ocean views.

A word of caution here: Drive slowly, enjoy the views and if there's time, visit "The Chief" in Squamish, a half-mile sheer rock face which is also home to some incredible base-jumping.

For those who prefer to leave the driving to someone else, there is bus service from Vancouver. Called the Pacific Coach (800-551-1725 PacificCoach.com) the trip takes 2 hours and one-way fare is $50 one-way from the airport and $37 from downtown.A cheaper option is the Greyhound bus, which $18.45 one-way or $36.90 R/T. (800) 661-8747. Either way, get a window seat for the best views of this spectacular drive.

Powder-Packed Mountain Ski & Snowboard Guide

Seventh Heaven in Blackcomb is appropriately named.

Lift Ticket Prices (CDN): $98, $192 (2/day), $278 (3-day), $370 (4-day)

Two mountains – Blackcomb and Whistler – combine to make this a world-class recreation area. It's impossible to go wrong with either, but why not do it all? A gondola provides transport between Whistler to Blackcomb and a run from Blackcomb goes the base of Whistler. While there, stop in for a cold one, as it's a long run from the top.

The Olympic rings in the Village during the 2010 Vancouver Games.

Blackcomb is the more adventurous of the two mountains. Skiers and boarders alike who want to ski the extreme can find massive half-pipes and killer moguls. For those who can handle it, the Couloir Extreme provides some of the best in-bounds double black diamond chute skiing anywhere.

PubClub.com on the slopes of Whistler.

What a view!

Goofing off from the top of Blackcomb Mountain.

If the powder's good, take the T-bar to the glacier for some incredible bowl skiing. Almost a mile long, it's situated between two peaks which funnel snow into a gorgeous basin. The run-out is a little flat, but a nice, slow cruise back to the lift is a nice break for burning quads. For more wide open terrain, try Seventh Heaven; stop halfway down, look around and just enjoy the moment. Don't be surprised if a lift operator is there to brush off the snow from the skis upon arrival. "Hey, you're in Seventh Heaven," he or she might say.

Despite great skiing, sometimes you have to stop and take in the scenery.

Get your photos to prove you were in Whistler here!

Whistler's gorgeous mountains make it a top destination.

PubClub.com is not IN Seventh Heaven, but ON Seventh Heaven.

Locals like to act silly on the mountain (and why not!?).

Whistler offers some great terrain and incredible bowl skiing. Run over to the Harmony Chair and try one of its five bowls. Difficulty ranges from intermediate to well into advanced. On the way to Harmony, give Ratfink a whirl. It's straight down and full of moguls the size of Volkswagens. For sheer speed, there's Bearpaw. If it's groomed, it's just incredible. Another series of bowls also exist to the south side of Whistler, with Bagel Bowl being the best.

Aboard the Peak to Peak gondola, which connects the mountains.

Getting between the two from the top is the new Peak to Peak gondola, the views of which are so spectacular it's almost worth the trip up the mountain just for the ride.

For a complete guide to all the pubs and clubs of Whistler, the places for apres ski and dining, click here!

Whistler's runs are great for two-plankers and shredders alike.

Whistler Creekside

Lindsay Vonn wins Gold for the USA on Dave's run.

You heard about it several times during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. It's where Lindsey Vonn, the bikini blonde of the USA Ski Team won Gold, Bode Miller became human again with medals and wipeouts became commonplace.

Dave's is to the left and Franz's twisting on the right, to the Olympic finish.

Whistler Creekside is the original base of Whistler and was home the Olympic Downhill. The men challenged Dave's Murray's Downhill, while the women took on Franz's. A much easier route for those less skilled is the long and entertaining Pony Express.

Creekside is the first village encountered when arriving and offers you shopping, rentals, and lodging. The gondola whisks up Whistler Mountain on the way to Peak to Creek, the longest run in Whistler.

While quiet in the summer, it does offer a community market on Saturdays, and great deals on shopping.

Whistler in the Summer

Beauty and activates abound year-round in Whistler.

Yes, there's more. Whistler is awesome in the summer months, too.

A kind-of touristy thing to do ride the gondola from the base of Whistler up to the Roundhouse near the peak of the mountain, have lunch, and either hike back down or take the return trip on the gondola to the base. Most likely, during the summer you will either see or encounter some pretty darn big black bears, which is a huge reason why visitors from Europe come to Whistler during the summer season.

Mountain biking in the summer is a challenging, yet rewarding experience.

If you've only seen the mountains in the winter, you simply must come back and jump on a bike in the summer! Ramps, jumps, rocks, cliffs, narrow single tracks and wide-open terrain welcome all types of bikers, from beginners to experts.

A great learning center welcomes the novices, while the infamous A-Line challenges the world's best. Advice: get the helmet and body armor. Thank us later.

All during the summer season, patios flourish, thanks to the good weather, and of course, there's no better way to relax than by taking in a frosty local microbrew at one of Whistler's finer establishments.

One more thing about Whistler.................you won't want to leave!