Like everyone else, I'm pretty sure this year has been feeling like one of the longest never ending stories of our lives!!! 2020 please end soon ... please!? Needed this dayscape - via the magnificent Sea-to-Sky Highway to the majestic mountain enclave - Whistler - in beautiful British Columbia! Folks be prepared - you will be tempted to stop several times on the drive up. Spectacular views during the daylight hours will leave you breathless!!! This review is done under - Whistler - but encompasses the drive up, the beautiful scenery, the mountains & forest that are all part of an amazing nature built province ('State' - for all those in Merica) of BC. And no, BC does not belong to Britain but to Canada. Don't laugh I've been asked this question before! I won't get into the whole Commonwealth technicality but yes if one is leaning towards that angle I guess you could say - the Queen does own the whole of Canada as we pay mega bucks as in millions each year to the UK - to be part of the British Empire! Oh how lucky we are!? So Harry & Megan got tired of this British royalty life & escaped to a quieter environment in ... Hollywood!?? Ok then!!! The big draw to Whistler is in the winter - skiing & snowboarding. The Blackcomb & Whistler mountains are world wide renowned & super popular! Hiking & mountain biking takeover in the summer. Whistler is mighty expensive so bring all 5 of your credit cards! There are a few good restaurants as well but please make reservations ahead of time or you'll be left hopping around to find whatever's available. Of note & in no particular order but worth trying, Oso Bar (Spanish) - make reservations this spot is fire (thank you manager for the complimentary dessert), Lucia Gelato (try the Ginger flavour), Fat Tony's Pizza (open till 3am so could be a real life saver), El Funiture Warehouse aka All Food @ $5.95 Everyday - that's like $3 bucks US right!?! Everyone eats here, superstars, the rich, the average Joe - there's no class rules when your starving & don't want to blow a lot of money - you will save money eating here!!! Avalanche Pizza, Splitz Grill (can be pricey but it's the burger you design so blame yourself for the hunger causing your mind to go crazy with so many toppings) & finally tacos at La Cantina. There's a few more spots including fine dining but that will be for an update after covid-19 ends. I'm real hesitant to go inside & prefer to stick to patio dining for now, as much as I can. The Whistler Village area is real easy to walk around in & you'll only need to drive if you have to go further up the mountain. I have been coming to Whistler since the early 90s & have stayed in many hotels & condo rentals. Definitely shop around & prebook your stay before coming up here. However, today's trip was just a day trip escape from the big city & was thoroughly enjoyed. The drive from Vancouver takes 90 minutes or less depending on how fast you drive - longer if you stop along the way & or make a pit stop in Squamish, a beautiful town & worth the stop - see my Squamish review. Whoa got the shock of my life while walking about! Five years ago on a cruise in the Caribbean, our group met the super charismatic, charming, & so awesome Cruise Director (entertainment) Matt! Check him out on Instagram @ mattcruisedirector. Merica many of you might be very familer with him from the Carnival Cruise Line!!! Couldn't believe he's now living here - currently on the Sunshine Coast of BC but will be relocating to Vancouver. It was a pleasure to run into him & his wife! I had vivid fond cruise flashback memories while chatting with him. That awesome cruise back in 2015 on Carnival Breeze was phenomenal!!!!! It was a total awesome riot! I discovered my island paradise - Curaçao! Side note - Vancouver & Whistler hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics! I can tell you from first hand experience with actually being involved in the Olympics as a volunteer - it was so spectacular an event!!!!! Vancouverites today still speak highly of it! Super natural Whistler is highly recommended if you've never been - so do check it out! Come experience Whistler & be wowed!!! You will exhale & feel that - we got this ... life is good after all!!!!! read more

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Just a heads up to those of you thinking to get the edge or season passes. They've made the refund system as much difficult as they possible could. I purchased the 5 days edge pass in May without realizing that my mom will need a knee replacement surgery this coming winter. As soon as I know the surgery is happening in this coming winter, I put in a request online to refund my money at the beginning of July. They not only asking you to fill out a mile long form with all those emails going back and forth, you are also requested to get all the signed documents from the doctors for approvals. It's been 2 months and I am still waiting for the refund. I've been going to Whistler for more than 30 yrs, this year is the worst experience ever. read more

Normally Whistler/Blackcomb is great, but this year/today 11/26/22... lots not right. 1- we bought our $130 per ticket the day before in person. Went to get on the chair and a step was missed in the purchase process. Liability waiver unsigned?? The scanner couldn't help. The gal standout front couldn't help. We had to wait AN HOUR in the guest service line. Arrived at opening time, didn't get on the gondola until 9:30. 2- So much of the mountain was closed. Minimal runs and the runs that were open I had to dodge rocks. Plus tickets were clearly oversold for the amount of terrain. Massive amounts of ppl, lines all while dodging gravel. Literally the worst skiing I have ever had. They shouldn't be open. 3- Lifts closed at 3pm. The line to download was SO long, we had to sit in the lodge for an hour. Everything closed in lodge. Didn't get off the mountain until 4:30. Nuts! Worst experience here we have ever had. No plans to return any time soon. Lots of other areas with better service and care for the mountain. read more

Blackcomb Alpine Demo & Test - Worst day 11/26/22 of skiing ever. This line was only part of that. - Ski Resorts Near Me - Whistler, British Columbia

Been coming for countless years from when they were two separate mountains to their merger and Peak-Peak addition. Probably skied every green and blue with my kids. Love how I can leave the car and eat at a different restaurant from five star to walk up pizza, and of course Rocky Mountain and Cows for late night sweets. Then there is the amazing zip lining and snowmobiling for a down day, or even fishing if that is your thing. Summer is also good between zip, mountain and valley biking and alpine hikes to go looking for the many Black Bears Snow in alpine is good to awesome when they get those narrow NW winter magical moments. Don't know of many places with the scale, variety and endless run from the top to base. Early and spring skiing on the bottoms half is usually terrible so stay up high. Love how I can do Blackcomb in the morning take Peak 2 Peak after lunch and a few runs on Whistler then a P2P break back for 7th Heaven right before they close for a few no lines top to bottom leg burning end of the day runs, then the hard choice for dinner with so many choices, LOL. Our secret lunch stop is at the base Fairmont hotel, great eats and Fairmont level quality and service w/o the crowds of on mountain lodge and the base lines are never long after lunch, downside takes three lifts to get back to the top, that is how big this place! read more

Ranked #1 in the world. For ski resort, this place doesn't let down. The village is nice and the people are friendly. Dress appropriately read more

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Whistler Blackcomb is an absolutely beautiful resort and I am completely in love! I had only been snowboarding once in my life and it was not a good experience so I was a bit nervous to try again. I heard so many great things about Whistler and wanted to visit the town and try snowboarding once again with my husband. We decided to do private lessons for the full day to learn the basics of how to snowboard. Our instructor was Scott and we had a great time with him. He was professional, friendly, fun to talk to, and very very very patient with us. I definitely learned a lot from Scott and because of Scott, I was able to step out of my comfort zone and really tried to snowboard without the fear of falling since Scott was right there to catch me. Thanks, Scott! Oh, and I was so nervous about the lift because I fell off of one when I was younger and I was pretty scared ever since; so, I am so glad they have really nice gondolas here that can take you from peak to peak. Overall, I definitely recommend this resort! The prices were reasonable, it wasn't crowded, and you are surrounded by some pretty great snow! I had an amazing experiencing here and I can't wait to come back soon! I had fun and I felt completely safe thanks to our awesome instructor. read more

Whistler Blackcomb is an absolutely beautiful resort. I write this review from the summer perspective so please note scroll to other reviews if looking for the ski perspective. We have spent three summers at the resort - being avid hikers, and enjoying biking , SUP and being adventurous our options are somewhat limited in TX where we live as it's simply too hot so we escape here in July where daytime temperatures can range from 50s to 80s We fly into Vancouver and enjoy the stunning Sea to Sky drive which is easy once you get past the city . As you hit the village it's surrounded by stunning mountains, and it's green, bustling and vibrant. The village has everything you need and more - hotels, restaurants both cheap and higher end, grocery stores , active stores , gift stores, yoga and fitness studios, bars, coffee shops - you can stay here all week and have everything you need though I do not recommend that as there are so many things to do nearby such as waterfalls, hikes and outdoor adventures We always purchase the Peak to Peak pass which at under $300 for our family for the week is excellent value as you can go up and down the mountains as often as you want, and experience snow on even the hottest days. It's a healthy, calming relaxing vacation. As I write this I am enjoying a cold beer on a patio enjoying the evening cool down with stunning Mountain View's as the village winds down. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars is due to high accommodation costs it struggles with staff and this year it showed more than ever. The staff they are here are often Aussies working for the season and as they know there is a shortage and they are needed , there's not the customer service you might expect. Some of the staff barely acknowledge patrons, others are rude and it's not the same level of service you would see in other resorts. We saw restaurants shut this year for the first time ever and skeleton staff in many areas such as the hotel .That said the outdoorsy crowd this place attracts are awesome and we found ourselves in conversions with people from all over the world ! It's such a beautiful resort and a great way to have either a really relaxing summer or an active one as you take in all nature has to offer read more

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Amazingly beautiful here. This is where winter Olympic was held one year and they still have reminders from those days. Came here in early October, last day available for summer hike but they already started snowing a bit at night. Gondola runs all year long. Take gondola up to enjoy the view from the top. Once you are there, they have an Olympic podium and sign left for photo opportunities. Go there early in the morning to avoid long queue. In summer months, great place to come for hiking. I bet it will be so much fun to come in winter month for skiing. Someday, I hope to come back here for skiing. read more

Blackcomb Alpine Demo & Test - Olympic was held here - Ski Resorts Near Me - Whistler, British Columbia

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Almost died. Operators didn't tell everyone it could take 1.5 hrs to open. About 200 of us we're stuck at the bottom at the lift with 20 below freezing temperatures. Body shaking so bad, could almost fell off the chair. I've been skiing for 40 years and this was the worst. I believe it's pure incompetency the part of operational management that caused the situation. Maybe the workers take too much cannabis. This makes Canadian operations look bad. Epic pass should know that this is the week link in their and services. I came to Canada because I thought the snow would be better, but somehow Whistler resort managed to make a powder day turn into a nightmare. read more

Came here for the first time and it's pretty incredible! First of all, the resort is absolutely massive since it encompasses two large mountains that can be resorts on their own and each one by themselves would be more than enough. Each mountain has a huge number of ski trails, lifts and places to explore and shred! We were extremely lucky to have around 8 inches of snow on the night before we went. And the line was massive! We were staying at creekside and first lift opens at 8:30 at the gondola and the wait was an hour! Everybody knew how good the snow would be and lined up early to head on up. We learned our lesson the next day and lined up at 8 and we only waited around 20 minutes and they even opened up the lift early! Anyways we stayed on the Whistler side for 3 days because since there was a lot of powder it made lapping Harmony and Symphony pretty awesome! They have some fantastic bowls, glades and more! While you're here you definitely got to ride the peak 2 peak gondola. I've never experienced anything like this before. There were even people who didn't ski or snowboard who made the trip up to ride it. When I was there they only had two carriages with the glass floor, since we had time we decided to wait for it. It was a bit overrated in my opinion since the glass only made up a small portion of the carriage floor in the middle and you can't even walk on it. This was a bit underwhelming, but the ride itself was great. Whistler also has the largest ski resort town that I've ever seen. It's absolutely massive and truly has almost everything you'd need. The main resort has a ton of stores and not just snowboard and ski stores. They also have various restaurants, bakeries, a supermarket and more! It was a great experience and I'd definitely come back! Probably one of the best resorts I've ever visited! read more

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This is my favorite place to ski in all of North America. It is a fantastic ski resort. It starts with the skiing where they have a ton of varied terrain for skiers of all levels. They have a few gondolas and many high speed lifts--and the lines move very fast. The badge system not only works quickly, but there is a nice app called Epic Mix which tracks your skiing (although it did not work for half a day for me). The village is also wonderful with many good restaurants and bars. It is clearly popular and probably does not need another good review, but it is a superb resort. read more

Blackcomb Alpine Demo & Test - Beautiful Whistler - Ski Resorts Near Me - Whistler, British Columbia

Whistler used to be world class, but after decades of skiing and working there, no desire to ever visit again and support their slimy overlord Vail Resorts. Should know better than to trust an American corporation...they cancelled the season early because of Covid, yet unlike other resorts, refused to refund pre-paid days we bought specifically for use in March - profiting off a pandemic, real classy. Plus snow conditions suck now with global warming plus coastal weather systems with snow that turns to ice at night, lift lines have become horrific (see photo), and food/accoms are way overpriced...they even have the cojones to charge $20 for day use parking! Contacted our credit card company for a chargeback dispute and filed a complaint with local BBB. We are not valued clients for Vail, just valued walking dollar signs. read more

Blackcomb Alpine Demo & Test - Typical morning wait at Whistler. Best part - note how the sign above the lift shows only green lights i.e. 0-5 minute waits. Hah! Liars. - Ski Resorts Near Me - Whistler, British Columbia

Hands down best resort in the Vail resorts portfolio!! The snow can be iffy but the mountain is expansive! The staff are great the food is great. Knowing how fickle snow is I'd plan a trip after mid January to catch that pow! Pro tip: not so secret ice cave is on the whistler side. Ride up glacier to the t bar and stay right. You'll ski outta bounds (beware!!) and there's most likely a group of people over there. Be kind and respectful To nature. We want this be around forever and for everyone to enjoy! read more

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Oh my gosh.. this is definitely my favorite mountain of all to snowboard. I've been to whistler and blackcomb side and it is amazing. The view is breathtaking in the morning as you can see the sunrise over the clouds. When you take the gondola up to the top of the mountain, you can see the cloud-covered mountain view. I cam here around Christmas2016 and it snowed so much that the snowboarding condition was perfect! I've snowboarded green and blue trails and they were great for snowboarding. Most of the trails are so wide and give you enough room to do whatever you want. Lots of tree areas where you can ski in between and out. I will have to make a trip to Whistler Backcomb every Christmas! Leaving this mountain with sore legs but with refreshed soul! Even if you don't snowboard, you need to go up to the top for the amazing view. read more

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Definitely one of my favorite ski resorts in North America! Tops my list of 21 ski resorts I have visited. The new peak-to-peak gondola is mind-blowing and definitely one of a kind. The staff on the mountain are super nice and helpful on top of good-looking. The facilities are well maintained and definitely worldclass. One lift ticket gives you access to both mountains, which is well worth the $96 you pay. There are plenty of runs to choose from for all different levels and the view from every spot on the mountain is gorgeous. Heart this place! read more

Most will rave about the skiing, but my rave is about visiting Whistler in the summer. Several times I had to pick my jaw up from the floor of the gondola. The Mountain Bike Park is built for full suspension bikes. You see guys (and some gals) wearing full body armor, riding, jumping and careening down the mountain doing crazy stunts. Ramps, rails, jumps, teeter-totters - complete insanity. And lets just say the docs in town have full employment. These trails aren't for the weak of heart. We were smart and did all of our biking on the trails surrounding the many lakes. I left the Mountain Bike Park for the experts/weekend warriors. We paid for a hiking lift ticket several times to ride the gondolas and the views are reminiscent of Europe with lots of little lakes. We regularly saws bears from the gondolas (~ 50 live on the mountain) which thrilled the kids. There are also a few childrens' areas (forts, the castle, play structures) scattered on the mountain. Hiking was nice because the base elevation in the village is around 2,000 feet. Top of the mountains is around 7,000 feet, so I didn't feel affected by the elevation gain as much as I do in the Sierras. Factor in all of the summertime activities (ATV rides, hiking, Adventure Zone), the stunning views and the universally nice staff and this is just about as good as it gets. read more

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This July we took the gondola up to Whistler. While there, we took a chair lift to Whister's summit area, did a little hiking, crossed the and suspension bridge. We took the Peak 2 Peak gondola over to Blackcomb, took a chair lift to Blackcomb's summit area, and did a little hiking. The gondola on Blackcomb was closed, so we took the Peak 2 Peak gondola back to Whistler and down the mountain from there. All of this was included with the price of a summer gondola ticket, which was well worth the cost! This day on the mountains was my favorite part of my Whistler/Blackcomb/Vancouver experience. read more

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One of the finest ski resorts in the world, in case you haven't heard. Yes, it's awesome. Incredibly awesome. Possibly TOO awesome. (read on) Parking is thankfully still free in the many large lots. However, you're not home free just yet. First, the resort prices cost an arm and a leg. Second, there is no free overnight parking ANYWHERE in the village. So what are people supposed to do if they have an RV and want to ski for multiple days? But I digress. My group came here on a Tuesday (when everyone else was working), which meant that the ski hills were somewhat more "empty". On weekends, the entire mountain is one giant night market, both in the village and towards the bottom 1/3 of each mountain. Hope you like crowds, and skiing or boarding around the hordes. The weather is hit or miss - it was pretty crappy (foggy and icy) this last visit, but the poor conditions can sometimes be avoided if you move above the clouds - usually to the top 1/3 of the mountain. Be sure to check the reports before dropping your hard-earned cash on a ticket. Staff are professional, and quite plentiful everywhere. One amusing part is that most of them (75%, if not more) are from Commonwealth countries such as Wales, England, Australia, or New Zealand. Word must've gotten out over there. This mountain is not for beginners. A green run (easy) is equivalent to a blue (medium) on the local mountains such as Cypress, Grouse, and Seymour. A blue here is a black there. A black is a double black, and the double blacks here are borderline suicidal. There are ski schools here, but you'll be in a world of hurt if you do not have good control. When the weather and conditions are nice though - it seriously does not get any better than this. I am sure many tourists have had to cry themselves to sleep upon returning to their home countries with much tinier or inferior ski resorts. With such a world-class mountain resort, why 4 stars instead of 5? Value (or lack thereof). Even with an Edge card (for Canadians and those in Washington), it cost me $94 (taxes in). For my foreign friend, it was $110. Not too long ago, a day of skiing was only $62. With such pricing, it's hard to justify coming here more often, even as a local. Add to the fact that you only get 6 hours of skiing a day (assuming you don't eat lunch), and things start adding up really quickly. My friends and I hauled it, and we only got about 10 runs in. So that's $10 a pop. Whistler is definitely something you have to do at least once, but becoming a regular here is only for those with very deep pockets. read more

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It does not get any better than this. The whole experience is amazing. The slopes close pretty early, but that just gives you more time to walk around the magical village and hit the bars or do some shopping. Everyone is on vacation, so it just makes you feel so different, so relaxed and so happy. The slopes are amazing. There are so many runs that the slopes are rarely crowded. The wait for the lifts can get crazy, but because the runs are many many miles long, once you get on the lift, you will not have to get back on the lift anytime soon. The peak to peak gondola is a great experience, about 11 minutes on the longest unsupported gondola. It gives you a pretty amazing view of the mountains. All the trails are always groomed fairly well. Staff are super nice. Highly highly recommended. read more

This place is my heaven. It's not comparable to Tahoe, CA. Whistler/Blackcomb is way beyond. The air is FRESH. The weather can get a bit crazy at the peak, but what can you not expect? Sometimes the snow will feel as if they're needles against your body, other times the snow fog is so heavy you can't see 5-6 feet in front of you, and one of the best moments is when you can see in front of you with light snow falling down as your gliding down the side of the mountain. This is what mother nature brings you. The atmosphere so relaxing. If it was not for school, I'd pick up and move back to Whistler so it can just be me, my skis and the mountains. I'd advise you to learn how to ski/snowboard whatever snow sport you may do, pack up your things, and fly/drive right on over. You will not regret it. It's a trip worth your wild. read more

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This is the largest ski resort in all of North America, have heard about it for ages and have been dying to visit. Whistler lived up to every bit of the hype! A fantastic mountain with really long runs and something for skiers of every level. Whistler hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics and theres a testimony to that at the top of the mountain. The peak to peak Gondola was great too! Lift tickets are a bit expensive as expected, so are accommodation costs in the area. But then, skiing is an expensive sport. Sigh. Would definitely recommend a visit to this place if you love skiing! read more

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I'm a green skier so I was more than happy to see the large amount of green runs on the map when we arrived; but since my partner is much happier on blues/blacks this satisfied both of our needs. The runs are long and well groomed; signage can be a bit spotty but if you're paying attention you should be ok. That being said if you're coming from local hills you'll think the runs are marathons. If you've smoked places like Park City of Keystone it won't be anything new. Between the two we were bigger fans of Blackcomb than Whistler but both are good. We heard quite a few people complaining about ticket prices but we thought they were right in line with other Epic resorts. Since we're recent Seattle transplants this is a much easier trip than our past ones to Denver-we'll be back and with the size there will be runs to hit we weren't even able to get to this time. read more

Whistler Blackcomb is one of the most amazing places in all of North America. Not for those with an empty pocket but if you bring the coin there is plenty of fun to be had. Endless places to stay, countless excellent restaurants and shopping galore! Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall Whistler is a wonderful option for a girls weekend, romantic get-away or a most memorable family vacation! read more

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Don't buy edge cards! Whistler will not refund resort closure. I've skied / biked / boarded for 20 years and worked at the mountain. When I worked there customer service was paramount. Don't go to whistler ski and mountain bike the Interior, Kootenays, Alberta it's way better and supports our economies much more than Vail. read more

Love this place! The largest ski resort in North America. It's at a totally different level than other ski resorts in British Columbia. Get there early to avoid the line for gondola. Quick tip: use singles line - it's much faster. Don't miss the peak to peak gondola. For those who love green slopes, Blackcomb is not for you. The green slopes are largely flat, narrow and on the edge of the mountain. Whistler instead has great collection of green slopes of all difficulty levels. You'd never get bored of it! The gondola and lifts start closing at 3, so plan accordingly. Food on the resort is not the best, so plan well. read more

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It is beautiful :) That's why I have some mixed emotions on this one. It is an amazing mountain. So big that takes time to get all the way through it. My only concern was that we arrived literally 3 minutes before a storm. We also were advised to go down soon as they were about to close and weather wasn't the best for the peak and everything this means with snow. Storm started and we couldn't se a thing. So I decided to take an easier trail. My party split. One of them went through the regular trail. Another one ended on the other side of the mountain and had to walk 5 kms on the highway without any sunlight. Me...I was totally lost. I got to another set of lifts. I could notice two people coming down too. I waved at them and told me where to go. A skidoo also combed down everyone. I was the last :S After a while, at the middle of the mountain, I had more visibility and then people appear!! I was very glad of being on the right track! What I would ask, is probably more popping signs!! Also, it took us a whole hour to get up to the lift because it was very very packed! But under the rain made it not as pleasant. So be prepared to spend part of it in lines. read more

Huge, HuGe, HUGE! What more can I say about Whistler-Blackcomb? We did 4 ski days out of the week and we barely covered 20% of the place. With over 8000 skiable acres and a total vertical drop of over 5000', you can stuff Vail and Aspen in there and still have room for some northeast resorts. Snow conditions are generally good in most years with over 100" base during peak season. If you like black diamond trails, you have to try out the Dave Murray downhill course and follow in the footsteps (tracks?) of the big name Olympic athletes. The blue Peak to Creek trail is so long it will take you an hour to get down and the Peak 2 Peak Gondola is an awesome/scary ride between the 2 mountains. We stayed at a multi-level condo on the Creekside and had ski on-ski off access with a short hike. Downside was that we didn't rent a 4-wheel drive (our fault). It snowed everyday we were there, but one day it was so heavy we couldn't get back up the mountain. There's no overnight parking at the bottom, but a nice lady took pity on us and let us park in her driveway, while we hiked it back up to our condo. Roads were plowed when it stopped snowing. Apres ski life in the village is cool with a lot of shopping, eating & drinking. Some of the restaurants are incredible, but pricey. Checked off Whistler on my bucket list of ski resorts to hit before I die. read more

I was a Mammoth Mountain passholder for years when I lived in LA and Epic passholder when I lived in Vail for a season. Tried Jackson Hole, Niseko, Chamonix, and a bunch of other mountains and Whistler is now officially my home mountain of choice. Adorable village, endless terrain, amazing ski patrollers (super friendly, professional, skilled, and committed to keeping patrons safe), stunning views, and delicious restaurant options... I bought an Epic pass for the 2017-2018 season and can't wait to return. Pic taken today (April 19) buried waist-deep in freshly fallen powder in the Whistler Bowl (had to make it over a ridge and did the unstrapped walk of shame due to not keeping up my speed). Epic riding day!!! read more

Blackcomb Alpine Demo & Test - Wading waist-deep in fresh untracked powder 4/19/17 - Ski Resorts Near Me - Whistler, British Columbia

As a novice snowboarder I can't say I had the best time at Whistler. This place is built for skiers, the ratio of skiers to snowboarders is unreal, and the wait for the Whistler Gondola takes a dedicated 20 minutes. There was also a significant lack of cool hats and outfits. We came after President's day weekend (third weekend of February) and the slopes were full of ice. I stumbled upon a blue slope that I heel sided down and after slipping three times (three times too many) on huge patches of ice barely covered by 1mm of powder, I sat down and butt slid precariously the rest of the way. Novices should definitely steer clear of Blackcomb and stay on the Whistler side. Too many paths between trees and cliffs on the Blackcomb side. Some steep greens on the Whistler side but overall manageable, that is, if you don't hit all the ice and slush. On our forth day snowboarding the winds at the second gondola stop were reaching 100km/hour. It was ducking cold and miserable. Those with more skill, i.e. the boyfriend, will have fun on the back country. He loved the courses, but also warned of ice at the top and going too fast and possibly hitting ice and falling off a cliff. He also injured himself in the tricks park. And another snowboarder died in the out of bounds region the weekend we were here. On the fifth day I got ski lessons because I really am not loyal to snowboarding and I just like to follow the crowd, especially this crowd at Whistler. It cost $180 for the pass, rentals, and a full day (0930 to 1500) of lessons. I started with the level 1 crowd but progressed and was shuffled into a level 2 ski class. We never did get on the lifts, but my instructor gave me a coupon for the next time I book a full day of class this season. I enjoyed the course and am seriously thinking about being more dedicated to skiing. Overall the boyfriend really enjoyed Whistler and the scenic drive up. The town is a walking town, mainly because the parking fees are really obnoxious, but everything is within walking distance. The resort is great, the dining can get really pricey, and overall I had a better time off the mountains than on them. read more

BEST.SHREDDING.EXPERIENCE.EVER!!!! So this was my first trip to Whistler as my friend held their wedding here- so my hubby and I decided to make a trip out of it and go snowboarding! Tix were pricey af like $120 or $150 I don't remember due to trauma but hey, I heard amazing things about Whistler! So while we neared the mountains on our drive, we got a bit nervous because there was no snow. It was all slushy and it didn't seem like it snowed for couple days and we drove out here for like, 5.5 hours plus paid for everything so we were praying it would snow- Lucky us, the very next day we got like kazillion inches of snow overnight! And it's not just Whistler, there's also Blackcomb that connects with Whistler! Uh, I call that winning. The whole course was gigantic! You can either take the lift or you can take the gondola--so we took both! The snow was PERFECT! It was fresh powder and the sky was blue and we got a lot of sun as well! We are definitely coming back here! Can't believe we've been missing out on this!!! Highly recommend!!!! read more

World Class mountain. Grew up skiing, have skied Utah, Mammoth, Tahoe, Washington...but Whistler upstaged every mountain I've been to. I looked it up, and the skiable square mileage was double the biggest mountains in California. Came here for Christmas vacation and have dreams of it ever since. The snow was amazing, and exactly what you expect when you come to Canada just to ski. Definitely worth it. Not much park as Americans are probably used to, but the slopes are so long, and the runs go on forever. It was blizzarding on one day we went, the gondola on the blackcomb side gondola was closed, the lifts were freezing, and the wind blew a lot of pow away, making some of the runs a little icy, BUT we still had SO MUCH FUN, that's how much this mountain is worth it. read more

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Love. this. place. Having skied most of my life and snowboarded for half of it, I can honestly say this is one of the best places to do either one. Most resorts are biased towards having more options for skiers, but they know how to do it all in Canada! First of all, there is terrain for all types of skiers and riders from the baby greens to the blackest double diamonds. Secondly, the lifts are mostly high speed quads or sixers, getting you up the mountain efficiently (with foot rests and safety bars!) If you're a snow bunny who doesn't want to break a sweat, you can ride up in your snow shoes and take the peak to peak gondola for 360 views of the surrounding mountains. Warning, it can be a little scary when it's windy so go in the morning before afternoon winds prevail! Whether you stay at a hotel that offers ski in - ski out privileges, or have to park in a lot, you are never far from the lifts at the bottom of either Whistler or Blackcomb. While the USD is strong, lift tickets here cost about the same as resorts in WA and less than those in CA, NV, and CO! read more

As good as it gets is right. I've probably had more ski days at these two (connected) resorts than anywhere else. Easily over 100 days at Whistler-Blackcomb. This season I went to 12 resorts. All worthy in their own right. While having a great time at those ten other mountains I hoped that one of them would surpass my love of W-B. Jackson was up there. Telluride is very impressive. We missed Alta this year. Anyway, when you get good conditions, these two resorts are, in my opinion, the best in North America. I know lots of people who gave W-B a chance but had poor visibility or rain. Many of them won't return. In my more than 100 days, I have probably had LESS THAN five ski days that were wasted due to conditions...and they were bad. But this covers fifteen years. Here are the things I like about W-B and the things it does well: - Huge terrain - Steep - Most challenging peaks have intermediate trails - It gets a ton of snow - No better place for non-skiers - Nightlife - Peak-to-Peak Here are the things that I wish were different at W-B: - It can rain - Biggest crowds in BC ------- Whistler and Blackcomb were the last stop on our twelve resort Mountain Collective tour this season. We booked six nights here. Conditions were good when we arrived and steadily deteriorated and then improved toward the end. At day four, I was ready to throw in the towel. I was unhappy about the conditions. However, conditions improved so much that we added three nights. Most people don't have this flexibility. Our last four ski days were easily THE BEST consecutive four days in a 40 day season. And I am sure, that these four consecutive days were not the best that W-B had this season. They get a lot of storms and the snow quality does not always meet Jackson or Alta quality. But, when it does, I'd rather be here. Whether you're at the top of Peak, Harmony, Seventh Heaven or climbing from Glacier, there is just so much phenomenal terrain when you hit a powder blast. More than that, as long as the temperatures cooperate, these slopes hold their conditions for several days. For the naysayers who suffered through rain, I was in Jackson this year and had two great days. A tropical storm hit the west and took down 17 electrical towers. Jackson Hole closed for a week. Timing is everything and luck can make a difference...even at W-B. As much as I salivated in the Hobacks (JH) without fail, my single best descent of the season occurred on Seventh Heaven on Saturday March 18. It has two villages for lodging. Whistler Village is large and filled with hotels, bars, restaurants, shopping. The Upper Village serves Blackcomb and has a small number of eateries and shopping but, it's quiet and quality. Aside from the villages, there are plenty of other places to eat and sleep...but you may need to ride a shuttle. The snow school is great for kids. Mine learned the basic at other resorts but really got their legs here. Although my son lives in Colorado and has skied as many as 65 days in a season, he relishes his days here at W-B. From Vancouver, the drive is amazingly beautiful along the Sea to Sky Highway. Make a reservation and hope for the best...just like anywhere else. read more

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We came to snowboard and nature allowed us to. First day was sunny and day 2 snowed. Nature is beautiful and we don't have this in Hawaii. Up there, I took it all in. Epic lift tickets are pricey but I have no idea what other resorts charge. This is Vail after all and if snow grooming is expensive, then I think the price is okay. You can stay up from open to sunset. The corduroy was great for us Level 0. I'd say the lifts, chairs and carpets were maintained well. They employ a lot of people, not short of instructors or ski patrols. Oh and like Disney, photographers at the peaks. Both mountains have food pits and full restaurants. Ah, no lockers for personal belongings. The dog-friendly village is full of stores for rentals and retail shops, groceries and pubs, and a cinema. When sunset hits, it's hard to find outdoor family friendly things to do. That's when we hit the sauna or unwind in the lodge. In the winter, maybe add more apres, evening shows, especially around the holidays. Evenings can be very long downtime. Definitely would visit again. read more

We absolutely loved our trip here. The skiing was wonderful. The people working at the bottom of the mountain that were handling our ski passes weren't the best. They weren't great at handling our Epic guest passes until we got a manager involved. My only other complaint was the signage on the mountain. I have never been to a mountain where the runs criss-crossed more often. It was incredibly difficult to stay on our desired runs. All in all, the mountain, the snow, and the experience was great and we will be back. read more

I would like to dedicate review number 900 to my favourite ski resort in the world, Whistler / Blackcomb. I had the great privilege to ski here a couple of ski seasons ago when I visited with some friends from the UK The main downside for us Brits is the long 12 hour flight from the UK and subsequent jetlag but the limousine transfer (cheapest transfer option for a group our size, believe it or not) and stunning views along the Sea to Sky Highway made it a great start to the holiday. It was also nice that it was a relatively quick transfer time at 2 hours rather than 4 hours to places like Banff / Lake Louise and also that the road was straight rather than a winding path up the mountainside as in a lot of European resorts. We stayed in the Blackcomb Benchlands area, which may seem a bit of a way out of town on the map but don't fear - there 's a frighteningly efficient free shuttle bus service which runs every 10 minutes religiously. It never failed to arrive on time during our stay Whistler main village and Village North are one combined area - very well planned and well laid out with lots of retail therapy available as well as cuisine from all over the world. It has been developed since the 1980s and the organised structure to town reflects this, unlike some of the haphazard European ski resorts. There are cinemas, supermarkets and internet cafes in town All the trees in town looked lovely decorated with lights. We didn't have time to enjoy the many off-piste distractions like the many spas, a tube park, Ziptrek, forest walks, snowmobiling, helicopter rides, bungee jumps, etc. There's a free Fire and Ice show every Sunday evening at the gondola base. Upper Village is smaller but Whistler main resort is easily accessible by shuttle. The 2 mountains offer every conceivable type terrain of skiing you would want. We had intended to try cat-skiing but with the record breaking snowfall in Whistler that year, we found an abundance of fresh powder everywhere in the main ski area. The terrain parks are well organised with signs marking the size of jumps/rails/boxes, making it a lot safer for us terrain park novices. The queues were civilised and well organised with single person lines making sure that all the lifts are always used to full capacity. We were there over Martin Luther weekend, one of the American bank holiday weekends and never had to queue more than 10 minutes even over this busy period and most of the time, the queues were mainly walk-on. The main lack of capacity we found was in the restaurants and booking is essential. Another lovely touch is the ability to easily access and ski the off-piste Blackcomb glacier, which is technically back-country, making us all feel like proper intrepid adventurers! We just went through the marked gate and carried our skis like proper off pisters, negotiated the slightly scary ridge across Blowhole and were rewarded with a wide expanse of powder to play on and whoop our way down back to civilisation We also found the ski school instruction to be excellent with English speaking instructors and smaller classes leading to more progress. Our instructor for the free lesson we received with our chalet booking was excellent and we booked private lessons with her. This enabled us to tailor the lesson to our needs exactly. Whistler is very proud to have won the 2010 Winter Olympics and all over the resort, there were lots of reminders as the resort gears up. There is a lot of development at Creekside base, the finishing area for the downhill events - we couldn't resist a blast down the men's downhill and ladies super G courses. There is also a lot of work along the stunning Sea to Sky Highway from Vancouver to upgrade it, which can lead to delays but the road works have been suspended over the winter. It's been a dream to ski Whistler for a long time and it lived up to its promise. It certainly matches the French super-resorts like The Three Vallets, Tignes/Val d'Isere and Les Arcs/La Plagne. I wish the Whistler/Blackcomb all the best for the forthcoming Olympics in 2010 read more

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Getting here is a bitch, but Whistler/Blackcomb is the best ski resort in North America imho (taking into consideration size, conditions, and value). Over the years I've visited three times, the most recent being 2003. In 2002 I spent 4 days straight taking their snowboarding classes and went from a beginner to a solid intermediate seemingly overnight. Snow quality around Christmas and New Years does vary and wasn't great on at least one occasion, target later in the winter for better snow. The exchange rate is typically favorable, though recently of course the dollar is as good as toilette paper. The ski village at the base is excellent and has all you need, restaurants, nightlife, and solid hotels. I've had so much fun skiing and boarding on these two mountains they hold a special place in my heart. read more

Whistler is such a beautiful resort and it snowed the first two days we were there so I really wanted to take advantage of it and go snowboarding but I was a little gun-shy after fracturing my tail bone in Mammoth last year. I figured the best way to gain a little confidence and play it safe would be to take a lesson so I could refresh my memory of the basics and get used to being on a board again. The ski school was just steps away from our hotel so armed with a pair of heavily padded hockey shorts on underneath my clothes, I signed myself up for a beginner's group lesson and joined everyone out front. There are a variety of lessons you can choose from ranging from private lessons, half day lessons, group lessons. I chose the the full day group lesson with the lift ticket incorporated (I don't think there's a half day option when you sign up for a group lesson any way). When you sign up for the class, the give you a voucher to the rental store and you can get a helmet and wrist guards to rent for free. The lesson began at 9:45 a.m. and we had 6 people in our group, everyone pretty much all beginners. My instructor Andrew was very thorough and really focused on the basics, having us practice everything he taught at least 2-3 times each. Even though it was a group lesson, he did work one on one with almost everyone and made sure to point out what might help improve our skills in the specific challenges we were all having. He adjusted my bindings for me after observing my stance and I really appreciated it because I felt much more comfortable and felt like I improved afterward. For novices or those who are a little rusty and want some review, I would totally recommend the snowboarding lessons at Whistler. The cost of the lesson with the lift ticket itself is quite a deal because it isn't much more than the cost of the ticket itself and the school seems to have organization and method down to a tee. I appreciated the thoroughness of my instructor as well as all the extra pointers he gave everyone and the lesson itself made me feel a lot better about being in the snow again. Photos and more can be found here on my favorite blog- http://www.alamodejournals.com/index.php/2010/02/white-out/ read more

Blackcomb Alpine Demo & Test - Looking up the slopes from the village - Ski Resorts Near Me - Whistler, British Columbia

What do you MEAN this is a dry season? There's a 60" base!!! This mountain is massive! Seriously, it's *huge*!! It's also challenging. And wonderful for us snowboarders because there are hardly any flats at all! The mountain is *not* for beginners. They have classes, but be forewarned newbies, the greens are steep and the trails are long! Confession: I do not ride the blacks. Can I do them? Yes - I suppose I can heel my way down successfully, but I don't really ride them. So, when I get to a new mountain, I always test it out on the greens. Results of the exam on Whistler/Blackcomb? - Steep as all damn hell! The blues were actually not so bad, considering what I was expecting after riding the greens. The mountain is divided among Whistler, Blackcomb, and Creekside, at a minimum. Whistler is steeper than Blackcomb, but terrain/snow is better. Blackcomb is smoother and easier to ride, but the terrain/snow is less desirable - more hardpacked and seems to not have as much puffy snow as Whistler. Let's keep in mind that I went in January, 2014 - considered to be the dryest season they've had in at least a decade. We got lucky the week we went because it snowed every day, except for one. And one night we got a huge dump of 19 inches; 26 inches in a 24 hours period. The temperature is similar to Colorado, comfortable and dry cold. The snow, however and oddly enough, is more similar to east coast snow, kinda wet and heavy. How these two come together, I suppose can only be explained by the wonder of Whistler. The village is wide and, depending on where you stay, can be quite a hike to the gondolas. The gondolas take about 20 minutes to get to the summit. There is plenty to do - lots of restaurants, stores, bars, etc. The village reminded me most of Vail, without all the pretension, insane crowds, high prices, and general "I'm here to be seen". Whistler is for riding! Let's get it straight! read more

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I won't be back too often, but I think that has more to do with how bad the Westin Whistler is, than Whistler itself. Perhaps its Bearfoot Bistro that soured my opinion. I think it may be both. Nice mountain, but it really reeks of trapped consumer ethic, and has very little that isn't formulaic. Essentially, the place is an outdoor B-Class mall with tons of Starbucks and a few overpriced, underwhelming hotels and some incredibly expensive, yet very below average restaurants. If you compare this to virtually any other 'Class A' ski destinations, then there is really no comparison at all. First, its a 3 hr back and forth flight from LA, then another hour for customs and yet another 2 hr drive from there. Its a pain in the ass. In fact, if you are an LA or SF resident - Aspen, Jackson Hole and others all take much less time, are less expensive (overall), more exclusive and all have way better services, restaurants, hotels and retail options. And no 'mall' feel about them. Not to mention the clientele and staff. Whistler is apparently a small suburb of Sydney, Australia. Other than ski pros, the place seems to exclusively hire low cost Australian kids for every possible position, just happy to be there, skiing, regardless of wage. Its statistically ridiculous. Everywhere you go, its an Aussie behind the counter with that chalkboard accent. In two visits and five days I met nor saw a single US or Canadian employee in the place. From the bars, hotels, ski hills and even rental and shopping - every person you meet and or speak to, is an Aussie and nobody that works here is Canadian or American. So yes, while it is overpriced, has ridiculous hotel rules and 30 day cancellation policies in an act of clear collusion, is a 3 hr flight and only then gets hard to get to, has bad restaurants, the worst Westin resort I have ever seen, service to forget and is really just a massive tourist rip off - it's the persistent swarm of rude, loud, rough and overly familiar Australians everywhere, seemingly all with their equally loud, irritating children that just killed it for me. I would sooner spend my afternoon listening to a partially deaf Russian couple have an argument. Next time, Aspen. read more

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