A traveler's guide to Whistler Blackcomb
Ski one mountain properly before you cross to the other. The gondola makes the crossing easy and makes it tempting to do too late.
Whistler Blackcomb is the ski resort about two hours north of Vancouver when the road is clear. Whistler and Blackcomb are separate mountains joined by the Peak 2 Peak gondola and by a village at the bottom. The vertical is serious, the terrain is varied, and the village is built for the week.
When to go
January through March is the heart of it. The season often runs from late November into April, and the alpine still holds snow after the village looks like spring. Pacific storms bring huge days and rain to the valley on the same trip. Book a week, not a perfect-weather Wednesday.
On the hill
Whistler and Blackcomb each have more than enough skiing for a day. Peak 2 Peak connects them above the valley so you can change mountains without skiing to the village. The alpine is weather-dependent. In a storm, ski the trees and stop pretending you need the top. The resort's vertical is among the biggest in North America; a top-to-bottom run is a long run. Stay on marked trails unless you have the skills and the local knowledge. The Slackcountry next to a marked run is still avalanche terrain.
Village and passes
Stay in the village if you want to walk to the gondolas. The benches above town are quieter and need a bus or a car. The road from Vancouver is the famous Sea-to-Sky. It closes in serious storms and it takes longer on a powder morning than the map says. A weeklong pass is the usual buy. Lessons are easy to find and worth it on a mountain this size if your group has mixed ability.
If you only remember this
- The Sea-to-Sky on a storm day is part of the trip. Do not connect it to a same-day flight with no slack.
- Ski the trees when the alpine is gone. That is still a great day here.
- Cross on the Peak 2 Peak early enough to get home.
- Stay in the village if walking to the lift matters.