Whistler is a world renowned ski village located in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Not only did it host the 2010 winter olympics, it offers some of the best skiing in the world. Typically, the village is a a few hours drive from the city of Vancouver. Skiing is predominant in the winter, and during the summer months, the village turns its runs into roads for mountain biking. 


 

Ski runs at Whistler are divided between two mountains, Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain. A peak to peak gondola available to transport guests between the peaks, while all other transport is done by a mixture cable-car and ski-lifts. Both mountains feature green, blue, black diamond and double black diamond runs in order of ascending difficulty. 

 

No matter what your skill level in skiing and/or snowboarding, the views from the runs on the mountain are unparalleled. You will rarely see snow machines on the slopes here, only the freshest, light powder. Icy conditions, however, may exist on some of the higher difficulty black diamond runs.

 

If you're a beginner at skiing or just uncomfortable with heights like me, both Blackcomb and Whistler mountain offers many green runs that are wide, gradual, and gently sloped. Perfect conditions for a relaxing day on the slopes.

 

Various hotels are available and situated in the charming winter village of Whistler. Restaurants, shops, and specialty stores line the village center, proximate to the central area where many chair-lifts have their starting point. The higher end resorts at Whistler will offer ski concierge service, where they'll fit you for gear, and transport it to the chalet next to the lifts in the morning, so that its ready for you whenever you want to hit the slopes. 

Nothing relaxes sore muscles after a day of skiing like the warmth of hot water. Though there are some natural springs in the area, most hotels offer a heated pool and hot tub, oftentimes situated outdoors.

 

The 7th Heaven summit is the highest point that is able to be accessed by lifts in the entire Coastal mountain range of British Columbia. Needless to say, the view is impressive. Every run is flanked by snow-laden trees, the edge of your run seems to end on the edge of a cliff. And the good news is that there are multiple green and blue runs that encircle the mountain, so the way down can be as easy as the way up.

 

You won't want to leave, but the drive back can be pleasant over the Sea-to-Sky highway. Approaching Whistler however, its best that cars have snow tires, as the roads can get icy during the winter.