Back to the Mountains, Back to Whistler

Ski Safari had spent two years away from the slopes when Matt P, Anna, Harry, Carina, Zara and I arrived in Whistler last week. Our itinerary? A week packed full of skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling and luxurious hotel stays, with plenty of après drinks to drain and plates to clean in between.

Whistler is adored for good reason. As we discovered, the huge network of runs on Whistler and Blackcomb mountains offers fun for skiers of all abilities, from well-groomed green and blue runs to steep powdery slopes and challenging off-piste.

This was a trip of firsts. Except for our trip leader, Matt, it was our first time skiing in Canada and our first time ever skiing with Ski Safari as we’ve all joined the team this year. Harry meanwhile had never skied before, while I had not been for fourteen years, and so we were presented with a particular challenge in learning and relearning how to make our turns.

But before heading to the mountains we had one stop to make - a short stay in the gorgeous city of Vancouver.

Our day in Vancouver started early, with a sumptuous breakfast at the 4* Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre where we had had the pleasure of staying the night before. We were lucky to have some spectacular views from our hotel rooms of the city illuminated with a clear pink and orange sunrise in the morning.

What is immediately noticeable about Vancouver is its understated beauty. The skyscrapers are conservatively built and form a pretty and intricate forest of towers. We were surprised to see that the streets themselves are relatively quiet compared to other famous cities like London and New York.

With central Vancouver built in a fairly compact area, we were able to walk between many of the city's attractions in a day. Vancouver Harbour was our first port of call, with its calm water and the North Shore offering tantalising glimpses of snow-capped peaks in the direction of Whistler to the north. We spent a brilliantly fun hour at FlyOver Canada, a kind of flight simulator which houses a spherical screen and dangles you in your seat as you watch scenes of Canadian wilderness pass underneath you.

Later we wandered around Gastown and found the peculiar Gastown Steam Clock, which is powered entirely by steam and every hour puffs out a slightly comical, out-of-tune version of Big Ben's gongs - perhaps a remedy for homesick Brits! Getting around by public transport is easy, and if you find yourself on the wrong side of False Creek then there's the easy solution of hopping on a ferry to the other side, which we happily boarded to get back to our hotel after a day of walking.

In the evening we journeyed along the Sea-to-Sky Highway from Vancouver by private transfer. The snow piled higher and higher by the roadside until we arrived at Whistler, snow-laden, with dazzling Christmas lights adding a wonderful visual flourish to the town.

Then the day we'd been waiting for. Plenty of snow at the start of the season had created excellent conditions on Whistler and Blackcomb for our first day of skiing. Staying at the luxurious 5* Fairmont Chateau Whistler, we could not have been better placed to get onto the slopes in quick time, with views of the lifts out of our windows leaving us itching to go. Harry and I both took a lesson with ski school, while Matt, Zara, Carina and Anna made their way up to Blackcomb Mountain.

Skiing has an almost uncanny knack for sticking in your muscle memory. No more than 30 seconds and a few cautious turns and I realised I'd remembered it! I felt totally happy back on the slopes, even after fourteen years away. Matt P, Carina, Zara and Anna meanwhile took the stunning aerial journey on the famous Peak 2 Peak Gondola, which connects Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. It's a brilliant way to ski two giant mountains in the same day with plenty of time left for après.

Harry and Carina had great things to say about their first experiences of skiing in Whistler.

Harry - "Having never skied before I was apprehensive about skiing for the first time in Whistler! But the slopes are super wide and the instructor takes you one step at a time and before I knew it I was comfortably skiing green runs."

Carina - "Having only skied in Norway before, I was really excited to try out one of the world's largest and most renowned resorts. Before we hit the slopes I was a bit nervous, but the runs are so wide and there is plenty of space for everyone so people of all levels can have fun at their own pace."

In the evening we decided to ease off and take an out-of-the-ordinary stroll through the snow at Vallea Lumina, an award-winning multimedia night walk just a short drive north of Whistler. As you wind your way along a snowy path, trees around you are illuminated with cool blue, green and purple lights, other-worldly music plays and animated figures sing happy songs and talk by campfires. It's a fantastic experience for adults and children alike and offers something totally different from the other winter activities in the area.

On day three it was time for some more adventure in the snow. Danielle from the 4* Summit Lodge Boutique Hotel kindly took me, Carina and Anna around Harmony Bowl. It was great to have someone with us who really knew the mountain and was so enthusiastic about being back out skiing at the start of the season.

The three of us thought it was some of the best skiing we'd ever done, taking the Harmony 6 Express up to Little Whistler Peak and skiing down both Back Bowl and the Glades. Both of these runs were so much fun we had to do them both twice!

One thing you can't miss while you're skiing in Whistler is the extraordinary scenery. Take a few moments at Little Whistler Peak or Seventh Heaven over on Blackcomb, or any of the great viewing points to wonder at the sheer scale of the mountains. A good tip is to look out for the inukshuk statues - they tend to be in the most scenic spots. The light catching the snow-covered peaks around you is sure to stick in the memory. So don't ski off too soon!

As was customary on this trip, we enjoyed some fantastic food in the evening. Stopping at the Grill & Vine in the 5* Westin Resort & Spa, we tucked into a delicious steak dinner followed by a dessert platter to die for. You'll find that customer service in Canada is a step above, and nowhere more so on our trip than at The Westin. Attentive chefs and waiters were keen to make sure that we were enjoying our meal and clearly took pride in telling us about the food and in their standard of service.

Zara's thoughts on the people in Whistler: "What really stood out to me was the standard of service and friendliness of everyone we met. Regardless of where they worked, everyone was always more than willing to help out or find ways to make our trip more enjoyable. I only stayed in whistler for 5 days, however by the time I left, the people who lived there made it feel like a second home. I am already planning a trip to go back!"

Day four and the snow had well and truly fallen. Four of us skied with Jessica and Claire from Whistler Blackcomb and though they'd been working and skiing in the resort for years, they were just as delighted as us at the sight of the fresh powder covering the ski areas. Whistler has some of the most reliable snowfall in North America and when you get a day like we did, the skiing is extra special.

There were no long queues at the lifts during our stay either. With so many chairlifts and gondolas to take you up the mountain from the two bases, you should never have to wait long.

Having skied a lot in Europe before this trip, Anna had some interesting thoughts on the terrain in Whistler: "I had mainly skied in Europe before this trip and was loving how accessible the off-piste terrain is in Whistler as it’s integrated into their ski areas. We were dipping off the side of the groomers to enjoy the powder and weaving our way through the trees. With so much more of the mountain readily accessible to skiers, there was always the feeling that there’s enough room for everyone."

In the afternoon it was time to check in to our second hotel, the 4*+ Delta Hotels by Marriott Whistler Village Suites, where we enjoyed some great après drinks along with a spectacular cheeseboard at the on-site bar and restaurant, The Brickworks Public House. If you're after a great nightlife, Whistler won't let you down. The town has numerous pubs, boasts craft beer, local spirits and of course the famous caesars, with plenty of fun bars and restaurants to enjoy them in.

After the Brickworks Pub, we headed to the 5* Hilton Whistler Resort for yet more excellent food at the Cinnamon Bear Grille.

And now for something completely different. The last day of our Whistler adventure took us to Callaghan Mountain for some snowmobiling with Canadian Wilderness Adventures. Steering a snowmobile is an exhilarating way to make your way up the mountain, with some gorgeous scenery to check out on the way.

The machines are pretty powerful and can reach speeds of 120mph. Competitive as we are, we weren't about to try anything like that! The beginners' lesson took us along well-marked paths, and our guide Conor made sure we knew how to stay safe while driving. He also had plenty of interesting things to tell us about the local area and its history, including the fact that there is likely a quarter of a million dollars worth of gold buried in the mountain.

Afterwards, it was the last afternoon of our trip and our last opportunity to enjoy the incredible skiing on the mountain. We all skied together with our guide for the day, our very own managing Director Matt Pavitt who knows a thing or two about skiing, helping us all to hone our technique and ski with more confidence. As is often the way, I felt as though something clicked with my skiing on the very last few runs and I could have stayed out there for hours more. Happily, a friendly lift operator allowed us to have one more turn up a chairlift five minutes after closing time.

It wasn't the easiest of goodbyes to say to Whistler. We were more than ready for another week of skiing, snowboarding and astounding views, not to mention the rest. But we headed back to the UK with some great memories and a good deal more skiing experience! We've been selling Whistler since 1996 and it proved itself once again to be an astounding place to ski. We'd encourage you to give it a go!

If our trip has got you dreaming of tree-lined runs, après drinks and snow-capped peaks in Whistler, then enquire online or talk to our team on 01273 224060.

We’ll soon be on sale for Whistler in 2023/24. Sign up for our newsletter to be the first to hear about our early booking offers and secure your preferred dates and accommodation.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the reports from our team out in the resorts this winter.