Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort Review
Whistler ski resort is in a class of its own and is justifiably considered one of the greatest ski destinations in the world. Whistler Blackcomb is massive and offers incredible terrain diversity across its two mountains for all abilities & proclivities, reliable annual snowfall in its upper elevations, plus has a modern, efficient lift system to get the (admittedly!) huge crowds up the hill. However unlike many North American ski resorts, Whistler Canada offers so much more than just skiing and snowboarding. A Whistler ski holiday can include an abundance of non-ski activities. To top it off, the pedestrian-only Whistler Village is full of restaurants & lively bars, plus has enough retail to delight any budding shopaholic.
Whistler hosted the alpine skiing events of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics as well as the bobsled, luge and skeleton events. Some ski resorts benefit hugely from the profile of hosting the Winter Olympics, but Whistler Blackcomb was already attracting thousands of visitors from around the world, so it probably didn't gain much from the publicity. Whistler is rightfully a household name in the skiing and snowboarding fraternity and a ‘mega-resort’ on a par with the incredibly vast, interlinked ski areas of Europe.
Pros & Cons for Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort
Pros
- High annual snowfall (11m+) and reliable deep snowpack in the upper elevations.
- Super-long skiable vertical of 1,609m.
- World-class, extensive on-piste trails & off-piste terrain for all abilities, including fantastic steeps, chutes, cliffs & trees for experts.
- Modern lift system.
- Great après ski festivities in Whistler village.
- Excellent restaurants & bars.
- Superb range of non-ski winter activities available.
- Accommodations available for all styles & budgets.
Cons
- Incredibly busy on powder days.
- Lower slopes rely heavily on snow-making to stay open (but gondolas allow easy downloading if required).
- Low elevation villages may not have natural snow for parts of winter.
- Extremely high-priced day lift passes.
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- A popular ski resort that depending on your outlook can be the greatest powder paradise ever, or an oversubscribed hellhole. Until you go you won’t know which!
- Ski-in ski-out accommodation available.
- Close to Vancouver city & airport.
- Epic Pass is valid - good for some, maybe not for others!
Whistler Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain
Whistler Canada is the largest ski resort in North America (in terms of accessible skiable acres) and one of the biggest in the world outside of Europe. Whistler Blackcomb ski resort consists of the interconnected Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain, which combine for an incredible 8,171 acres (3,307 hectares) of terrain. Coupled with a humongous vertical drop of 1,609 metres, its over 200 marked trails (around 200km of trails), and gobsmacking off-piste terrain, it definitely provides the goods. The ski resort is so big that instead of having a trail map, they have an atlas! Check out the Whistler Blackcomb Ski Trail Map below.
The Whistler skiing and snowboarding terrain varies incredibly from gentle slopes and wide groomed cruisers to tree skiing, steep alpine bowls, couloirs and terrain parks. No other North American resort offers so much variety. Whistler Resort is suitable for all types of skiers and snowboarders, from first-timers to extreme riders who want to ride hair-raising steeps.
Downsides include for those with un-fit legs who may struggle as your muscles melt on the super long runs. Also, sometimes the powder that falls is a bit wet (particularly down low), but the vastness of the terrain more than makes up for it.
Whistler Blackcomb is committed to continuing to develop the resort and in the recent past they’ve opened new lifted terrain and upgraded the infrastructure. A major boon was the addition of the impressive Peak to Peak Gondola which connects the upper parts of Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain. More recently, chairlift upgrades have seen the installation of several 6 & 8-seat high-speed chairlifts to help ease congestion at the most popular lift bases.
Whistler Blackcomb can be accessed using an Epic Pass.
For more information on ski lifts & terrain, see our Skiing & Snowboarding Whistler Blackcomb page.
Where is Whistler Canada?
Whistler is located in British Columbia near the west coast of Canada, approximately 125km (76 miles) north of Vancouver and 58km (36mi) north of Squamish. Whistler BC is on the famous Sea to Sky Highway (BC Highway 99).
The main gateway airport is Vancouver International Airport (YVR), which is located 140km south of Whistler Village. For many international visitors, Whistler is the most convenient Canadian ski resort to access considering its proximity to Vancouver and the abundance of international flights into Vancouver Airport.
For more information on how to get there, see our Travel to Whistler Blackcomb page.
Whistler Accommodations
There are plenty of Whistler accommodations to suit all budgets and requirements. There's a diverse selection of Whistler hotels ranging from standard to 5-star, as well as lodges, apartments (condos), and even a few hostels. Only a small amount of Whistler lodging is ski-in ski-out but there are lots of accommodations that are only a short walk to the lifts.
When choosing Whistler accommodation the first decision is regarding which village to stay in. Whistler Village is the main heartbeat of Whistler with prolific restaurants, bars and shops. The adjacent North Village has plenty of action, but it requires a longer walk to get to the lifts or use of a shuttle bus. Upper Village at the base of Blackcomb Mountain offers some slope-side accommodation, whilst the Creekside base is popular with families. Above Creekside, there are luxury chalets & apartments for holiday rental in the exclusive ski-in ski-out Kadenwood development.
See our Whistler accommodations page for more information on the villages & where to stay.
Whistler Activities
Besides skiing and snowboarding within Whistler Resort, there are an abundance of things to do in Whistler. Whether you’re looking for something wild, mild, or for a child, there are loads of Whistler activities during winter!
Powder hounds can go heli skiing with Coast Range Heli-Skiing, or with Phantom Heli Skiing. The other alternative for riding fresh powder is to go cat skiing.
A sample of other Whistler winter activities includes snowmobiling, zip-lining, dog sledding, fondue dinners, tubing, ice-skating, and day spas, and of course there’s the famous Whistler shopping.
Cost of a Whistler Ski Holiday or Vacation
There are some components of a Whistler ski resort that are expensive. The lift ticket prices are by far the highest in western Canada, but you get great value for money considering the infrastructure and terrain on offer. Other Whistler Resort owned services such as ski rentals and ski school are quite costly but there are also independent providers that are more affordable. Whistler activities also generally cost a little more than at other Canada ski resorts.
When it comes to Whistler accommodations, you can pay as much as you want in relation to the quality and location of the lodging. Relative to other Canada ski resorts, the accommodation rates are very reasonable due to a large supply and plenty of healthy competition. The same can be said for dining and shopping. You can spend a fortune if you want, but if you’re watching your pennies there are lots of inexpensive options available.
Why Ski Whistler Blackcomb Canada?
As a multi-award winner, Whistler Blackcomb is an absolute must for any skier or snowboarder. You will be hard pressed to find a resort with better facilities in north America, but one downside is that it’s definitely not a secret and everyone else knows how great Whistler is! It can be crowded at times, and it can be difficult to find freshies, a table for lunch, or a perching spot for après drinks. No one seems to care though, because Whistler Canada is so great. Actually it’s pawesome!
Powderhounds have given many "best ski resorts in Canada" awards to Whistler Blackcomb for the amazing terrain:
- Best overall ski and snowboard terrain
- Advanced on-piste terrain
- Best off-piste
- Expert and extreme terrain
- Lift infrastructure
- Terrain parks
Additionally, other best skiing in Canada awards for Whistler are:
- Top overall ski resort in Canada
- Best après, nightlife and restaurants
- Best ski shops
We Powderhounds are clearly impressed with what the Whistler Blackcomb ski resort has to offer!