Battle of the ski resorts: Whistler
How does the legendary resort of Whistler measure up?
Nominated by Dickie
Ease of access 5/10
Into Vancouver and up the road – easy, but a long flight.
Sense of scale and epicness 5/10
You’re in a vast range sitting in a huge forest, which is suitably large scale but… anyone who’s skied in Europe and been teased by the superlatives will wonder what happened to the height. There’s a decent skiable vertical, but it’s a compact place compared with mid-sized French resorts.
Variety and quality of the pistes 8/10
Lots to go at, whether you head up Whistler mountain or Blackcomb, and it’s possible to escape from congestion thanks to the choice of uplift. Pistes are great quality and there are some classic long runs to keep you engaged.
Off-piste potential 9/10
Plenty, and generally a fair amount of snow to keep it topped up. The upper bowls are steep, north-facing and wide, so there are nearly always a couple of lines available. The tree skiing is excellent and has every pitch you’d want.
Lapability 7/10
We’d head up one mountain or the other, then string together the seemingly endless routes down, poaching some trees on the way. Most roads lead to the village, so you might as well try and get lost and see what happens.
On-hill grub 4/10
As with all NA resorts there are superb eateries on the hill, or cafeterias. There is great eating in town and it’s no hassle to drop down to village level as part of the day’s itinerary.
Après scene 9/10
As good as anywhere and better than most. There are endless events through the season, plus plenty of bars for all tastes.
Base suitability 5/10
It’s a long way from most other resorts, plus there’s enough to explore. You can head out of bounds and go touring off the back of the resort, or grab some heli time to experience the vastness of this range.
Family friendly? 5/10
Well set up; a long flight and cost will make Whistler a more exclusive choice for family skiing.
TOTAL: 57
RANK: Joint 24th