There's so much more to Whistler than skiing and snowboarding, here are a couple of our favourites to get you started.
Whistler Blackcomb is big, really big, 8000 acres of skiable terrain big and that’s before you count backcountry, cat skiing and heli skiing terrain. So you’ll be forgiven for wanting a day off to rest those burned out powder muscles. Don’t expect to be lounging around when you do though, Whistler serves up some seriously fun down day activities that are just as boast worthy as the skiing.
1. Zip line
Ziptrek Ecotours offers not one, but five different tours to choose from based on the adrenaline level you wish to experience. Their crew have the highest, the longest and the most ziplines in North America, Ziptrek is suitable for all ages in the family and operates in an old growth temperate rainforest not far from Whistler. Add suspension bridges, treetop platforms, ground trails and more plus a twilight tour for those who want to ski by day, suspend by night.
2. Après without the ski
Whistler has an impressive number of après ski bars to be sampled, but never fear you can still access most without actually strapping skis on. The Garibaldi Lift Company (GLC) in Whistler village is located directly above the Whistler Gondola and is the perfect spot to settle for an afternoon of beers and a bite to eat - we can’t get enough of the waffle fries with gorgonzola dipping sauce. Another crowd pleaser is Merlins, located at the base of Blackcomb this bar offers mountain-high nachos (bet you can’t get through all of them), a DJ and flowing beers, on tap.
3. Scandinave Spa
You’ll find this shrine to relaxation design through an enchanted forest walk. Once you arrive, kick off your shoes, observe the no talking signs and prepare to submerge yourself in some of the best sauna, steam, hot pool, ice pool and hydrotherapy treatments going. The traditional Scandinavian style spa sits on the edge of Lost Lake Park surrounded by spruce and cedar forests with many water experiences exposed to the elements with gentle snow falling from above while steam rises high.
4. Tastes of Whistler
What’s a ski holiday without some gourmand goodness? Trouble is, Whistler has so much of it that it’s hard to know where to start. Let the team at Whistler Tasting Tours do all the work for you and join a multi course progressive dining tour of the best restaurants going. Choose from a fine dining experience, hidden gems from the locals, dessert only or take in a lunch tour. Just remember, skiing burns calories, a lot of them, so really you need to put them back in, right?
5. Tube Park
This one is perfect for the young or young at heart. Based in the Base 2 Zone on Blackcomb Mountain, the Coca-Cola Tube Park requires no real skill, just a sense of adventure and some warm clothes! Opt for a one or two hour pass and feel the wind on your face as you fly down one of seven lanes.
6. Snowmobiling
Channel your inner rev head and take to the backcountry on your own snowmobile with a guide to show you the ropes and the way. Whether beginner or advanced there’s a tour that will work for you and your adrenaline desires. Experience the great outdoors, pristine virgin snow and Canada’s famed mountain wilderness or take a Yukon breakfast snowmobile tour or the renowned Mountain Top snowmobile tour to a fondue dinner.
7. Dogsledding
Is there anything that spells winter in Canada more than a herd of huskies and a sled? Tour the Callaghan Valley from within the cosy confines of a sled led by a pack of powerful alpine dogs and their musher. You’ll get to help harness and stage the dogs and even mush your own team.
8. Fondue with Altitude
Crystal Hut on Blackcomb Mountain is the local’s favourite. The cosy log cabin is famous for big bountiful Belgian waffles dripping in maple syrup and cream. By night the hut turns into a dining den for all things fondue. Experience fondue the way it was meant, on a mountain, with matching wines and a snowcat or snowmobile ride up and back down.
