Whistler BC

[Glenn]

Having been to both Whistler and Colorado it is like comparing apples and oranges on the acclimation issue. If you get altitude sickness at blue mtn then whistler is not for you. The base is only at about 2000 feet. The top is right under 8000. The top of Blackcomb is about equal to the base areas in Colorado. That said skiing from the top of Blackcomb you will be out of breath, not b/c of the altitude, but the 5K vertical. With a couple rest stops it can easily take 20+ min to get down.

 

I didn't have any issues with acclimation and I am usually on my ass the first day/night in colorado.

 

Hey thanks for responding to my post without reading the whole thread. I was referring to high elevation in CO not Whistler. Further I've been pushing for SK to go to CO not Whistler.

[Erin808]

I LOVE Whistler. It's pretty much my favorite mountain. That said- we were planning a trip there this year and with the dollar and the travel time/expense we opted for Wyoming and Utah (going in two weeks). I understand that you aren't worried about a splurge but overall for the cost you can get the same for a better value in the states.

 

No one has mentioned Aspen. It can be a little uppity but its got four great mountains and Buttermilk and Highlands are great for intermediates. They have four mtns in and around run by the same company. There are tons of great accommodations options in Aspen. It's very sophisticated and not really family oriented -- which is always a plus when you don't have kids. It's more of a real town at the base not a village created and operated by the mtn.

 

I wasn't a huge fan of steamboat when I went there but its been a while. I thought it was an unremarkable mountain with minimal base village amenities.

 

I also love Vail and Beaver Creek. Vail has more intermediate terrain (than BC) and excellent grooming. It's base village is on par with Whistler's. Amazing dining, nightlife and mountain. I know there are a lot of Vail haters on this board but as long as you stay away from the base lifts the crowds aren't bad. If you do Vail I would recommend just flying into Denver and doing Colorado Mtn Express. I used to always fly into the Eagle Airport (about 30 minutes away) but if there is weather that is affecting the roads, its impacting the air travel too and there is more room for error and delays in air travel that overland travel. A few times I just had friends from Denver drive me home instead of waiting for the airport to clear the flights and fly into Eagle.

 

Good luck and happy planning! I love vacation planning almost as much as vacationing (yes I am a dork)

[sexkitten]

I love vacation planning almost as much as vacationing (yes I am a dork)

 

Me too. I'm totally a Tripadvisor fag. Haha. Thanks for all of the great info. I am going to look into Vail too since you aren't the 1st person to say that we would probably like it there. I am getting sooo excited and we are still a year out. Lame.

[rummy]

I am in the begining stages of planning out 2009 big trip and really want to go to Whistler. Have any of you been? What do you think? Help. Haha. Thanks in advance.

 

Hey SK, I just returned from a week at WB at 1:30 this A.M.. Lot's of the comments about WB are right on the $$. And $$ is needed!! The exchange rate was $.94 American to the Canadian dollar plus there is an extra 14.5% tax on just about everything--a case of beer is about $50.00, bowl of chili $7.95 plus that dreaded tax. Beer specials at the Longhorn Saloon at Whistler's base was $4.50 a mug plus that dreaded tax. Lift tickets ran $80.00 plus that dreaded tax. Get it? there is a dreaded tax on everything.

 

We flew out of Harrisburg and into Seattle, round trip $326.pp booked back in Sept. We also found a great ski in/out condo above the Creekside Gondola through VRBO.com (vacation rentals by owners) for $1575.00 for the week($315.pp), no dreaded tax. Nothing real fancy about the condo, but it had three bedrooms and two baths and handled our five-some of guys without any problem. This, we also booked early in Sept. 2007. Planning early can save a bunch of money. Of course we had to rent a big Ford Expedition to get to and from Seattle and to easily access the grocery store. liguor store. shopping and restaurants/bars of the Whistler Village area. With gas at $1.15 per liter, the total rental and gas ran about $800. If you fly into Vancouver the airfare will be more expensive, but you can easily find a method of transportation ranging from private limo to bus, from the Vancouver airport to Whistler and back. Once at Whistler, if you stay anywhere in the Village your own car is not necessary. The shuttle busses are quick and convenient and taxis are fairly cheap and driven mostly by local ski bums who can tell you where the best clubs and restaurants are. The Olympics are going to be at WB in 2010 and anything with an Olympics logo on it was an immediate $20-$40 more than a comparable item. But enough about the costs, just thought I'd clue you in on current costs. BTW we ran into a lot of European and English skiiers and they thought WB was a real bargain and better than any skiing they have in Europe right now (global warming shrinking the skiing onto the tops of the mtns causing lot's of crowded slopes).

 

And now the skiing part. I've been to WB three times in the last 25yrs. First time we couldn't ski to the bottom of the mtn and had to download the bottom third. The skiing on top was excellent and we didn't lose a day of skiing due to weather. The second trip was fabulous, fresh tracks two mornings in about 8" of powder that fell overnight and absolutely the most perfect of ski weeks (there's lots more I could write about this week). This years' trip we again hit a good week. Top to bottom skiing with three beautiful bluebird days, one day of all day snow where at times visibility was tough but the powder kept on falling. One day of good partly sunny skiing, but the slopes were fairly crowded (Sun,). Friday was supposed to be rainy, but turned out to be rain free,

although low clouds and fog were swirling around all day. It was one of those days, that if you waited 10 mins you had altogether different conditions. We found that the middle of the mtn had the best skiing and no crowds. WB has any type of skiing you could enjoy, from gradual greens to off the peak, in your face, 60' cliff jumps and even heli-skiing. The area is HUGE you could ski there for two seasons and still find terrain you haven't skiied. Most of the areas within the area have green, blue, and black trails from the top of the lifts. That said, some of the greens are steeper than many blacks in PA.

 

From experience at 30+ mtns out west and Canada you can get altitude sickness and can find difficulty with being out of breath. We've learned to take it easy the first day and acclimate. One of the things we look for now that we are Old Farts, is a lower altitude. There's a big difference skiing at 1100' or at 7600' not to mention sleeping at 9000' vs 2600'. We've never had altitude sickness at WB but we have had it at Vail and it does slow you down.

 

I honestly think, like others, that your First Trip Out West should be somewhere other than WB. I think you could get a better experience at a smaller, less challenging mtn. Go there for your Big 35, get a little more experience under your boots and you'll enjoy it more. Hope this helps and have fun planning!

 

Rummy