Whistler advice

A snowHead

Guys, Whistler closes on April 19th. I get into Vancouver for business on the evening of Friday 10th April, leaving me a full weekend free. So questions:

- Is this enough time for a weekender to Whistler
- Is it worth it for just 2 days– or should I go elsewhere in BC, and if so, where.
- Best place to stay (can be basic)?
- Decent place to rent kit near to accommodation?
- Best way to get there and back from Vancouver?
- Best to leave the Friday night (will be shattered after long flight though, so driving probably not an option)

Advanced/early expert skier, but will be staying on piste as will be on my own without any of my own equipment.

Any other tips, tricks or suggestions? I’m doing research online, but personal experiences and guidance is always welcome from SH!

A snowHead

Harry Flashman,

Jealous is the only word I have for you...

Yep, a weekend will be brilliant. The snow low down will be suffering by early pm but plenty (and I mean plenty) to keep you occupied at the top of both Whistler & Blackcomb mountains. Have a look on the WB website for accommodation ideas but also Booking.com / Expedia / Hotels.com / Allura / etc. Loads of deals at the end of the season. 2 days is better than nothing.
Loads of places to rent kit by the main lfts
PCL have multiple coach transfers to/from WB everyday, have a look at their website for timings / pricing. It's only a couple of hours but a car will just sit in a car park whilst you're there so PCL probably better and certainly cheaper. My only caveat is the time of your flight arrival and whether PCL have stopped for the day. If so, hire car / taxi the other option.
Best resort in the world, enjoy.

PM me if you want specific information.

StuartH will probably be along soon and will be able to help loads more than I.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

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Thanks guys - transport ideas really great as I cannot be bothered to drive after a long flight from the UK! Valuables will be in a backpack with me on the mountain, so even staying in a hostel would genuinely be fine: any suggestions? Not precious when I'm on my own...

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I think the city hills are already closed. And I'd check the conditions when you're actually there. I've ridden Cypress in the rain, but I'd not recommend it.

A weekend is easy to do. Right now I'd not bother personally, but it depends what you want. The north interior has better snow right now, but you can't sensibly get there for a weekend.

You could stay in the city and go up for a day, if they're running then. You catch a bus down-town (wearing your gear), and they get you up there, you ride, you come back. That works.

If you want to stay in Whistler...well I understand there are hotels there and they'll happily take your money. Check for deals, as it's been a brutal season I expect and they want you there.

Rentals - Summit Sports is right by the main base there and they will rent you top class gear for any condition you will find. There are other places, but they're good. On hear I have heard that some European places rent junk: that's not true there.

To get up and down... you can drive easily enough, it's not a problem even with jet lag, although getting the earlier arriving AC flight makes it easier. You can catch a cab, but that's expensive and not all the drivers are competent. There's a daily shuttle - PCL or whatever they're calling themselves these days. There's Greyhound. You can get to the Greyhound terminal on the Skytrain now. The Pacific Coast line guys will drop you at most major accommodations. Greyhound will drop you at the bus loop. Major places are a stroll from there; if you're in the sticks then you will need a cab. Cabs are easy to get. The local buses are cheap too and reliable.

As they said, "in bounds" is the concept you're thinking about. It's all controlled and patrolled. There are clear boundary markings, don't cross them.

Tips? Well:

check the snow conditions, it's a very wet season.
If you're going for two days riding/ one overnight, then leave your gear with the concierge and arrange to change in the pool area of your hotel. That works and costs you just a concierge tip.
You can do that same thing downtown. In fact you don't even have to stay in the hotel to do this, if you've the nuts for it.
If you drive, watch out for the hotels charging you car parking. Some of the resort parking lots are free, so move your car there and save that cost.
You can easily do the city hills from the Airport Fairmont on public transport (seabus and bus). I have done day trips to Whistler from downtown, I'm not sure if you can make it from the airport, although you probably can.
If staying at the airport then buy a day Skytrain ticket from the 7-11, do not use the airport machines as two of those tickets are more than a day ticket as there's an airport surcharge.
There's an airport surcharge for car hire too, although for a couple of days if you did hire avoiding this is probably not worth the hassle.
If you've the cash my mates can take you heli skiing right out of down-town Vancouver http://powdermountaincatskiing.com/. They can also take you out for a day's heli or cat if the resort's crummy and they're not (check the conditions...)

You'll need to Register first of course.

@Harry Flashman, Up to present the snow is rubbish this year - so hopefully there will be a cold snap and more snow before then. Hill near the city will be green if the weather is anything like currently.

Remember Whistler mountain may close but Backcomb is open until end of May ! So plenty of snow just very icy at the mo.

Ride booker will get you a bus a cheapest rate better than direct. It is better to go up on the Friday and be ready for early doors on the slopes. Busses do not start that early so if you wait until Sat it will be mid Sat by the time you get there. Car hire may not open very early 9am in Whistler it self, not sure about Vancouver or Airport. Car hire expensive option when there is no where to park free either. Just over 2hrs to get up there, good for a snooze.

+1 for Summit (Kit hire) though the WB Mountain did buy it last year. It is 20yds from lifts and you get free storage. Book on-line for a deal or if you do end up with Allura then then do a discount. Ski pass discounted through Allura too. Could do fresh tracks but not if you don't have your own gear as hire places don't start early enough.

Listel good handy and reasonable priced for Whistler. Maybe able to get a deal with Allura condo rental but doubt it for a single traveller at a weekend. Note you want to be Village or Village North for best access to hills and village.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Thanks so much chaps.

I know that snow has been rubbish there this season - all the city hills around Vancouver are indeed closed now, and Whistler seems to be rather warm. I skiied Tahoe in mid December and got a bit of snow at Kirkwood, and skiied Utah over Christmas/New Year and pretty much saw the last of the fresh snow and cold temps (very very cold, actualy - hit minus 27 degrees C). We were very lucky - the West of North America has had a shocker of a season since.

If anything, as it's the end of the season, I'd just go where I could in the mornings and get into the park for the afternoons to practice some stuff.

And if things really are dreadful, ski-wise, here's hoping to a summery weekend pottering around Vancouver itself and seeing the sights!

After all it is free

The Whistler ski and snowboard festival is on 10th to 19th April - so even if not a lot of skiing left then a bunch of stuff going on in the village including free concerts to watch with a beer in one of the bars at the base Cool

Unless something really extra even more strange happens with the weather, there will still be loads of snow in the alpine

We have had the most amazing trip to Whistler in mid April, great snow (lots of new snow) and virtually no people. As Stuarth as said there will still be snow higher up even if the bottom has melted out. Its a lovely time of year to go there and easy to reach.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

@FFIRMIN, But this year the "Pineapple Express" has come and it is raining at the top so even in the morning it is very icy even at the tops. Obviously this can change before April. We have always gone at Easter when ever that was and it was great, but maybe not this year. Those years all the hills round Vancouver were operating to. not at the moment they aren't. Very strange weather.

Not saying don't go there will be no skiing we are saying there will be skiing in Whistler then but it may not be as good as you would want.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

I did exactly the same as you, added a weekend to a business trip. It was just after opening weekend so not much was open (nothing above the middle lifts) but it was still well worth it. There were plenty of areas taped off and marked "not Recommended" or "Marginal Conditions" or something like that which were, for a Scot, in good condition with just the odd, easily spotted, hole or rock. You can ski these and any other off piste inside the boundary, just don't go beyond the line which says "Closed" You need to read the signs on the ropes to find out which it is.

Travel, bus. There are a few companies, one "Snowcoach" (I think) only goes downtown and drops off at a single point in Whistler but is cheaper, others go to/from the airport and drop/pick up at hotels.

Hotel, I booked through the resort website at the last minute and got a deal including weekend lift pass which was a huge saving, I am told that buying the pass online is always cheaper than in resort even without a hotel deal. Stayed at Listel hotel which was cheapest at the time. It is very near the Whistler gondola and perfectly fine.

Stay in Whistler village not Creekside so you can get to both mountains whereas creekside is at the end of the line and can get cut off if lower runs are shut (it was when we were there with a bit of a faff to download for people staying that side)

I hired at one of the main shops in the village, good service and good gear with a selection from race to powder.

snow reports

@Col the Yeti, thank you. I'll be staying downtown for work anyway, so that makes the bus easy. This is looking like a goer!

The cheap bus is Snowbus not Snowcoach and they do early morning departures, but I am not sure if they will have finished for the season. The main shuttle bus IS running though

You know it makes sense.

We used the Greyhound in the week after new year. Only a few stops on the tube from the Downtown area if I recall and very painless journey.

Creekside seemed fine to get up in the morning, though it is further to get to Blackcombe. The ski-out was also open so pretty easy (and fun on teh Dave Murray) to get back home at the end of the day. Not sure if it still is...

There was a fresh dump of snow the day that we arrived and we managed a one and a half days of 'powder' (pretty wet really) before the rain came in. Even with that snow, a lot of the steeper runs were roped off with pretty poor coverage. Rain made that worse. Temperatures did drop again, but left a nasty thick rain crust on most of the recent snow making off piste much less pleasant.

We found good stuff to ski - especially on piste - but did have to hunt around a bit.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A lot can happen with the weather in the mountains in two months, April could turn out to be absolutely spectacular given the poor conditions so far, this has often been the case. The only problem as I see it is that it would have been good to have been able to check what was happening very close to the time and to book late but the snow festival may make that less of an option. I would suggest book and go and have fun whatever the conditions the employees at Whistler and Blackcombe are all great fun and its a real party place if that what you would enjoy although it is possible to have quiet time too.

A snowHead

Holy thread resurrection, batman!

OK, so this trip is still on, but I need to organise it! I land in Vancouver on the evening of Friday 10th, and must be back there by the evening of Sunday 12th. Happily a chum from San Francisco is flying up to join, so we could do the trip together.

I have tried to book on the website, but it all looks like the weekend is fully booked. Any other tips for finding accommodatiuon etc would be welcome!

Much as I would like to take the bus and gaze at the scenery, it is looking like the rental car may be worth it, especially as this means I could take advantage of my jet lag and leave at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning. Also means somewhere secure to leave kit, meaning we can stay in a hostel or anywhere.

So, hostel recommendation for the Saturday night, or super cheap hotel/motel? Any help you can give me chaps, as this looks like we will DIY – no packages are forthcoming.

Conditions will be pretty springlike I think with little new snow. Having rediscovered a love for piste-skiing though, if it’s icy and cold I shall find some race carvers. If slushy and warm, shall boat about on something fat. All hired, of course...

A snowHead

Should be very easy to get a place - Whistler are sending out spam emails for $99* per night deals that weekend for a whole ton of places - take a look at the last minute deal page on their website - you can normally figure out where it is. Alternative trivago.ca, expedia.ca, etc... will give you a long list

Should also be fairly easy to get an early morning bus up - either the snowbus or whatever the one that goes from the airport is (some of the mstop downtown) - alternatively, and I'm not exactly sure what I'm doing yet that weekend so will need to confirm (but usually there as my son trains there Saturdays) I might be able to give you a ride up, and/or show you around the mountains if you like.

Conditions are (if you completely shut your eyes at the bottom) quite good relatively speaking - quite a lot of new snow last week

*Note most places in Whistler do minimum 2 night stays, so this might be why you are having an issue

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@Harry Flashman, If you want to be really silly it is £18 each in a dorm at Hi-Whistler ! Or have a look on here http://www.booking.com/hotel/ca/the-mountainside-lodge.en-gb.html?aid=344335;sid=bf33b9d834386139415b09f7e96cdb81;dcid=4;label=postbooking_directions
Mountainside Logde is full that night but plenty of other options though a lot full.

If you are getting a car get it on the Friday night as the place may not open early enough to get the jet lag 5am start you want. Also note that there are free car parking places in Whistler but often you have to pay at hotels (a lot)

Snow ok higher up but a real problem lower down and they are going to be closing early - which is virtually unheard of. Including Backcomb that normally stays open until late May. Mind there are loads of lowland resorts that have not even opened this year.

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lastminute showing about a dozen hotels available for the Saturday night

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

You'll need to Register first of course.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@stuarth, That is very kind of you to offer, and thank you. If you are up there at the weekend and I we make it (a friend is flying up from San Francisco tojoin me), it would be great to be shown around: in return you will be fed and watered in style on that mountain!

Again, if you are driving up and have space, returning Sunday, we would happily join you, sharing all costs and driving too if that would help.

Most likely though, I shall rent a car from teh airport on Friday night and head up early on Saturday morning. This means finding accommodation - going to get back to looking now!

After all it is free

PS - where best to stay: Whistler Village, or Blackcomb?

@Harry Flashman,
Whistler village is the best place to stay, more going on there especially with the festival. We were up there for the Easter long weekend and got a pretty good deal on a nice room at the Hilton (right next to the slopes) booking 3 days before.

Unfortunately I am only up for Saturday this weekend so maybe the hire car or coach is the better option (Pacific coach lines is a regular service from the airport/downtown and will drop you off wherever, alternatively I think there is a still a company called ridebookers who also run a shuttle), sorry about that Sad

. Should still be ok for showing you around Saturday though, will confirm what I'm supposed to be doing and PM you.
If you can avoid it, you are better off not getting a car from the airport because they add a hefty extra airport charge - if you don't have a huge amount of stuff you can easily get the skytrain from the airport to downtown and pick up a car there, though actually if you don't have a pass, the skytrain is quite a bit (I think $8 without a pass) so with 2 of you might still be cheaper to pick the car up from the airport - no need for snow tyres (or technically even all seasons now as they are only required up until 31 March). Parking in Whistler village is expensive, so either wangle a deal with the hotel or be prepared for $20 to $30 per night (another good reason to get the coach!)

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

ridebookers does still run a shuttle to/from the airport: it is $69 per person each way, and quite efficient. In the past I've also used Whistler Taxi: this costs a bit more, but provides flexibility that buses and shuttles don't.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

@stuarth, no worries, and actually the coach worked out well. $62 each each way, picks us up from Downtown and drops at at our hotel, the Crystal Lodge. Staying in Whistler. Ski hire arranged from Intersport, just across the way from the hotel. Hopefully this will all go smoothly. Any real world reports on snow conditions would be welcome - I am thinking that this will be a race carver weekend, rather than a fat ski weekend...or are we talking about boating around in lots of slush right now?

snow reports

@Harry Flashman,
Depends what the snow does later this week, possibly dropping freezing level and a bit of snow to freshen things up - also very much spring conditions so early it will be ice (there was ice on my truck this morning, but will be 15C by this afternoon in N. Van), and at some point there will be slush. Personally I'd not be on GS skis, but something of an all-rounder, that can deal with all sorts (thinking of common rental skis - maybe something like a sin7?) and we'll just work on avoiding the icey spots Cool

Crystal lodge is a very convenient spot and the rental place opposite you are talk about is decent enough as far as I know (Affinity Sports?)
Will PM you some contact details in case you want to catch up

These chaps (Affinity Sports, indeed) will rent me a Rossi Experience 84, which is piste-biased but will deal with the slushy stuff and is a friendly, easygoing thing. I shall probably plump for that for the conditions you describe!

Absolutely - please do PM me: it would be great to ski with someone who knows the mountain, rather than flailing about on my own and missing the good stuff...be warned that my friend is a (very good) snowboarder, so may not enjoy the ice so much...

You know it makes sense.

PM Sent
(I don't enjoy ice that much either unless I'm on my race skis, so will try and avoid it wink

)

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@stuarth, can't see the PM and nothing registering in the inbox...

A snowHead

hmm strange, will try again....

A snowHead

replied!

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@stuarth, sorry we missed to last weekend - we got in rather later than we thought on Saturday.

That said, had a cracking powder afternoon, and another great day on Sunday before heading back to Vancouver. And it was empty!

Help!!

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