Year after year, skiers and snowboarders make their way to Whistler Blackcomb from all corners of the world. Whistler Blackcomb has it all, a huge selection of terrain, deep powder, and an amazing town. The mountain has an enormous 8,171 acres of skiable terrain that gets blanketed in an average of 462” of snow every winter. There are really two separate mountains, Whistler, and Blackcomb, which are connected by the Peak 2 Peak gondola. The inbounds terrain at Whistler is like a dream come true, there is everything from epic tree skiing and snowboarding, to high alpine bowls, and long groomed runs. High on the Blackcomb Glacier, the snow even lasts through the summer, with some of the best freestyle ski camps in the world calling Whistler home. Down in the village, there is a great array of shops, restaurants and bars. Everyone from families to skibums will find something to love here. All of this awesomeness doesn’t come cheap, however, it makes a good case to put Whistler Blackcomb on your skiing and snowboarding bucket list.
 

Whistler:
Looking at the mountain, Whistler is the mountain to the right, and can be accessed from the Village base or Creekside Base area. Most skiers and snowboarders will want to hop straight onto the Whistler Village Gondola and head to the top. The gondola mid station and Fitzsimmons chair do serve some beginner and intermediate terrain, however. Once at the top of the gondola, options really open up at Whistler. This is also the where the Whistler side of the Peak 2 Peak Gondola loads and unloads. Beginners will want to drop skier’s right to the Emerald Express. Intermediates can do the same, or head skier’s left to the terrain that funnels down to Franz’s Chair. This is a good place for intermediate skiers and snowboarders to get a feel for the exposed alpine terrain higher up at Whistler.

Options for advanced and expert skiers and snowboarders depend a lot on the weather. Whistler can see the whole spectrum of weather conditions, from dense fog, to beautiful bluebird. Overall, Blackcomb has better terrain for low visibility days. In low visibility, or when waiting for the alpine terrain to open, the best options are to traverse far to either side of the gondola and drop into the trees dropping towards Big Red Express and Emerald Express.

Once the alpine terrain is open, this is some of the most fun and challenging skiing and snowboarding at Whistler Blackomb. Symphony Express is awesome for beginner skiers and snowboarders that want to try out the alpine. Meanwhile advanced and expert riders will want to head to Peak Express to arrive at Whistler’s 7,160’ summit. From here, check out the various chutes and bowls that funnel all the way back to the Creekside Base. The runs that head back to Creekside are all rated intermediate and advanced, however, beginners can download the Creekside Gondola.

Blackcomb:
Blackcomb also has an awesome assortment of terrain. Whistler may have better beginner terrain off of the gondola mid-station, but Blackcomb is the place to be on stormy and low visibility days. Most skiers and snowboarders will want to get on the Excalibur Gondola and head all the way to the top, then get right on to the Excelerator Express. From here, intermediates will find great cruising on the Solar Coaster lift. This is where the Blackcomb terrain park is located. The park is consistently one of the best in the world. The Blackcomb Peak 2 Peak Gondola station is also located here.

Around to the skier’s left, the 7th Heaven lift has some of the best intermediate terrain at Whistler Blackcomb. 7th Heaven also accesses some classic lines, like the extreme rated Couloir Extreme. There are some easier entrances and some gnarly ones.

Advanced skiers and snowboarder will want to drop down to the Glacier express and Crystal Ridge chair. The tree skiing and snowboard off of the Crystal Chair is some off the best at Whistler Blackcomb. Spanky’s Ladder is another Blackcomb classic, too.
 

---

Mountain Stats & Whislter Trail Map

 

Total Skiable Acres	8,171	Beginner Terrain	17%
Base Elevation	2,214'	Intermeidate Terrain	55%
Summit Elevation	7,494'	Advanced/Expert Terrain	28%
Vertical Drop	5,280'	Average Annual Snowfall	462"
Lifts	37

---

​
All of the epic skiing and snowboarding available at Whistler Blackcomb is surprisingly easy to get to. Driving, Whistler Blackcomb is only about 90 minutes from Vancouver, and Seattle is only about four and a half hours away. This means that flying into the Vancouver International Airport is the best bet for visitors. There are several airport shuttles and transfers available. Once in town, there are buses that can help skiers and snowboarders get around.
  Travel Resources:

Flying to Whistler
Ground Transportation
 

Whistler has a full range of lodging options spread out between the Whistler Village, Creekside, and the North VIllage. The hub of activity off the slopes is certainly the village, however, there are shuttles and busses that operate between all of the areas. The village and creekside are typically more expensive, with the North Village hotels and lodges a little more affordable and only a ten minute walk to the slopes. Whistler Blackcomb offers several package deals throughout the winter. These can be a great way to save some money.
  Whistler Lodging Overview

---

---

Local Food Picks

Whistler has some of the best food and nightlife of any ski area in North America. There are gourmet restaurants and the best party scene around. The restaurants are abundant, some favorites are Sushi Village, which is a Whistler classic. El Furniture Warehouse (locally known as El Furni) is a great place for apres snacks and drinks, all of the plates only cost $4.99 (and that’s in Canadian dollars!). As for drinks and apres, the Longhorn Saloon right at the gondola base is pretty hard to beat. If it’s sunny, grab a spot on the patio. Garfinkel’s is a fun place to head to dance and drink, careful not to go to hard before a pow day though, the slopes get busy, so you’ll need to get an early start!
  Sushi Village
El Furniture Warehouse
The Longhorn
Garfinkels
 

---

Where to Find Lift Tickets to Whistler Blackcomb?

For all of the amazing skiing and snowboarding at Whistler Blackcomb, the lift tickets certainly aren’t cheap, however, they are definitely still less than other big resorts like Vail. Buying lift tickets online, at least three days in advance, can help save up to %31 on the window price. Seniors, youth, and children all receive discount Whistler Blackcomb lift tickets, too.
  Whistler Lift Tickets

Whistler Blackcomb Conditions & Weather Information

Whistler sees everything from deep blower powder days to fun spring slush. The mountain has a huge 5,280’ of vertical drop, so conditions can be very different from the base to the summit, so be ready for anything. The lower mountain can definitely be a bit rainy and foggy from time to time. When the sun shines, it’s hard to beat all of the exposed alpine terrain off of the Peak Chair, and on the Blackcomb Glacier. Crowds can get pretty big in Whistler due to the awesome snow and terrain, as well as the easy access, get out early on a powder day.
  Whistler Weather Resources

Whistler Blackcomb Ski Report
Local Avalanche Report

 

Whistler Blackcomb has a big reputation as one of the top ski and snowboard destinations in the world. The stories, reputation, and lore are all backed up by the massive mountain, and massively fun town. Skiers and snowboarders are treated to epic riding all over the mountain, and on all types of terrain. Planning a trip to Whistler isn’t the cheapest, but it is worth it to save up and make the trip and knock Whistler Blackcomb off of the bucket list.

View All British Columbia Ski & Snowboard Resorts >