FORGET THE SKIING
There’s more to do in Whistler than make a downhill run through the powdery stuff,
WHISTLER, B. C.— Believe it or not, you can have a great time at Whistler Blackcomb without hitting the slopes. On a three-day trip, I’ve decided to forgo the chairlift shuffle in favour of a ski-boot-free itinerary, focusing on the mountains’ many other attributes.
I’m staying at Pan Pacific Whistler Mountainside in a fully kitted-out suite with a kitchen, gas fireplace, balcony and dramatic views straight up the mountains. Sandwiched between the Whistler and Blackcomb gondolas and the topside of Whistler Village, it’s steps away from everything.
“We have a lot more non-skiing activities on the mountain now,” says Lloyd Daser, general manager at Pan Pacific Whistler, which is celebrating its 20th year on the mountain. “From bobsledding to whitewater rafting, there is just so much to do.”
After checking in, I pop by the Dubh Linn Gate Irish Pub, and the pub is hopping with people coming down from their last run, ski pants still on, pint glasses in hand, enjoying the nightly rotation of live local Irish folk music.
The next day begins with some serenity: a visit to Scandinave Spa Whistler, a Scandinavian-inspired silent spa nestled in the spruce- and cedar-filled woods at the edge of Lost Lake Park, a five-minute drive from Whistler Village.
“The spa is based around the process of hydrotherapy, which is the cycle of hot-cold-relax,” says Simmone Lyons, marketing manager at Scandinave. “The list (of benefits) is endless, from stress relief to muscle recovery.”
After an hour-long Swedish Relaxation massage, I step outside to explore the cascade of hot and cold pools, dry saunas, scented steam rooms and relaxation solariums dotting the mountainside. Lyons says the most important step in the process is the cold-pool plunge: “It gets the blood circulating and allows your body to release the toxins. Even a quick five-second dip in a cold pool will help your body recover.”
After a 20-minute stint in the wood-heated sauna, I throw myself into the eight-degree pool, re-emerging invigorated and wide awake.
That afternoon, I jump on the Whistler Village gondola up to the new Peak 2 Peak, the longest and highest lift in the world, to get full panoramic views of the Coast Mountain Range while crossing from Whistler’s peak to Blackcomb’s. Once across, I head to Christine’s On Blackcomb for a gourmet lunch (try the albacore tuna), with its unparal- leled alpine vistas.
Day 2 takes the adrenalin up a notch, with a morning riding the snowy trails of Callaghan Valley on Canadian Wilderness Adventures’ Yukon Breakfast Snowmobile Tour.
I’m nervous about my first time driving a snowmobile, but with the encouragement of our seasoned guide, Chris Brant, before long I’m keeping pace — with a massive smile on my face.
Continuing the high-octane theme, I later climb into a shiny red helicopter at Blackcomb Helicopters to take their B.C. Experience tour.
“Are we ready to have some fun today?” asks our pilot J. Adam Topshee, moments before we lift off and cruise up over B.C.’s Coast Mountain Range. Criss-crossing over the Cheakamus Glacier, we learn these mountains are home to the largest temperate-latitude ice fields on Earth.
Topshee gently sets us down on the snowy top of Rainbow Mountain, 2,300 metres above sea level, providing 360degree sightlines unobstructed by clouds.
Back on the ground, it’s time for dinner at the award-winning Araxi restaurant — definitely ask for local wine recommendations for each seasonally focused dish.
On my final morning, I fuel up at the Green Moustache Juice Lab at Whistler’s Function Junction before trying my hand at axe throwing at Forged Axe. Dressed in plaid and feeling like a lumberjack, I hit a bullseye on my second throw.
With my arms feeling Jello-like, I grab a latte-to-go at neighbouring Camp Lifestyle and Co. and peruse their beautiful, responsibly sourced clothes and home accessories before heading to Vancouver.
Feeling very content with my no-skiing ski-mountain experience, I’m convinced that Whistler is so much more than ski lifts and slalom runs. Emma Yardley was hosted by Pan Pacific Whistler, which didn’t review or approve this story.