Everything has been said about Whistler and Blackcomb and that is probably why you are reading this, planning the trip of a lifetime to the no 1 resort in the world.
The town itself has many different districts, if you will, sitting between Blackcomb mountain and Whistler mountain, with the main town offering every kind of shop you would wish for, so come loaded as there is plenty to spend on whilst not on the mountain. As an added bonus, the amazing city of Vancouver is a short journey away and well worth a couple of days of your trip.
As with a resort of this calibre there is the nightlife to follow, Tommy Africa's if you want to stalk your favourite pro rider as many of them call Whistler home, with plenty of other bars and restaurants too numerous to mention. There is a healthy crop of British riders who call Whistler their winter home and they aren't just there for the riding! If you are a fan of US style food and portions Whistler will be doing it for you.

On the mountains themselves you will find more than enough terrain to keep anyone happy, with 230kms of marked pistes and well over that of backcountry, you will find it all, from bottomless powder runs, into the trees and having it through one of the snowparks. One of the coolest things they offer is a 'Fresh Trax' lift ticket, which costs an extra $16, but gets you on the mountain a whole one and a half hours before anyone else, loaded up on an all you can eat breakfast, now that is a good thing!

BEGINNERS are probably best off heading to the lower slopes of Blackcomb mountain, where you will find well groomed wide open runs, perfect for dialling your turns. There is also really good tuition for all levels, from complete beginner to budding Terje's.

INTERMEDIATE and ADVANCED riders will be happy anywhere on the mountain, it really is all good!

FREESTYLING
There is a good reason that some of the biggest names in snowboarding reside in Whistler and that is the freestyle potential, everywhere you look you will find hits that you'll have seen in videos over the last ten years. Take the enormous kicker potential and backcountry lines available and add three halfpipes and two really good parks, sprinkle in DJ's rinsing it on the mountain and a couple of massive competitions for inspiration and you will be baking yourself one awesome snowboarding cake!

Tom Ogden - Whistler 2001/2 Season
My Typical Day...

11:30pm.. ITS SNOWING! So get to bed early!

7:30am.. Wake up (try to) shower and get breakfast (lots of it!)

8:30am.. Get my gear on and ring the snow report to see if its 2ft or 4ft of fresh pow pow that's dumped over night (its dumps heavy)

9:00am.. On the first lift, the sun is shining... Its a BLUE BIRD day!!

1:00pm.. All my usual powder runs are tracked by the local Whistler powder hounds so we have lunch (quicktime) at one of the fab, cheap mountain restaurants, discuss our options and head off to build some kickers

5:00pm.. After busting out some crazy manouvers im tired and ache all over but feel like ive been on happy drugs all my life! So head straight for the hot tub to relax and recover with beer and friends

7:30pm.. Dinner time... mmm

9:00pm.. Now its a hard decision... Stay in and chill with a book or DVD, mong out on the Playstation, 2nd round of hot tub, or check out some of the quality bars/clubs Whistler has to offer (with acts like.. Mix Master Mike, De La Soul, Q-Bert, Mr Scruff, Pocket Dwellers etc.!)

You can email your host in resort direct, and ask any questions you have about whistler. Email Host

MOUNTAIN DATA TOP LIFT: 2284m   VERT: 1609m   RUNS: 230   LONGEST: 7miles (11km) BOTTOM LIFT 675m TERRAIN TO SUITE   EASY 20% INTERMEDIATE 55% ADVANCED 25% EXPERT % TERRAIN LEVELS   Yes Y 3 2 Yes

Stats Courtesy of

Laundry
There are washing machines in the chalets. It is $1.00 for the washing machine, 50 Cents for 30 min in the tumble dryer. So a total wash and dry will cost about $1.50.

Towels
It is nesecarry to bring your own towels for the season. 1 bath towel and 1 hand towel is fine.

Drinking water
 The tap water in Whistler is drinkable. As with any foreign country it will take a while to get used to it so it is advisable to drink bottled water. This will cost about 75 cents a litre in IGA.

The Electricity
In Canada they run on 110V. This doesn't have the juice to power British appliances. What you can do though is buy an converter which provides 220V.
DO NOT BUY IN ENGLAND, if you buy this in England you will pay about £70, if you buy this in a hardware shop in Whistler you will pay $19(Canadian). This device is safe and allows the use of hairdryers, shaver and stereo.

Bedding
Basic bedding is provided in al the packages, pillow and blanket. Bed linen is supplied if you book the Classic package and washed once a week. On the Basic/Custom you can choose to bring your own and wash it yourself, or we can provide bed linen and wash it once a week for $25 CAD for the duration of your stay.

Whistler backcountry made famous through snowboard and ski magazines and movies lives up to its reputation!! When the resort is tracked out, the backcountry becomes the best place to get those fresh lines. Hiking out of the resort boundaries on both Whistler and Blackcomb mountains opens up a whole new world of terrain and challenges. A traverse and hike from the Harmony chair on Whistler is the way to get to Flute, Piccolo and Oboe bowls, while in the background the ominous Mt. Fissile is a far more challenging trip which may involve an overnight stay in a backcountry hut or snow-cave. On Blackcomb a trip to 'Disease Ridge' or 'Deca' accessed by hiking from the Blackcomb glacier is well rewarded with steep chutes and lines alongside mellower powder bowls. Do not go into the backcountry without the skills experience, and tools to deal with the very real threat of avalanches. The backcountry avalanche advisory provides useful information on weather and snow-pack stability - call 604 938 7676 free from Whistler.

Kickers
There are a couple of famous kicker spots within the resort boundaries at Whistler such as the wind-lip at the top of the Blackcomb glacier, or the natural quarterpipe on the front face of seventh heaven. Kicker building is a popular pastime for Whistler locals, so sometimes you need to venture that bit further to find the perfect powder landing. Traversing wide on Seventh heaven opens up some natural rolling terrain ideal for building jumps, while on Whistler head over to the backbowls (flute, oboe, piccolo) to find the perfect run-in take-off and landing spots. One thing to bear in mind when building a kicker out of the resort boundary is that in the event of ski patrol or rescue services being required the costs can be very expensive and are not usually covered by travel insurance.

Prices here are EarlyBird prices. These must be booked before Nov 15th.

Unlimited Pass / Youth Unlimited
CAD$1422 (£580 approx) / CAD$705 (£287 approx)
The name says it all. Unlimited access to Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains all winter season long - 200 days from opening day in November until Whistler Mountain's closing on June 6. Youth is 18 and under

Midweek Pass
CAD$920 (£375 approx)
Valid weekdays only. The Midweek Pass is valid Monday through Friday all season, with the exception of December 27-30, 2003. During weekends and Christmas you may ski, but will be charged the Express Card rate for those days, which ranges between $42 and $60 per day.
Link up a credit card to your Midweek Pass so that if you choose to ski or ride on a weekend or during Christmas you can proceed directly to the lift. Your credit card will automatically be charged the Express Card rate for that day.

 Here at Seasonaires® we have aimed to make doing a season as easy and as affordable as possible. The price you pay for your trip includes all the main expenses that would be incurred by every individual doing a season. After these have been paid for is where the budgeting and spending habits are different for every person.

This is an average breakdown for a one (1) month stay in Whistler. Not being extravagant, but not being tight. You can either spend more or less, its up to you!

Group shop and cook evening meal at home 7 nights a week [Eeat out at a restaurant, 5 nights a week £120] £60 Cook your own English Breakfast, every day £45 Make a packed lunch for the Mountain. Roll, Drink, Chocolate bar or A chocolate bar at the cafe. £42 A crate of 6 Millers or 3 litres of Coke (every single day) £98 Cinema, McDonalds, Ice Skating (once a week) £60 Total Spending for 1 Month £305

All properties have a telephone with incoming calls and FREE local calls.

Telephones are simple to use and phone cards can be purchased from all sorts of places, photo shops, Chinese restaurants ! and even the supermarket for $5, 10, 15, 20 or $50. The higher the value the less the call charges per minute. You dial via a freephone number so you get about 18 minutes of calls for a $5 dollar card. The best thing to do though is get the person you're ringing to ring you back!

There is ADSL broadband available in the chalets should you want to use it. It is $25 unlimited access for the whole season per person. So bring along your lap top.

We can book all parts of your travel for you with a Zero fee, and add the cost to your 'My Season' control panel.
You can also book Flights / Transfers / Train / Ferries individually from our packages.

Flights
The earlier you book the better, gone are the days of last minute deals. Make sure you check your baggage allowance and weigh your bags. If you are staying for more than 3 months make sure your flight DOES NOT connect through the USA. Prices start at £330.00 return

Transfer
  The transfer is a 2.5 hour trip up into the mountains on the beautiful sea to sky highway. This road is being modified to a dual lane highway to accommodate the extra traffic for the olympics in 2010

Car Hire
If you want to to see a bit of Vancouver before you head up to Whistler it is a good idea to hire a car. This isnt the most economical way to get to the resort as there is a one way drop off charge.

Driving Directions
Vancouver Airport to Whistler
Distance: 120 Km (75 miles)
Trip Time: 2.5 hrs

• Follow signs for Vancouver
• Cross the Arthur Laing Bridge staying in the right hand lane. Take the Granville Street / City Centre Exit.
• Continue travelling down Granville Street
• Cross the Granville Street Bridge staying in the right hand lane. Take the seymour Street Exit.
  
• Continue travelling down Seymour Street.
  
• Turn left onto Georgia Street.
  
• Continue travelling down Georgia Street following signs towards Lions Gate Bridge
  
• Cross the Lions Gate Bridge and take the West Vancouver Exit
  
• Follow signs to GHighway 99 North
  
• Turn right onto Taylor Way (hint: steep hill)
  
• Continue following signs to Higway 99 North
  
• Highway 99 North is a winding one lane in either direction with periodic passing lanes.
  
• Towns along the way include Lions Bay, Porteau Cove, Britannia Beach and Squamish
  
• Enjoy your time at Whistler

Accident Protocol
We hope that nothing will happen and no one will get sick but we would be silly not to prepare for an incident. It is comforting to know that if anything was to happen a competent reliable person is going to be there with all the relevant information and experience needed. All seasoners complete a medical information form and provide emergency contact numbers and names.

First Aid Kits
   It is advisable to take your own first aid kit, even though there will be one available. In your personal first aid kit you can collect the contents that will be useful to yourself. The standard treat at home requirements are :
Plasters, Steri strips, Steri wipes, Arnica cream (you will have bruises), lemsip, painkillers.
A good first aid kit is available from www.snowboardasylum.co.uk, this contains the basic tools and will need to be personalised with your own requirements.

Pubs/Bars
The legal drinking age in Canada is 19, this is for in the home, at a BBQ or in a Bar. They vigorously enforce this and you will not get served in a bar without your passport. There are a number of good bars in Whistler, head to the Longhorn or Wizard Grill right at the bottom of the slopes of Whistler and Blackcomb respectively, or to avoid the tourists and the chaos head to the Crystal Lounge for a quieter atmosphere. Night-Clubs in Whistler are very busy especially at weekends. Max-Fish, Savage Beagle, Garfinkel's, Tommy Africa's you make the choice. Good luck getting served, a tip for the barman always helps.

Concerts
Famous DJ's flock to Whistler to play at the clubs and get their free snowboarding holiday. In 2002 the likes of Tall Paul, and Mix Master Mike were often in town. Vancouver only a 2-hour drive away hosts many huge concerts with all kinds of bands and soloists…