April 2, 2025

Floating around Whistler

Chiara Di NORTH AMERICA, TRAVEL Après-ski, British Columbia, Canada, Snowboarding, Wanderlust, Whistler 0 Comments

I embraced all Whistler had to offer on my recent solo wander to master snowboarding and it was just as good without the snow sports.

I commenced my journey via Amtrak train from Seattle King Street Station to Vancouver Pacific Central Station. It was a rather slow four-hour train with the drive only taking two-and-a-half-hours, but it was quite picturesque along the water’s edge. Definitely grab a seat on the left side for views – I missed the opportunity. When I arrived in Vancouver, I had three hours spare before my bus to Whistler, which came in handy as the train journey did take longer by the time it parked and we all went through customs. So, allow a buffer if you’re continuing on.

After a lunch stop along Canada Place overlooking picturesque North Vancouver, I took the Skylynx transfer bus to Whistler from Burrard Street, they’re downtown pick-up location (Epic Rides offers a similar service). The two-hour scenic drive along the ‘Sea to Sky Highway’ (Highway 99) was nice and easy on the way up, but a slower snowstorm on the way back. It put into perspective how accessible Whistler is to Vancouver and how polished a destination it was, making it an easy trip for both Vancouverites and international visitors.

After stops in Squamish and Whistler Creekside, we arrived to a quieter than expected Whistler Village around 6pm. It took a day for me to learn the daily routine in that après-ski takes place between 3pm-6pm (the gondola stopped operating from 3pm to ensure everyone was off the mountain before dark), then everyone refreshes for dinner and the Village becomes alive again around 7pm. So that explained the quietness on arrival. I was totally onboard for the rest of my stay.

I was conveniently staying a short five-minute walk from the Gateway Loop Bus Station at Whistler Peak Lodge self-service apartments. It was also the same distance to Whistler Gondola and had everything I needed for my eight-night stay with a kitchenette (the microwave was a necessity to keep my heat pack warm) and a front reception and ski valet for all the conveniences. I was a little concerned about meeting people travelling solo and not at hostels but it was made easy with the holiday town vibes and plenty of bar-side dining.

It was straight down to business picking up my snowboard gear from Premium Mountain Rentals for my lesson the next morning, which was staffed by the first of many Aussies, Kiwis, Brits and Irish I came across on working holidays. As my purpose for the trip was to master snowboarding I invested in a 7-day Whistler Blackcomb Ski Pass and a full day private lesson at Whistler Ski School. I purchased my lift pass on an early bird deal – it’s a good idea to advance purchase the day passes as they stop selling after a set date.

I don’t think Whistler Blackcomb was the best ski resort to be a beginner at as it was huge and very overwhelming – Olympic grade after all. My snowboard instructor from Rotterdam also informed me the green runs at Whistler are considered blue runs at other resorts. It also didn’t help that it hadn’t snowed for a few weeks, so I was working with hard-packed conditions, although amazing visibility. Nevertheless, I got myself back up Whistler Gondola each morning to make the most of the groomed conditions before they got too icey by the middle of the day.

My lesson took me up Whistler Gondola to the first stop where the beginner magic carpet slopes are. We remained there the whole day learning the basics of hill side and toe side. It was tough, and in hindsight, would have been more valuable having two half-day lessons despite the increased price, as we lost a couple of hours by the time you considered breaks.

Prior to this I had tried to ski in Hakuba and was terrible, then did a couple of days of snowboarding in Mt Buller and was much more comfortable. In my lesson, I started very stiff but got much better once I was given the freedom to zig zag or be the ‘floating leaf’ or ‘falling leaf’ as I discovered. The toe side was new for me and I started very nervous facing away from the mountain. I was again very stiff but I did manage to maintain the control going straight down, until my instructor wanted me to go in a direction and I lasted two seconds before freaking out. My body was so sore by the end of the lesson and progressively sorer overnight so I was very glad to have my heat pack on hand – it was definitely on overdrive all week.

I thought it was interesting instructors could get a free meal on you when ordering the same meal together, like a two for one deal – a little cheeky on the snow school’s behalf to not make this known but a nice deed I guess.

The rest of my snowboarding week played out like this…

Day two I was back to the beginner’s slope practicing my floating leaf with not too many falls. I found it easier to get back up if I did fall and was able to maintain control and secure my back foot in my board whilst standing.

Day three I tackled my first green run – Upper Whiskey Jack and Lower Whiskey Jack – after a 20-minute journey up to the top of Whistler Gondola. Their were highs and lows; the highs having a rest stop half way down to hydrate and recompose at Chic Pea, and accomplishing my first green run was a win; and the lows, the instant anxiety at the steepness and length of the run, falling over half way down a slope and not being able to get back up due to the steepness and slipperiness, and falling off at the end of the chairlift (of course).

It took me two-hours to complete overall, but the runs are much longer here and the journey back up the chairlift puts into perspective how far down you’ve travelled so really shouldn’t be so hard on myself. I would also soon prefer steeper runs as it’s much easier moving on a snowboard than the flatter runs.

Day four was my peak. I repeated the same run and stayed up all the way to Chic Pea, even making it through the chairlift entry without undoing my board. I was much quicker than the previous day too. I met a local family on the chairlift back up and the mum joined me for another run. Whilst being solo was good for going at my own pace, following someone else did make me move faster as I wasn’t overthinking as much. We tried some turns, but still a bit too nervous travelling backwards.

On day five I went over to Blackcomb Mountain to try the Express Way to Easy Out green run which is meant to be the easiest – so they say! I found it tougher than Whiskey Jack as it wasn’t as steep, making it difficult to pick up speed and get through it. I made it down to the Catskinner Express chairlift and back up within the hour which I was shocked at as I did have a period on the ground. I managed to get off the chairlift without falling today too – I took onboard some tips a local shared in the gondola the day prior. After the run I went to the beginner section and practiced some more toe side, with the help of a kind lift-operator who proceeded to do a run with me during his break and filled me with encouragement.

On day six by body officially said no more. I struggled out of bed but forced myself up the top of Whistler Mountain. I stuck to the same run as I knew I was tired and I couldn’t even finish it, walking the last 50-or-so-metres. It was time to download and call time on snowboarding for this portion of the trip with some very sore calf muscles and shoulders – no injuries was a win though.

On my final day of my ski pass, I woke up to snow flurries outside my window – finally! I went to the top of Whistler Mountain and had a walk around in the flurries. It was very windy and not very visible so I was happy with my decision not to continue boarding and it made me thankful for the visibility I had during the week, despite no fresh snow.

Beyond the snow sports, Whistler is a great winter holiday destination with an easily walkable village full of dining, bars, boutiques and local producers like Rocky Mountain Chocolate. Blackcomb Mountain Village is only a 10-minute walk away with some great après-ski venues like Merlin’s Bar. I definitely made the most of all the après-ski activities and they weren’t all bar-side.

I took the Peak 2 Peak gondola between Whistler and Blackcomb offering amazing views across both mountains; enjoyed the rush of tubing down the ‘chill’ and ‘thrill’ slides at the bubly™ Tube Park with the option of one or two-hour tickets; and followed the story, lights and sounds of the Vallea Lumina forest walk experience 10-minutes out of the village (there’s a transfer service you can add to your ticket for ease if you don’t have a hire car).

I treated myself to an afternoon of thermal healing and a restorative massage at Scandinave Spa. The Spa recommended completing the thermal journey three-to-four times before my massage, consisting of 15-minutes in a hot spa, sauna or steam room, a cold pool for 20-seconds (definitely not a cold plunge person), followed by relaxing in a solarium, around a fire or in cabanas for 20-minutes. It’s a silent zone and digital free so it really invites you to disconnect and was exactly what my body needed after snowboarding for six days straight. The massage following really loosened up those pain points.

From my first après-ski drinking experience I realised Whistler felt like one big boy’s trip. I watched the pride ski parade and then went to the buzzing Longhorn Saloon at the base of Whistler Gondola. It was alive with celebrations, table-top dancing and champagne guns. I met a boy’s trip and joined in with the festivities unable to help myself from getting up on my chair for a little dance. I was then treated to a fancy Italian dinner at Il Caminetto sharing some delicious pastas and secondi. They insisted I needed to experience Buffalo Bills so off we went, but Whistler really is quite the young working holiday scene post-10pm.

Other great bars near the gondola base included Black’s Pub, Dubh Linn Gate Irish Pub and Amsterdam Pub. At the latter I received all the weekly food and drink specials from an Australian barman including 65c happy hour wings from Crystal Lounge, $5 pizza slices from HandleBar and reasonably priced hand-helds from Portobello and El Furniture Warehouse. I also met another Canadian boy’s trip after joining their table. They warmed up to me and we had a great night over a few drinks and then dinner at Pizzeria Antico – some great woodfired pizza and even better service!

They kindly checked in with me the following day and we met for after-lunch beers at Umbrella Bar on top of Whistler Mountain offering 360-degree views. Such a gorgeous spot to spend a sunny afternoon overlooking the mountain – and even better that you can reach it without needing to partake in any snow sports. Roundhouse and Rendezvous Lodges were also great lunch spots at the top of both mountains with a range of dining options.

Like drinks, I also tried to dine bar-side for my dinners to meet people. Earls ended up being my favourite just across from my accommodation – I found it quite reasonably priced for a premium establishment, a good range of food and serving sizes and met a lot of nice people. I also dined on poutine (all the foods that are bad for me) at Beacon Pub & Eatery, Spanish tapas at Bar Oso and Black’s Pub for a hearty pub meal.

I tried a number of spots for my morning coffee, but Lift Coffee Company topped them all for taste. I wasn’t able to find lactose-free anywhere, but they did a great almond variety. Purebread Bakery was a great spot for baked breakfast items. I also tried Forecast Coffee and Provisions – great grilled cheeses.

On my last morning in Whistler the snow was falling heavily – a true fairy tale ending. It was so picturesque and beautiful – I didn’t want the moment to end. Exactly what I deserved after my willpower to never give up this week. It did cause a delay for my transfer bus back to Vancouver, but safety first.

What really made my Whistler experience was all the kind people I met along the way. So many people were happy to give me their time, offered advice and recommendations, encouraged and motivated me to keep going, checked in on me, were very generous with their time and offers of dinners. I truly never felt alone.

Next up, I will share all about the rest of my Canada winter wander in Vancouver, Banff and Toronto.

Until then…

LWL xxx