Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
604/964-2454, adult $22, child $12), which was developed for the 2010 Winter Olympic
Games. Open throughout winter, it has an extensive network of groomed trails for all
levels. Rentals are available.
Back in the main village, a paved walk/bike path in summer that becomes a popular
cross-country ski trail in winter is the
Valley Trail,
a long loop that runs past Lost Lake
and Green Lake. The biggest concentration of trails lies near Lost Lake and on the adja-
cent Chateau Whistler Golf Course. Most trails are groomed, but some are track set, and
a five-kilometer stretch (roughly three miles) is illuminated for night skiing. The trail sys-
temisoperatedbythe
Whistler Nordics
(
www.whistlernordics.com
),whichcollectsafee
of $20 for a day pass from a ticket booth near Lost Lake, where you'll also find a cozy
warming hut.
Heli-Skiing
Whistler Heli-skiing
(Carleton Lodge, Mountain Sq., 604/905-3337,
www.whistlerheliskiing.com
)
takes strong intermediates and expert adventurers high into
the Coast Mountains to ski fields of untracked powder. Rates of $899 include three runs,
transportation to and from the heliport north of Whistler Village, a gourmet lunch, and the
guide.
Climbing
The Core
(4010 Whistler Conference Centre, 604/905-7625,
www.whistlercore.com
,
7am-10pm Mon.-Fri., 8am-9pm Sat.-Sun.) is a fitness center and an indoor climbing wall
with varying degrees of slope and an overhang. A day pass costs $15, with instruction and
equipment rental extra.
Duringthefewmonthsthattheyaren'tcoveredinsnow,theslopesofthe
Whistler Black-
comb
ski resort come alive with locals and tourists alike enjoying hiking, guided natural-
ist walks, mountain biking, and horseback riding, or just marveling at the mountainscape
from the comfort of the lifts. Die-hard skiers will even find glacier skiing here early in the
summer. More than 50 kilometers (31 miles) of hiking trails wind around the mountains,
including trails through the high alpine to destinations such as beautiful Harmony Lake
(2.5 km/1.6 mi from the top of the gondola; Whistler Mountain) or to the toe of a small
glacier (2.5 km/1.6 mi from the top of the gondola; Whistler Mountain). It's also possible
to rent snowshoes for $6 per hour to walk across areas of year-round snowpack.
