Is

Is
it any surprise that the second-largest country in the world
has mountains that are off the scale? The rugged wilderness of
Canada’s Coast Mountains looks infinite, and with 1,925 hectares of
skiable terrain, the skiing opportunities at Whistler Blackcomb
pretty much are infinite. We promise it’s not just your ski goggles
making everything look rose-tinted.

Forget nightmares caused by cheese… the fondue-induced reveries
in Whistler are just the tip of the gastronomic
iceberg. Throw in a year-round outdoor lifestyle and a roulette
wheel of every winter sport imaginable, and it’s not hard to see
why discerning skiers are leaving European ski resorts behind to
ski the other side of the pond.

Photo credit: Tourism Whistler / Guy Fattal

Don’t just take our word for it. We’ve teamed up with Tourism Whistler to offer a lucky reader and
their plus one a week-long trip, with flights, accommodation and
activities all included. Strap in: here’s the ultimate seven-day
skiing and snowboarding itinerary that you could experience.

Slopeside sensation: a seven-day ski escape in Whistler,
Canada

Days 1-2: Sea to sky

Getting here couldn’t be easier. Multiple airlines fly direct
from the UK to Vancouver, and regular airport transfers (easily
organised in advance) along the Sea To Sky Highway take less than
two hours. You’ll be swapping your sleep mask for ski goggles in no
time.

Whatever your accommodation style (condo, self-catered chalet,
luxury hotel), the quality on offer in Whistler means you won’t
just want to sleep and ski. Our pick is Adara Hotel for its unbeatable location, mere
metres from the ski lifts. The heated rooftop pool with views of
both Whistler and Blackcomb peaks is very welcome after a day on
the slopes.

Photo credit: Tourism Whistler / Guy Fattal; Tourism
Whistler/Justa Jeskova

Warm up on Blackcomb Mountain with the Blue Line run, which, at
almost 3km long, cuts across the Horstman Glacier, offering
spectacular views over the valley.

All this mountain air works up an appetite, and in Whistler, you
won’t go hungry. Fancy fine dining? We recommend Bearfoot Bistro, after whetting your palate
with a vodka tasting in its Ice Room. The ski town is also famed
for the kind of budget bites you’d expect to find at a London
market rather than a ski village, with Pizzeria Antico’s wood-fired beauties and Chic
Pea Hut’s sticky cinnamon buns both local favourites.

Days 3-5: See double

Fed and watered? Or rather wined? It’s back to the slopes to
make the most of Whistler’s world-class skiing. Keen skiers can,
and do, spend all season here. Best of all, with the Peak 2 Peak Gondola running between the two, it would
be rude not to ski both Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains during the
same day. The views as you travel between the two, soaring 436m
above the ground, certainly beat a shuttle bus. Then there’s
ziplining (throughout the winter), snowmobiling,
snowshoeing, heli-skiing… need we continue?

Et après, we hear you ask? It’s not just mulled wine that warms
your cockles; Whistler locals are notoriously welcoming and the
après-ski here is an institution. Head to The Longhorn Saloon to compare notes on perfect
bluebird days as champagne corks pop and the music reverberates off
the surrounding mountains.

Photo credit: Tourism Whistler / Guy Fattal

Days 6-7: Art and adrenaline

You’re not ready to give up the slopes yet (and who can blame
you), but Whistler’s cultural scene has enough to tempt even the
most die-hard skier into town. Futuristic-looking, the Audain Art Museum sits on a linear plot in the
forest and has 5,200sq m of temporary exhibitions and permanent
collections. 15 minutes’ drive through the trees from the museum,
spread across Cougar Mountain, the landscape comes alive after dark
with a bewitching multimedia light show among the trees – the
Vallea Lumina.

Challenge yourself on your last few days with some of Whistler
Blackcomb’s gnarliest runs. Daredevils should head to Couloir
Extreme, named one of the “most terrifying ski runs in the world”.
Much of it plummets down at a 42-degree angle, and rewards skiers
who manage to stay upright with superb panoramas.

Calm your nerves after with Whistler’s finest tipples. The Raven Room has an inventive list of
cocktails you’ll never have heard of (move over, negroni sbagliato)
and plenty of artisan local beers. Canada’s craft scene has never
been hotter, and some of the most exciting brews are being made in
the mountains. For a taste, slide over to Whistler Brewing
Company and work your way through a flight of
landscape-inspired beers.

Photo credit: Xwalacktun, He-yay meymuy (Big Flood),
2014-2015, aluminum with LED lights, Audain Art Museum Collection,
Purchased with funds from the Audain Foundation, Tourism Whistler /
Mike Crane ; Tourism Whistler / Justa Jeskova

The final stop on this snowy escape? Your last evening calls for
an out-of-the-ordinary dining experience. The Finer Things Tasting Tour includes four
courses at four award-winning restaurants, plus a visit to a wine
cellar, with a lesson in how to saber champagne (we kid you not).
After all the slope-riding, sipping and cultural immersing of your
seven-day escape, we’d say a little fizz – Whistler-style –
provides the final flourish for your mountain adventure.