Spring days mean powdery pistes, and you don't have to get up at the crack of dawn to enjoy them. The snow is at its best when the sun has warmed it a little. Enjoy leisurely mornings soaking up the view from your hotel. Boutique choice Summit Lodge has quirky rooms and forest views, and castle-like Fairmont Chateau Whistler, serenely sandwiched among the trees, makes the mountain summits look close enough to touch.

Beginners get to enjoy the prime conditions, too, as one of the most scenic descents, the Burnt Stew Trail, is a green run. Don't miss North America's longest run, the 11km Peak to Creek, taking you from the top of Whistler Mountain to Whistler Creekside at the bottom (open throughout March). Best of all, you end up right by the Creekside Gondola, ready to head straight back up the mountain. If only every day could be spent with the sun on our faces and snow beneath our feet.

The Umbrella Bar on Whistler Mountain is a local institution, with panoramic views. Better yet, there's a gondola to take you back to base when the night draws to a close. Après doesn't finish when you leave the slopes though, and Whistler Village has a plethora of watering holes. If whisky is your poison, take the Whistler Distillery Tour and Tasting (Friday and Saturday evenings, with home-distilled vodka and gin also on offer). Craft beer aficionados, meanwhile, should download Whistler's interactive beer guide, which includes nine different venues. For classic cocktails with a twist, march your (ski) boots to The Raven Room.

Hungry skiers need fuel, and Harajuku Izakaya serves sushi that you'll be dreaming of long after packing away your mittens and goggles. A great vegetarian dining scene isn't something usually associated with ski resorts this side of the pond, but Whistler is the exception. We'd recommend the slap-up vegan lunches from The Green Moustache Organic Café.

Prices drop dramatically later in the season, as does the number of people on the slopes. All this leads to a more relaxed vibe, and good odds of getting into your favourite restaurant at the last minute. A bottle of Canadian pinot noir and a ribeye steak at Sidecut Steakhouse, here we come.

Want to escape the world some more? Try heli-skiing (available until mid-April). Being dropped onto a clean whiteboard of a landscape ready to trace the first lines takes going off-piste to the next level.