Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia, Canada

In 2006 and 2007 we took just over a year off and traveled around the world. The trip ended with a season of skiing in Whistler. I wrote a book about the trip and the following review is an excerpt from the part of the book that describes our stay in Whistler.

"The skiing takes place on two mountains; Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb and each mountain has a fast egg lift to reach the skiing. Once at the top, there are fast six-chair lifts further up the mountain and an infinite number of descents to choose from. On days when there is fresh snow, you can basically go everywhere after the snow patrol has secured the area from avalanches. They do this in true cowboy style by riding around in helicopters and throwing dynamite at strategic locations through open doors. During a season it snows on average more than fourteen(!) meters, which is especially noticeable because it is rarely sunny. During our season we had only eight days of sunshine, so Whistler is mainly for those who prioritize skiing over sunbathing. The number of restaurants on the slopes is limited and as so often in Canada, simple food court food is served in something similar to a school canteen. Everyone sits at long tables and it is common to bring your own lunch in your backpack. In general, there is a sporty outdoor atmosphere, which is something that appeals to me very much. The people we met who lived in the area told us that the view among many in the area was that people primarily play and have fun in nature and secondarily work. The company Arc´teryx, which produces high-quality outdoor clothing in North Vancouver, even has an open schedule that allows staff to come and go as they please, within certain limits. On days with heavy snowfall during the night, the premises are empty, while at night it can be full of people working.

Down in the village it's partly a different feeling with a lot of extremely luxurious houses and hotels. There is also an abundance of restaurants from all corners of the world. You see a lot of wealthy people and celebrities skiing for a day but also shopping for fine boutique clothing, art and handmade furniture. Although our apartment had a rent equivalent to a Swedish mountain cabin, the price levels are generally very high for accommodation. There is even a problem with recruiting staff for restaurants and other service companies as employees cannot afford accommodation. Ski bums in Whistler often stay up to six people per room in order to afford it. Prices for lift passes are also high compared to Europe, but in return, almost everything else is much cheaper. The grocery stores are of a very high standard and meat, fish and other basic goods normally cost a third of what we pay in Sweden.

After two weeks of skiing all day and homeschooling in the evenings, we were exhausted. Our legs ached, our feet tingled and even our upper body felt sore. It was time to take a few days off after all the hard work. We rented a car for the day, went down to Vancouver and bought some toys for the kids. Another day we took a day at the swimming pool and relaxed in front of the TV. After a few days, however, we started looking up at the mountains again and one morning the snow report showed fifty centimeters of new snow. We spent that day in the Symphony Bowl, a gigantic amphitheater-shaped pot of more than four hundred hectares. A quick lift in the middle takes you up about a thousand meters of altitude and once up you ride along the edges until you find a pristine line down. Just below the edges the snow is extra deep as it is sheltered from the wind and gets an extra layer of snow blowing down over the edge. Erik who is ten years old disappears completely under the snow but comes up again with a snowy and absolutely priceless smile on his face. Halfway down, the first spruce trees appear which gives another powdery feeling. The large spruces create a cool setting and also give a greater sense of speed when we pump down into the sometimes waist-deep snow. At the bottom of the lift there is a sign telling us that on the way down we drove over ten björniden. Unlike European ski resorts that clear-cut their slopes, Canadians keep a lot of trees on the slopes. This means that the snow remains in a different way and also provides a more beautiful natural experience. I can't imagine that this would lead to more accidents.

Often we said in the morning that today we would not ski so much and maybe stop a little earlier and even take the lift down the last bit. It never happened. Once out, we barely stopped for lunch and often continued skiing until the lifts closed. The mountains around Whistler have an incredible appeal that makes you never want to leave."

This review is an excerpt from the book B4Adventures, read more and buy it here.