What YOU Want To Know About Whistler Blackcomb
View Trail Map for Whistler Blackcomb Whistler Blackcomb mountain offers over 8000 acres of boardable
terrain making it one of the largest ski resorts in North America an even one of
the biggest in the world. It is consistently voted the number 1 ski resort
in North America for its immense amount of ridable terrain, state of the art
terrain parks, mild temperatures and backcountry access. The moutain
offers a multitude of options to keep everybody happy from first time beginners
to expert backcountry boarders.
Located in the Canadian Rockies Whistler Blackcomb lies two hours north of Vancouver and consistently receive an annual average snowfall of 914cm(360in). That's over 9 meters per year of that fluffy white stuff we call powder. Being in such close proximity to the ocean Whistler Blackcomb also offers some of the mildest winter alpine temperatures to board in. Forget boarding in below -15°C like the rest of Canada's ski resorts, at Whistler Blackcomb the alpine temperatures average just -5°C. This makes for some very comfortable boarding conditions. Whistler Mountain Whistler mountains skiable vertical elevation is 1530 metres(5020 feet) from the pique of 2182 metres (7160 feet). There is a skiable terrain of over 4500 acres making sure you always have a new run to discover no matter how long you are here for. That is just about the entire skiable area of Vail, Colorado in just half of what Whistler Blackcomb has to offer. Also residing on Whistler mountain is the Whistler Pipe and Chipmunk Rail Park for beginner/intermediate freestyle boarders. The pipe has relatively low walls making it a good way to start your freestyle learning experience. The park is divided into an easy beginners side and a side for intermediate advanced boarders. Expect to see some relatively easy low rails and big boxes in the beginners park making it easy to get started without having to hit those intimidating big ones in the advanced parks. Access the 16 lifts via either the Village or Creekside gondola and make your way to the pique to ride the longest run of 11km (7miles) back down to the village. After a few of these giant runs the legs should be burning and it will be time time to get some lunch or a cold beer in one of its eight mountain restaurants. By far the most popular of these is The Roundhouse located at the top of the village gondola offering the largest range at surprisingly competitive prices. It is just as cheap to eat up the mountain as in the village which is unheard of in alpine restaurants.
Blackcomb Mountain Not to be outdone Blackcomb Mountain offers 1609 (5280 feet) meters of skiable vertical elevation from its pique of 2284 (7494 feet) meters making it slightly higher than Whistler mountain. The slightly lesser skiable terrain of 3414 acres caters more for the intermediate/advanced boarder while still having plenty of green runs. There are a lot of tight and sometimes relatively flat trails on Blackcomb however they open up some truly amazing off piste runs. Head up to the pique at Seventh Heaven and you will se exactly what I mean. The parks and pipes on Blackcomb cater for every level of boarding, however if you want to step up, this is easily the best mountain to do so. The Nintendo Big Easy Terrain Garden is the easiest of parks on either mountain offering small rails and large boxes for you to begin your freestyle experience. From here move onto the Nintendo Terain park for intermediate level park riders. Here expect to see some ripping spines, medium to large kickers and gnarley rails.
And for those who really know what they are doing, enter into the highest level park with huge boosters and nutty rails you only see on video's. There is also the Superpipe with 15-20 foot walls to really set you soaring. Be aware these are only for advanced/expert riders. IMPORTANT! Highest level park users will need to get a separate pass before entering the expert park. This is checked prior to entry most times. It is also mandatory to wear a helmet. The photo ID pass is available for an extra once off fee of $15 from Guest Relations and is valid for the entire season. When it comes times to replenish that burned energy Blackcomb has nine mountain restaurants to choose from. Rendezvous and Glacier Creek located about half way up the mountain offer the largest range for you to choose from at the most competitive prices. Blackcomb mountain also has summer boarding from June through August on the Blackcomb glacier. However this is mainly freestyle and park riding rather than long groomed runs.
With this much terrain and facilities available directly from Whistler Blackcomb, it makes for the most stressful decision of your day after a big overnight dump...Shall I go up Whistler or Blackcomb mountain today?
Whistler Blackcomb Snow Report
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