Whistler - Prepare
Make sure your ski gear is waterproof: few ski resorts gets quite such a high proportion of rain, though thankfully it usually only falls on the lower slopes and in the resort itself. An umrbrella is not a bad idea for moving around town. If you're planning on visiting the toughest terrain parks, don't forget your helmet.
Combine some early snow with fine food and wine in mid-November at the annual Cornucopia Gourmet Fair. First Night is a family-focused alcohol-free programme of arts and entertainment to celebrate the New Year. February sees a more alternative side with the celebrated Gay Ski Week. The real highlight is in mid-April at the Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival which sees ten days of pro-riding competitions and ten nights of free concerts and wild après-ski.
New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day (Jan 15), English half-term (Feb), Presidents week (mid-feb) Good Friday (Mar/Apr), Easter Monday (Mar/Apr), Christmas Day (25 Dec), Boxing Day (26 Dec).
Weather in the Rockies can vary enormously from -35°C to +10°C during the ski season (Nov-May), though Whistler does not get as cold as places like Banff. It does rain though – a lot – so don't forget your waterproofs.
110-120V AC, 60Hz, two (flat) or three (two flat and one round) pin plugs are standard.
+ 1 (national), 604 + seven-figure number.
The Canadian dollar (C$) is the currency.
GMT - 8
In the 1960s Whistler was a relatively unknown backwater and locals-only ski hill based out of a very ramshackle Whistler Creek. Today, there are 10,000 permanent residents and millions of both winter and summer visitors.
