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Peak pleasures
From alpine adventures to zooming ziplines, these Whistler area attractions are sure to lift your spirit
By Masa Takei
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ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO, London Mountain — as Whistler, B.C., was then known — lay a hard, three-day slog by
packhorse and steamship from Vancouver. Not a journey to embark on in the winter for fun. There was still no running
water, sewage system, electricity or road access in the early 1960s, but that didn't deter a group of farsighted Vancouver
businessmen from creating the Garibaldi Olympic Development Association. Their goal was to develop the rugged area for a
future Winter Games. In less than four decades, pundits were calling Whistler Blackcomb the continent’s best ski destination,
and it has expanded into the largest ski resort in North America as well. In 2003, after three failed attempts, Vancouver and
Whistler won the right to host the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
During this progression from rags to rings, the whole corridor leading from Vancouver to Whistler and beyond has
developed and gentrified at a rate comparable to SimCity on growth hormones. Which means that the term “village” applies
to Whistler in the ironic sense, and that hot lattés and cool sushi
are always close at hand. There’s also a lot more for visitors to do off the ski hills — indoors and out — au lieu de and not just
après. Squamish and Pemberton, towns that flank Whistler in
the Sea-to-Sky Corridor, are destinations in their own right, each within easy striking distance of the main event. Here’s
a sampling of what’s on offer recreationally, culturally and culinarily around Whistler this winter.
Dog’s country
There are few feelings more primal than the connection between human and dog, especially when we team up for travel over ice
and snow. While you won’t face the life-and-limb-threatening situations that spice up Jack London’s stories of the North, you
will get a taste of the more pleasurable aspects of mushing with a guided dog sled tour in the Soo Valley north of Whistler.
If that sounds too adventurous, try a snowmobile ride that leads to a fondue dinner in the Crystal Hut atop Blackcomb
Mountain. If that doesn’t sound adventurous enough, feed the stoke with a more serious sledding outing over the Pemberton
Icecap on high-performance snowmobiles.
www.whistlerdogsledding.com, (604) 938-0616
www.adventureswhistler.com, (604) 932-0647
www.canadiansnowmobile.com, (604) 938-1616
www.whistlersnowmobile.com, (877) 755-7533
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