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Whistler or Vail?

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    I love skiing in Vail/Beaver Creek but am now debating if we should try Whistler next year. Which do you prefer? I would love to hear your thoughts.

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    I love Whistler. Love it. great skiing, no altitude adjustment, great town. It is my favorite place to ski in North America.

    Thanks from: Lisa Corcoran
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    I agree with dmmack. If you've already been to Vail/Beaver Creek, then you must try Whistler/Blackcomb. It is an amazing place to ski. Though I actually preferred to do most of my skiing on the Blackcomb side. They are attached, so it's easy to ski both.

    Skiing at Whistler is also a great excuse to spend a day or two in Vancouver, which is an absolutely beautiful city.

    Thanks from: Lisa Corcoran
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    I'll jump in line. Whistler is great! On the other hand, because it's near the coast the weather can be unpredictable, especially during years with strong a El-Niño. It's been known to rain pretty steadily on the bottom half of the mountain during those years. Luckily the mountains are so tall that the top halves are perfectly fine. So, as long as they are already having a good year, you'll probably have very good skiing conditions. This year I believe Whistler may even be having a better year than Vail.

    If you do go next year, you'll be able to ride the new Peak-to-Peak gondola between Whistler and Blackcomb. I'm not usually afraid of heights, but being over 400 meters above the ground in a gondola just sounds ridiculously scary!

    Thanks from: Lisa Corcoran
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    Looks like Whistler has a few fans! Thanks for your comments. I really must try it...

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    Well, Vail has its advantages too. The snow is just better at Vail.

    Being inland so much and the fact that Vail's base is at a higher altitude than Whistler's highest peak, you'll find that the snow at Vail is much drier and fluffier. And you can't beat that kind of quality of snow for skiing. This is why Vail can get by with less snow than Whistler, and still have better skiing conditions.

    Of course, on the other hand, Whistler has a Four Seasons now, which outshines the Chateau Whistler. The "Fifty Two 80 Bistro," at the Four Seasons is an experience that is not to be missed.

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    Whistler used to be cheaper and now thanks to Georgie Poo, our dollar has plummeted. Also, it depends where you are located, if you are on the East Coast, do you want to cross the country to get to Whister when Vail is certainly excellent?

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    Having enjoyed skiing at both locations, I must say that I would choose Whistler over Vail any day. As Jensen and Marcie have noted above, in addition to the fine skiing conditions at Whistler, you can easily switch over to skiing on the Blackcomb side for a change of pace. Whistler's close proximity to Vancouver, in my opinion, one of North America's most culturally interesting and picturesque cities, is also a big plus. (For those of you who haven't been there, Vancouver is a fascinating city, wonderfully combining both Western and Asian influences.) Finally, if you're planning on coupling your skiing in Whistler with a visit to Vancouver, I would highly recommend driving along the coastline as you travel between the two destinations. The views you will see during the drive are absolutely breathtaking.

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    Breathtaking, yes. But a word of caution for those attempting the drive on the Sea to Sky Highway between Vancouver and Whistler. It's considered to be one of the most dangerous highways in North America, with hundreds of accidents and crashes every year. In recent years the Canadian government has been trying to expand the road to allow for dedicated passing lanes to get ready for the 2010 Olympics and to make it safer.

    I recall that even Andre Agassi recently commented about the safety of the highway after visiting Whistler.

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    Jen - you're absolutely right. I totally agree with you! Driving that highway is quite dangerous. Usually, I would recommend taking the train. For example, see my posts on Extravigator earlier this year about avoiding the dangerous roads in Italy and, instead, traveling by rail:

    http://extravigator.com/discussion/141/driving-in-italy-or-hiring-a-driver/#Item_4

    However, taking the railroad between Vancouver and Whistler doesn't work in this case, as the train travels only as far as Squamish:

    http://www.bcpassport.com/vancouver-public-transportation/vancouver-train-travel.aspx

    So, it seems that the best way of getting to Whistler, nevertheless, is to drive along the coastline. For safety's sake, I guess the trick is to have a "designated driver" that keeps his or her eyes on the road ahead, while only the passengers are allowed to look out the side windows and marvel at the beautiful scenery!

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    Decision made!
    Decided to go for a change and Chateau Whistler is now booked. Hope the skiing lives up to expectations- from the comments above, looks like it should...

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