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 #32 Re: Is whistler worth the extra money and distance over Europe? Posted 18/01/2012 @ 08:51 |
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Yes great discussion, and where allot of my own sentiments are echoed.
Personally I doubt I'd bother with Whistler even if I lived in Vancouver. It's just another mass market tourist destination. It's busy, overrated, over priced etc. The competition for first tracks is just like the mainstream euro resorts, The daily heliskiing there is mellow and I just found myself screaming on the inside 'Give me some gradient'
Canada is a massive country yet 80% of UK snow sliders just head to Whistler or the Banff area resorts.
On the plus Whistler has a cosmopolitan atmosphere, and had allot of choices for eating out and has something for everyone 'sniffle stations'. If your a park rat then I suppose it may offer more appeal but europe has good parks now.
If money is not the issue why are you even considering a ski resort anyway. Lots of Heli and snowcat outfits that will give you the ride of your life.
Ohh and coicidentally I rode at Monashee last season and when I have the cash again I will be going back. |
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Snowboarding ruined my life |
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| #33 Re: Is whistler worth the extra money and distance over Europe? Posted 18/01/2012 @ 13:35 |
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Just had a look at Monashee on tinternet during my lunch break. It look amazing, reminds me of the Baldface Lodge video i was salivating over a while ago.
With 2 kids these things have been relegated to the famous lottery 'to do' list unfortunately unless the economy picks up soon.
How much did it skin you if you don't mind me asking? |
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| #34 Re: Is whistler worth the extra money and distance over Europe? Posted 18/01/2012 @ 13:47 |
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10 day trip to Canada, 2 days at Big White, 4 days at Monashee powder cats a day at Silver star. rest of the time traveling. bottom line £3K.
Got discounted at Monashee (you have to ask) and had a mate at B.A. that helped with the flights.
I also have two kids, earn a middle clash wage, no lottery win necessary. Something I can stretch to every 3-5 years.
Did Baldface in the early days. Their price tag is beyond justifiable now, obviously milking the A list celeb market.
Seriously though Canada is massive, backcountry tours via splitboard or snowmobiling out into the backcountry. Im pretty sure thats what the locals do. |
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Snowboarding ruined my life |
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| #35 Re: Is whistler worth the extra money and distance over Europe? Posted 18/01/2012 @ 14:03 |
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If I had the money I'd go Kicking Horse in Golden British Columbia! Its like boarding in the clouds! |
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| #36 Re: Is whistler worth the extra money and distance over Europe? Posted 18/01/2012 @ 14:59 |
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You're not wrong powderpup! Nearly everyone I know has a touring/split boarding set up and/or sled.
I live in Nelson, and didn't buy a lift pass this season. It's $20 to get a one timer to the top then tour all day from there, or tour from a logging road for free.
The interior ski hills and cat ops give you the best and safest backcountry/slack country experience anywhere.
Sounds like a great trip you put together  |
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www.warandpiste.com -- buy the book. |
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| #37 Re: Is whistler worth the extra money and distance over Europe? Posted 18/01/2012 @ 21:58 |
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Revision #1 (Last edited: 18/01/2012 @ 22:01) |
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I'll definitely be heading back Monashee & Canada way when I have the cash or a friendly buddy to offer me cheap accomodation 
Whistler isn't even on the list to be honest.
Canada is huge, and part of the experience is having nobody around you for miles and miles, other than a few like-minded mates. To be honest I could go back many times and go to different locations every time.
Logging road touring, sleds etc.. definitely sounds the way forward!
That road trip was a good one for sure - even if I'm still paying it off!  |
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| #38 Re: Is whistler worth the extra money and distance over Europe? Posted 19/01/2012 @ 02:16 |
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Logging rd touring rocks. Its dumping again tonight so will be out tomorrow or Friday. |
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www.warandpiste.com -- buy the book. |
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| #39 Re: Is whistler worth the extra money and distance over Europe? Posted 30/01/2012 @ 09:57 |
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I'm in Whistler now for the season and am glad I choose it just for the experience and to obtain a viewpoint but I have to say I think Whistler is completely over rated. Despite what every Canadian on the lift thinks, Whistler is small!! Compared to European standards anyway. The place is busy and take the pee expensive.
The weather is pretty terrible, it rains alot of the time often up to the roundhouse, visibility is crap every single day and windy.
I do like the accessible bowls and that I don't have to worry so much about avy condition's inbound but that doesn’t really matter since the demand for powder is so great that within 30 mins pretty much every inch of the stuff has been trampled down by 20000 people. I mean I was almost stampeded by the people behind me 4 days ago when harmony lift opened after being closed for 2 days. And that’s the other issue, often if there is heavy snowfall the Alpine will be closed as all the bowls need to be avy controlled rather than just bowls that are dangerous to the piste like in Europe. This puts a much greater demand on the lower slopes/mountain. At least the patrol actually control the slopes though rather than just sticking a closed sign on like in France.
People often say you just need to know where to go to find a quite powder spot. The problem with Whistler is that everyone knows where to go.
The inbounds stuff is still pretty hazardous even though controlled. Just feel I should point that out as someone said before at least you cant ski off a cliff in Whistler. Most of the alpine stuff is advanced and does have a lot of places to hurt yourself 
One of the main reason's I chose Whistler was that I ride park alot. It's supposedly got the best park in the world, the lift system serving the park is not so great.
Catskinner which serves the blackcomb parks is a rickety slow old thing, the terrain garden on blackcomb for beginners does not even have a lift close by.
Some plus points staff are friendly, liftys do there job and manage queues properly and because there is no language barrier I can talk to them. I also don't have to put up with someone smoking next to me in the lift line
Apres wise, Whistler is pretty good, I find the town very artificial but it does have plenty of nice bars and restaurants. The tipping system is a pain though.
I spent 3 seasons in France before coming to Canada and am happy to be experiencing Whistler but feel the real Canada is in the interior. Don’t think I will do another season here in Disney Land lol
I guess the most important consideration is whether you want to experience Canada, Whistler or wherever for yourself rather than Europe. |
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| #40 Re: Is whistler worth the extra money and distance over Europe? Posted 30/01/2012 @ 12:35 |
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yeah i came away from my season feeling like i'd been in disneyland for 6 months!
Its true its not as big as some of the french resorts but they use the terrain more effectively and get alot out of it |
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Kirkcudbrightshire |
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| #41 Re: Is whistler worth the extra money and distance over Europe? Posted 30/01/2012 @ 20:12 |
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QUOTE (tee84 - 30/01/2012 @ 09:57) I spent 3 seasons in France before coming to Canada and am happy to be experiencing Whistler but feel the real Canada is in the interior. Don’t think I will do another season here in Disney Land lol
You hit the nail on the head there bud, spot on. |
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| #42 Re: Is whistler worth the extra money and distance over Europe? Posted 30/01/2012 @ 23:29 |
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Whistler has never appealed to me for several reasons. I'm at Fernie this season, has its pros and cons but I'm thoroughly enjoying it. Having experienced some of the more mainstream resorts like Banff and tahoe, interior BC all the way. Revelstoke next season I think!! |
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| #43 Re: Is whistler worth the extra money and distance over Europe? Posted 31/01/2012 @ 10:48 |
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A lot of the replys so far have been very subjective. If you are a beardy powder hound with misanthropic tendancies surprise surprise Whistler's bright lights might not be your cup of tea.
I did a season there back in 2003 and loved the place. The fact is the reason why it gets voted as the top resort is it ticks all the boxes. It has the night life it has the terrain it has the parks it has the lifts. Other places may beat in on individual attributes but no where can compete right accross the board.
Basically it is a smash hit pop song appealing to the widest spectrum of people, if you're only into heavy metal you might not be a fan.
Personally I love all aspects of a ski holiday, I love trees runs through fragle rock, a gradule progression in terrain parks from the garden up to the black diamond, searching for hits on the runs back to blackcomb base and then finishing it off with a beer and a tower of Nachos at Merlins.
That said monashee looks epic, I might have to plan a Monashee/Whistler trip in the future. |
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North Yorkshire |
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| #44 Re: Is whistler worth the extra money and distance over Europe? Posted 31/01/2012 @ 13:57 |
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There's only one way to settle this argument - book a 4x4, ask Stuart for an agenda, crank up "Calgary's Finest" Country 105 and go on a Canadian road trip. |
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| #45 Re: Is whistler worth the extra money and distance over Europe? Posted 31/01/2012 @ 16:55 |
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You're probably right there..us misanthropes hate bright lights, people, and having a beard and liking pow makes us incapable of being objective 
Having done a few seasons and ridden in quite a few resorts all over, I just didn't think Whistler had anything more to offer than Espace Killy, Trois Vallees, PDS or any of the big European resorts.
The parks are pretty much on a par everywhere nowadays, and there are awesome tree runs to be had on the way down to La Tania, just above Val, and all over the PDS. The snow is comparable quality, depending on the season, and the nightlife is pretty awesome in any big ski resort.
If I was being fully subjective I'd tell the op to head to St Anton, because, for me, that's the best resort on the face of the planet. |
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www.warandpiste.com -- buy the book. |
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| #46 Re: Is whistler worth the extra money and distance over Europe? Posted 31/01/2012 @ 19:11 |
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Agree with all of the latest posts about Whistler, but for a first season I think it is about as good as it gets. Every kind of terrain, easily accessible with a lively town and long season. If you get a month where it dumps every night then you will not be whining.
Comparing it to Espace Killy etc is like comparing apples and oranges. They couldn't be more different. WB is all about the trees and park. When it snows you can still ride most of the mountain, when it's nice you can get out into the open. I was in Val on a snowy day a couple of weeks ago and pretty much the whole area shut down. Granted when it opens back up again you're going to have a much better day than on WB, but before long it'll be needing to snow again and Europe doesn't deliver with the same regularity as Whistler. |
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