99 Things to Do
Top 10
There’s more than your eyes can actually take in at the top of Whistler or Blackcomb. But why choose? With the Peak 2 Peak gondola, you can see it all. Eye candy for real eyes.
It’s bigger and better than ever and it’s right here! So are you! Grab a ticket and ride some of the best, most wicked trails ever cut down the side of a mountain. Something suitable for all skill levels and almost all ages.
The hills are alive, with the sound of music. At least they will be if you sing. Take your pick : the High Note Trail on Whistler or the Overlord on Blackcomb. Either one will have you singing… if you’ve got the breath. Of course, there are a lot more trails too; you can hum on them.
Whistler’s free all-purpose getaway. Walk, run, bike, skate or push your baby the length of the valley along Whistler’s foremost attraction. Don’t forget to look up at the great scenery.
There are five lakes scattered the length of Whistler, more if you want to hike a bit. Not a speck of chlorine and water so clear you might wish you’d have worn your bathing suit, which you should, unless you don’t want to.
Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Robert Trent Jones Jr., designed Whistler’s three championship golf courses. Star designers or sadists? You decide. Some of the best golf in Canada is played here; some of the worst too. Both fun.
Next to Whistler Olympic Plaza, near Marketplace. Little kids love it; bigger kids like pushing the little kids around. Parents mostly wonder who’s going to get exhausted first.
So many people have, we’ve had to replace them. They’re on the south side of Whistler Olympic Plaza; the Paralympic Agitos are on the other side. You have a camera, what are you waiting for?
Summertime’s festival of mountain biking madness sweeps over Whistler like a two-wheeled tsunami, August 9-18. If mountain bikers ruled the world, this is what life would be like everyday.
It’s summer. Slow down. Have a nosh… and something refreshing to drink. Watch people, feel the sun, feel glad to be alive. Remember, après is guilt-free.
Olympic Legacies
The big imposing guy at the corner of Village Gate and Northlands Boulevards is not just another stoney personality. He’s an Olympic stoney personality and loves to have his picture taken with you.
High atop Whistler Mountain, out the back side of the Roundhouse, he beckons, a silent sentinel offering peace, friendship and BBQ on summer weekends. The resemblance to the one in the village is coincidental.
Pasted on the south flank of Blackcomb Mountain is the world’s fastest, most technical bobsleigh, luge, skeleton track. Free, self-guided tours are available all summer long.
The Nordic centre offers miles of cross-country trails. You can’t ski ’em in summer but you can hike around… maybe even ride a horse.
Mountain Activities
15. Whistler Blackcomb Mountain-Top BBQ Dinner Series
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Whistler Blackcomb Guest Relations
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Head up Whistler Mountain every Friday through Sunday for an incredible evening experience with a mouth-watering BBQ buffet, live music, and incredible views.
Atop Whistler Mountain, daily. Volunteer guides will show you points of interest and orient you for more ambitious, self-guided adventures.
Follow a guide and bike from Whistler peak back down to the valley. This 5,000-foot descent uses different routes for riders of different skills but easy or hard, it’s all downhill.
No matter how you ride, there’s a camp that’ll make you a better rider. Downhill, Biker-X, DFX, whatever, learn from the pros. Camps run throughout the season.
Horstman Glacier is open for public skiing and snowboarding from noon daily until the glacier closes sometime around the first week of August. Weirdly refreshing to be sliding on snow in July.
Skiers and riders can hone their freeride, park, racing and other skills with a multitude of summer camps held on Horstman Glacier. Campers get the morning to themselves but the afternoons belong to….
Michael Allen knows more about bears than most people. Kathy Jenkins is no slouch either. They’ll show you bears, teach you about bears and give you a new outlook on our ursine friends and neigh-bears.
Check out what’s happening in Whistler’s alpine with people who know the local ecology. Explore the unique alpine ecosystem or learn more about what climate change means to the mountains.
Work out your amazing bike moves in the indoor training pit and land on soft foam, not hard ground. From straight air to back flips, figure out your best moves where it won’t hurt. Daily at Base II.
Whoever said you never forget how to ride a bike never imagined we’d be doing the things we’re doing on bikes these days. Group clinics or private, no matter where you are on the learning curve, lessons will help you skip a step or two. Daily, all season long.
Monday and Wednesday evenings are Women’s Nights in the Bike Park. Drop-in or buy a season-long pass and ride with the same group week after week. Starts June 18th.
Astonishing spreads await you far above the Village. Fridays — Whole Hog BBQ. Saturdays — BBQ Prime Rib dinner. Sundays — Pacific Seafood Grill. Good food; good views; good grief.
Five courses, five expertly-paired wines to go with them. Two opportunities July 13th featuring Nk’Mip Cellars and August 10th featuring See Ya Later Ranch wines. Take the gondola home.
It’s smoky, it’ll get you high, and it’s legal. The best barbecuers come from miles around for this August long weekend treat. Lots of samples and a heck of a party.
Village & Valley Things
No longer the orphan child of Whistler, road riding — bicycles — is back. Try the Whistler to WOP (Whistler Olympic Park) ride or the ever-popular Tour de Whistler: 52km, 1,300m rise, nine ugly hills.
Come out and whack a bucket of balls. Better yet, whack ’em one at a time.
If your time and/or patience doesn’t allow for a round of real golf, stop by the campground and play the quicker version.
Getting tips from a pro won’t make the game less frustrating, but it may well provide insight into why you keep torturing yourself playing it. They say golf will drive you crazy. I say it’s more of a putt.
Several companies around town will lead you into the nearby wilderness with no more energy expenditure on your part than a mild thumb cramp. Great views, lots of fun.
Show off your bike, show off your patriotism. What the heck, it’s summer, show off whatever ya got. It’s a one-shot deal, July 1st only. Don’t be late.
Eat fresh, eat local, eat well. Farmers and crafts markets run on the Benchlands by Blackcomb daylodge Sundays and Wednesdays, come rain or come shine.
A race for some, a ride for others, fun for everyone. Sponsored by WORCA and a rotating list of local businesses, these Thursday evening races are summertime’s best local bargain. Ride, grunt, eat, drink.
Guided walks through the rich history of everybody’s favourite mountain resort town. Contact the museum and catch their Whistler’s Olympic Journey exhibit. whistlermuseum.org
Saddle up and ride, in the meadows, in the forests and in the mountains around Pemberton. No cows to poke but no GHG either.
So little time; so many fine restaurants. Instead of anchoring yourself to one, sign up for a tour consisting of exquisite dishes and wine at a number of Whistler’s best. Why didn’t I think of that?
Things look different from way up there… through the window of a float plane. Mountains, glaciers, forests, rivers, lakes and those tiny people who look like so much spilled pepper.
Zip Trekking or Zip Lining, your choice. Fly through the air on cables suspended high above the Earth.
Aiiiiiiiiiiieeey!!!! The bridge is high, the creekbed is rocky, the bungee is impossibly thin and yes, you’re supposed to jump. The thrill ain’t gone.
No balls, no clubs and no greens fees. Look for the signs up near Lost Lake and have your saucers ready to fly.
Swim, steam, workout, squash, skate, or just sit around and watch those who do. But leave the children’s pool to the kids, no matter how tempting it is.
Drive on up to Pemberton and head to the airport. You can book a ride in a plane with no engine. No parachute either. Soar like an eagle and listen to the quiet.
Anyone? North of Marketplace you can whack a ball back and forth and back and forth to your heart’s content.
Tucked into the trees by the day skier lots, Whistler’s skate park is the meeting place for board youth. Show off, learn something new, lose a little skin, learn a new language.
Along Fitz Creek, south of the skate park are some wicked bike jumps. Test your skill, the laws of gravity and the medical centre’s emerg staff.
Wet Things
Start on Alta Lake and head northish. The lake drains into the river and the river meanders to Green Lake. Watch for the sweepers and don’t miss the pullout.
Get to the core of your matter. Stand, paddle, wonder where to put your beer. Oh well, it’s good for you. Quickly becoming as ubiquitous as yoga studios.
Complete the circle. Whistler started as a fishing resort. No, really. The wily ones that got away live on in spirit. Wet a line and hook a fighter. Just like the pioneers. Let a guide take you to the not-so-secret places.
Channel your inner Popeye. Rent something with a sail at Alta Lake. Windsurfers, sailboats and a couple of cats are available. The wind’s free, the boats aren’t.
Kayaks are to canoes what sports cars are to land yachts. If you like your floating fun a bit livelier, rent a kayak and give ’er. If that’s too tame, try some moving water.
Race down — and back up — the Lillooet River lickety split while drawing only a couple inches of water. This ain’t no lazy river trip.
Nothing beats cool water on a hot day and white water rafting is both thrilling and relaxing… though not at the same moment. Various rivers offered by various companies; all fun.
This, ahem, clothing-optional dock on the east side of Lost Lake is Whistler’s answer to Wreck Beach. Don’t be alarmed and for heaven’s sake, don’t call the cops. If you don’t like it, don’t look… no skin off my nose.
Rent a canoe and channel your inner voyageur. That’s voy-a-geur. Explore the site of Whistler’s first tourist attraction or just have a lazy float on a sunny day.
Mountain Hiking - Whistler
Part glacier hike, part climb, all cool. Scurry across Whistler glacier with crampons and ice axe then get vertical on fixed cables and metal ladder rungs up the rock face. Daily, morning and afternoon — 4 hours.
Gear up with boots, crampons and ice axe. Head out on Whistler Glacier for a tour and the chance to learn lots about glaciers. Daily, morning and afternoon — 2.5 hours.
Take the rocky road to the top of Whistler Mountain. A hands and feet scramble up to the best view in town. Daily, morning and afternoon — 3 hours.
On belay. Okay, on top rope. This tour is a good intro to real rock climbing with max thrills and min risks. All gear provided. Daily, morning and afternoon — 4 hours.
Take a walk on the wild side through moderate terrain with someone who’ll tell you what you’re walking through and what you’re looking at that’s making you go, “Ooooh… Ahhhhh.” Daily, morning and afternoon — 3-4 hours.
Start low, get high. Gain 1,000 metres (3,300 feet through meadows, past alpine lakes and amid achingly beautiful scenery. 6-8 hours as demand warrants.
Start high, stay high. Skirt the ski area boundary as you hike the summit trail to Flute and Piccolo. So scenic it makes everything else look drab. Daily, 6-8 hours.
Mountain Hiking - Blackcomb & Beyond
Explore the geology and glaciology of Blackcomb Mountain. Learn the local flora and fauna. Be amazed by the spectacular views. Daily — 5-6 hours.
Peaks, glaciers, forests, meadows, this is the full-meal deal when it comes to B.C. wilderness hiking. More than a dozen destinations, all stunning. Daily — 6-8 hours.
Find out everything you can about Horstman Glacier… while it’s still here! Grab your axe, strap on crampons and discover the secrets the glacier’s locked in ice. Daily — 4-5 hours
Discover the Coast Mountains’ nearby wonders Blackcomb Buttress, Wedge, Joffre Peak, Mt. Matier and others. Full day tours as demand warrants.
You move across the glacier; the glacier moves across the mountain. The mountain is travelling through space. Even with crampons it’s a thrillingly dizzying experience. Daily — 7 hours
Squamish boasts some of the best pure rock climbing on the continent. You can boast you’ve been there, done that. Daily — 5-7 hours.
Adventure Zone Thrills
Strap yourself in, grab the joystick and let gravity rip. Careen down the lower slope of Blackcomb fast as, or faster, than you please.
Oops, sorry, that’s Kiss The Sky. Either way, you’ll flip on this bungee-trampoline. Fly through the air, do flips, defy gravity, be an acrobat. Just don’t do it right after you eat.
You know the drill. Hit the ball, chase the ball, eventually get the ball in the hole. At least there isn’t a laughing clown. Base of Blackcomb.
Zero gravity, 100% fun, not recommended on a full stomach.
Giddy-up. Sit tall in the saddle for a scenic horse ride up Blackcomb Mountain.
Arts & Culture
Immerse yourself in Whistler’s first culture. Explore the rich cultural history of the Squamish and Lil’wat First Nations. Self-guided, guided or just wandering around, it’s a feast for weary eyes.
Books? Sure. Plus magazines, newspapers, DVDs, CDs, Internet, reference material, helpful, vivacious librarians, and not half-bad machine coffee. Something to offend everyone, as they say.
Right behind the library, honest. Check out what was here before you. From fishing resort to four-season resort, these are our stories.
August 1-4 festival of yoga practice, instruction, music, speakers, chefs, natural beauty and like-minded people livin’ life mindfully. whistler.wanderlustfestival.com
Whistler Arts Council
One-to-four day workshops are offered by the Whistler Arts Council on Alta Lake this summer, featuring guest artists instructing in a wide variety of artistic media.
The weekend of July 13-14 at Whistler Olympic Plaza. Offering workshops and a rich learning environment for artsy kids for 30 years but for the first year in the Village.
The eighth annual ArtWalk will tour all things Whistler and artistic from July 1 to August 31. Locations throughout the Village. Get arty. And don’t miss…
The town turns out down in Function — Whistler’s Soho Boho neighbourhood — for an interactive evening of art, music, celebrations and… well, we have to keep some things secret.
Hiking around Town
One of Whistler’s best walks. East at Function to the river, then follow the trail on either side upstream to the suspension bridge. Cross and come back on the other. Great walk — about 2 hours.
A short drive, bike ride or doable walk up Cougar Mountain is a stand of old-growth giants. Walk the cathedral-like forest in awestruck silence — 3-4 hours.
Pack a lunch and hike through tall trees to a gem of a lake at treeline. If the flies will let you, great place for a brisk skinny dip — 5-7 hours.
Not for the faint of heart. This one’s a slog with a bit of danger thrown in. Get a guidebook or go with someone who knows — All day.
Indulgences
Who deserves it more than you? Well, me, of course. But go ahead, treat yourself to an overall body experience at one of Whistler’s great spas. Two even.
Therapeutic or just messin’ around, massage is magic, that’s why it’s been around so long. Easy or hard, it’s all good. Reach out and let somebody touch you.
Namaste, dude. Whistler’s got more yoga studios than donut shops. Come to think of it, Whistler doesn’t have any donut shops. But lots of yoga studios. Stretch, enjoy, get down, dog.
If you’re still not getting enough exercise — or, gulp, if it’s raining cats and dogs — drop by for a great workout. Climb their walls, not your own.
There are way more galleries in town than churches. And they just love it when you come see what’s on their walls. Make your own itinerary and/ or combine it with a…
I think this one’s self-explanatory. But if you have to get creative, theme it. Taste test the world’s best scotches, vodkas, beers, sakes… whatever.
There’s a fine art to patioing. Part eating, part drinking, part people watching, part being seen, part just making the scene. Every day, weather permitting. Takes practice.
At McEwan’s in Pemberton when they’re ripe in late June/early July. Two things become readily apparent. California berries suck and you didn’t pick enough. Eat local.
Ice cream is to summer as breath is to life. Eat it often, try a flavour you’ve never had, don’t even dare think about the calories.
