Go Ski: WHISTLER, CANADAConsidered the best resort in North America, Whistler is a two-hour drive from Vancouver and is the main ski venue for the Olympics.
The best time to visit any Olympic location is immediately afterwards – the world-class spanking new infrastructure is in place, but the overcapacity of accommodation, built for the thousands of organisers, coaches, journalists and fans, means great bargains are on offer.
With the second-largest vertical drop on the continent and largest ski area, now linked by lifts across the resort’s two mountains, Whistler will keep even the most wanderlust skier happy. For experts, the area has both renowned powder conditions and is one of the world’s best and most affordable locations for safe heli-skiing. The easier satisfied could do no worse than avail of the free daily complimentary mountain tours provided by the local tourist office. It’s a great way to meet friends and ski partners for the week without having to go to ski school.
The nightlife is, by North American standards, very lively. The town is large and has a wide range of restaurants and bars, including the very popular Dubh Linn Gate Irish bar.
The low altitude of the resort itself and its proximity to the ocean can sometimes result in heavy fog and freezing rain in the valley, but if you head up beyond the mid-station the sun should be shining.
Resort height675m.
Range653-2,284m.
Lifts38.
Total runs216km.
Longest run11km.
Best runThe Burnt Stew Trail starts at the back of Little Whistler peak and gently pulls around the mountain and skirts the edge of the ski area. It's a green run most of the way down to the village and offers gorgeous views down the soft descent.
SnowparksFive.
Season lengthLate November to early May.
Snow reliability****
Who goesFor the next two weeks, the best athletes in the world. After that, Whistler will continue to attract mainly Canadians and west-coast Americans.
Value€€€ Prices steadily crept up after the Olympics were awarded. Like other former venues it will soon start to lower charges if it is to attract the skiers it needs.
AirportsVancouver.
Tour operatorsCrystal and Sunway.
Onlinewhistlerblackcomb.com.
Snow report
Two cities last week would have happily swapped weather. Rome experienced its heaviest snowfall in more than 25 years, whereas Vancouver, host to the Winter Olympics, was basking in the early teens, forcing the organisers to helicopter in snow for the freestyle and snowboarding events.
Yet another good week was reported by the European resorts, with big dumps in the western Alps and more modest falls in Austria and Slovenia. The popular midterm destination of Soldeu in Andorra was gifted with 20cm of snow.
Snow-forecast.com provides free forecasts for more than 2,200 resorts worldwide. Check the snow at 250 resorts on skiclub.co.uk or take a peek at your mountain of choice on snoweye.com.
Kitwatch
Snokart is a smart little company that makes ski- and snowboard-specific luggage at decent prices. Only in its second year of operation, it has expanded its range to include a very clever boots and helmet bag. With most of the airlines reviewing the extortionate changes they have been applying to ski equipment, Snokart’s new product is an even smarter buy. The company has yet to pin down an Irish distributor but in the meantime you can purchase online for £34.99. Snokart.com
AOB
The coolest competitor in this year’s Winter Olympics is the Scottish-born Ghanaian Kwame Nkrumah- Acheampong (above). Nicknamed the Snow Leopard, Kwane was able to complete the series of races necessary to chalk up enough qualifying points thanks to his sponsors, Paddy Power bookmakers. The accessory to have on the slopes for the rest of the season is a Ghanaian ski team baseball cap (€24.99), available from leopardsports.com.