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Activities
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Outdoor activities aside, there's not a lot else to do in Whistler save sit in the cafAŠs and watch the world go by. In summer, though, chances are you'll be here to walk or mountain bike. If you're
walking
, remember you can ride the ski lifts up onto both mountains for tremendous views and easy access to high-altitude trails (July to early Sept daily 10am-8pm; early Sept to late Sept daily 10am-5pm; late Sept to mid-Oct Sat & Sun 10am-5pm; adults $21, youth and seniors $18). Free mountain walking tours are offered daily at 12.30pm & 2.30pm; call 1-800/766-0449 for more details.
Mountain bikers
can also take bikes up and ride down, for an additional $3 charge for the bike. You must have a helmet and the bike undergoes a safety inspection. If you're going it alone, pick up the duplicated sheet of biking and hiking trails from the infocentres
, or better yet buy the 1:50,000
Whistler and Garibaldi Region
A
map
. The two most popular shorter walks are the
Rainbow Falls
and the six-hour
Singing Pass
trails. Other good choices are the four-kilometre trail to Cheakamus Lake or any of the high-alpine hikes accessed from the Upper Gondola station (1837m) on Whistler Mountain or the Seventh Heaven lift on Blackcomb: you can, of course, come here simply for the view. Among the walks from Whistler Mountain gondola station, think about the
Glacier Trail
(2.5km round trip; 150m ascent; 1hr) for views of the snow and ice in Glacier Bowl - snowshoe rental and tours are possible to let you cross some of the safer snow fields ($15 a day; for tours call Outdoor Adventures tel 604/932-0647 or Whistler Cross Country Ski & Hike tel 604/932-7711 or 1-888/771-2382,
www.whistlerhikingcentre.com
). Or go for the slightly more challenging
Little Whistler Trail
(3.8km round trip; 265m ascent; 1hr 30min-2hr), which takes you to the summit of Little Whistler Peak (2115m) and grand views of Black Tusk in Garibaldi Provincial Park. Remember to time your hike to get back to the gondola station for the last ride down (times vary according to season).
If the high-level stuff seems too daunting (it shouldn't be - the trails are good) then there are plenty of trails (some surfaced) for bikers, walkers and in-line skating around the Village. There are also numerous operators offering guided walks and bike rides to suit all abilities, as well as numerous
rental outlets
for bikes, blades and other equipment around the Village.
All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs)
can be rented from Canadian All Terrain Adventures (tel 1-877/938-1616,
www.cdn-snowmobile.com
) for guided tours that include splurges through mud-pits. If you want to go
horse riding
, contact Edgewater Outdoor Centre (tel 604/932-3389), The Adventure Ranch (tel 604/932-5078) or Cougar Mountain (tel 604/932-4086). Whistler Jet Boat Adventure Ranch (tel 604/932-4078) can set you up with
jet boating
, white-water and float
rafting
, as will Whistler River Adventures (tel 604/932-3532
, www.whistler-river-adv.com
) and Whistler Jet Boating (tel 604/932-3389). You can play tennis at several public courts, or play squash or
swim
at the Meadow Park Sports Centre (tel 604/938-7275). If you're a
golfer
the area has four great courses, including one designed by Jack Nicklaus -
Golf
magazine called Whistler "one of the best golf resorts in the world". Despite a recent upgrade, the Whistler Golf Club course remains the cheapest course at $115 (tel 1-800/376-1777 or 604/932-3280), while the others, including Nicklaus North (tel 604/938-9898), all cost from about $125 at low season to $185 at peak season in July and August. After all that activity there are umpteen
spas
for massage, mud baths and treatments that soothe all aches and pains - try Whistler Body Wrap (tel 604/932-4710), Blue Highways Shiatsu and Massage (tel 604/938-0777) or for utter luxury Avello (tel 604/935-3444). Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Canada,
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