'Where the hell are we?' I say to my friend after our first run of the holiday. Both of us stare blankly at the Whistler Blackcomb trail map. 'Errr, here?' he points. 'Wrong mountain,' I reply nervously. It's been half an hour since we left Whistler Mountain's Peak Chairlift and we haven't seen a soul - we must be lost. I'm about to get my phone out and call Mountain Rescue when a grey-haired couple meander around our last bend. 'Morning,' she nods as they glide by without a care in the world. And then it dawns on us - this place is simply vast.
Perhaps we should have paid more attention to the stats the Crystal reps pummelled us with at the airport. Over 8,000 acres of skiable terrain across two mountains, 38 lifts capable of processing over 65,000 mountain users an hour at all levels of ability. And you still feel on your own up here. It's no wonder Whistler is renowned the world over as the ultimate ski destination. We grin at each other and move on.
As relatively experienced snowboarders, it doesn't get much better than this. You can go boarding all day and not ride the same lift twice - and the snow conditions are impeccable. Not ones for the calamity of freestyle parks (of which there are many), we begin our mission to find fresh powder (not difficult, even a few days after a dump). We head for the Peak 2 Peak Gondola, which links Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. The locals are beside themselves about it. Not satisfied with one giant skiable domain per day, this allows everyone to fast-track their way across 4.4km in just 11 minutes to explore even more powder on Blackcomb. We manage to get lost there, too. Three times. But love every minute of it.
Over an après ski beer in pretty Whistler Village, we conclude that with its huge range of verticals, open bowls and woodland trails, it's no wonder the International Olympic Committee awarded the 2010 Winter Olympic Games to this old favourite, rather than some young upstart resort. And it seems the area is already a Mecca for Olympians: when we return to our chalet, one of Crystal's Mountain Lodges, we discover our chalet companion for the next few days is none other than Sir Steve Redgrave, who's here to assess the Olympic preparations. After a dip in the hot tub and a delicious three-course supper, we head for our beds. With the promise of skiing with Sir Steve the next day, we deem it prudent to grab an early night!
The rest of the week brings more confidence and some hard work in the snow. We offset our efforts on the mountains by checking into the 'ski-in' Fairmont Chateau Whistler. I've never felt grand hotels have much of a place in ski resorts, preferring the laidback atmosphere of hosted chalets, but the amazing five-star trimmings (including a heated pool with underwater music) sit in wonderful contrast to the rigours of the seemingly growing mountains. And if you're giving it 'A' for effort during the day, then there's nothing like A-list luxury when you get in.
With après as lively as the skiing, we enjoy a few nights out - but with the pound so weak against the Canadian dollar, it's also easy to see why Whistler has a reputation as a playground for the rich and famous. So we settle for emptying our energy banks instead, and despite being out all day, every day for the entire week, we barely make a dent on those 8,000 acres - and we're physically broken. Whistler may be the grand dame of ski resorts, but she's still got teeth!
THE FACTS
A week's stay at the Crystal Lodge & Suites with scheduled flights from Heathrow with Air Canada and transfers costs from £649 per person (based on four sharing) for January 2010 departures. A Crystal Ski Plus package costs from £1,249 per person and includes flights, transfers, seven nights' accommodation in the five-star Fairmont Chateau Whistler, a six-day lift pass and ski/board hire. To book, call 0871 2312256 or visit www.crystalski.co.uk.
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