After much anticipation and with 2 new lifts already open, the Winter 2018/2019 season is already off to a promising start. While the lack of snow for the first couple of weeks left many nervous, the snow gods pulled through and brought with them over 50cm of fresh powder overnight! Here’s your guide to what you can ski, what the conditions are like and how you can never have a bad day at Whistler Blackcomb!

What’s New:

Emerald  – An upgrade from the previous 4 person lift, Whistler Mountain has benefited from the new high-speed 6 person lift.

Catskinner – Replacing the old 3 person chair, if you think Catskinner looks familiar, you’re right – it’s the old Emerald express chair. Now a 4 person lift, it gets you back up to the Rendezvous in a fraction of the time.

Blackcomb Gondola – Not to be confused with Excalibur, this new 10 person gondola is the world’s first 3 Gondola connection, taking you all the way from the base of Blackcomb to the top of the Rendezvous.

What’s Open?

With 2 mountains to choose from, even half the terrain available is still more than what a lot of resorts would normally offer. Whistler Mountain has plenty of options at your disposal: Big Red Express, Franz, Emerald Express 6, Peak Express, Whistler Village Gondola, Creekside Gondola and just opened- Garbanzo and Fitzsimmons .  The new 6-person Emerald lift is a great option for beginners, with lots of green runs coming down to it, while Big Red offers varied terrain for the more advanced skier.

What’s open on Blackcomb?

With the new gondola expected to open on Friday, there’s plenty of options on Blackcomb too. Jersey Cream, Excalibur, Excelerator, Crystal Ridge and Catskinner are all great options. With the 50cm of powder we had overnight, there’s lots of fun to be had over there.

Get the views

On a clear day, you can’t beat the views from the top of Peak Express. The sights are spectacular- at the highest point on Whistler Mountain, you can get a 360° view of the mountain ranges, with a great view of the iconic Black Tusk mountain.

Due to the difficulty of the way down, it’s currently only advised that expert skiers go here.

Just starting out?

The beginner zone at Olympic is now open with ‘magic carpets’ going in full force for those who are learning how to ski. Magic Chair is open at the bottom of Blackcomb too – a great transition to the green runs if you aren’t quite ready to go all the way to the top of the mountain.

What if there is no snow?

Don’t worry – even if there isn’t much snow, Whistler Blackcomb still get the snow cannons going to ensure there’s enough. Early season skiing is a great opportunity to brush up on your technical skills – no snow definitely doesn’t mean no skiing! Perfect your technique, get a few park laps in and test out your groomer skis.

Can you even have a bad day in Whistler? Whatever the conditions, you’re guaranteed to have a great time, on and off the mountain.

What’s new at Whiski Jack?

Exciting things are happening on our booking channels! We have enhanced our user experience by adding new photos of each unit- so you can really take a full look at all the units!

We’re still taking bookings for the Winter season with great prices so be sure to book quick!