Whistler Blackcomb has long been considered one of the best places to ski on the planet: its allure an almost intangible mix of scenery, culture, terrain and of course, snow conditions. I first skied there in 1999 and was hooked immediately - as our airport transfer seamlessly transported us up the fabled Sea to Sky highway it seemed like we had landed on another planet rather than another country. The road follows the Howe Sound once North of Vancouver before splitting cross country towards the forested mountains on the horizon and is surrounded by scenic beauty on a scale I had never encountered before. Enough reminiscing though, what is really exciting about Whistler Blackcomb is their constant quest for improvement, in recent years they have expanded their ski area with the addition of the Symphony chairlift and the creation of their inbounds ‘backcountry’ area Flute Bowl, they have made it easier for visitors wishing to ski both of their colossal mountains in the same day by adding the PEAK 2 PEAK gondola and are constantly adding new amenities in the village itself to enhance the visitor experience. [caption id="attachment_5849" align="aligncenter" width="581"]Whistler Expansion Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains, Tourism Whistler/David McColm[/caption] For the coming season, Whistler are again investing heavily into the resort with a CAN$18 Million expansion planned. This will add two new chairlifts to their arsenal, one on Whistler and one on Blackcomb, these both replace existing chairlifts and aim to get guests up the mountain more quickly and efficiently thereby reducing lift lines and improving the skier experience, never a bad thing!

Whistler Expansion for Winter 13/14 Season

Harmony 6 Express - Whistler Expansion

[caption id="attachment_5817" align="aligncenter" width="300"]Whistler Expansion HARMONY ZONE[/caption] The first new chairlift will replace the much loved Harmony 4 person on Whistler Mountain with a new 6 person chairlift; this is an area adored by guests and locals alike and was prone to heavy traffic when conditions were good, therefore most of the time!
  • The Harmony 6 Express accesses some of the most technical terrain on Whistler, it is full of narrow chutes, tree-lined gulley’s, dramatic bowls and access towards the Symphony chairlift, home of Whistler’s inbounds ‘backcountry’ experience, Flute Bowl.
  • The new chairlift should dramatically improve the access for skiers in this area and will be a fantastic addition to the mountain.
  • The Harmony 6 Express will carry up to 3,600 skiers per hour - a huge increase on the old chair which had a capacity of 2,400 skiers per hour.

Crystal Ridge Express - Blackcomb Expansion

[caption id="attachment_5818" align="aligncenter" width="300"]Whistler Expansion CRYSTAL ZONE[/caption] The second new chairlift is being built on Blackcomb Mountain and will replace the antiquated 3 person Crystal Chair with a new high speed 4 person chairlift:
  • The aspect of the new lift has been changed: it will still deliver skiers to the Crystal Hut, home of the best waffles in skiing, but will start from further down the mountain, breaking up the endurance test that is Blackcomb’s Glacier Road and giving skiers another option to catching the Excelerator Express in order to get back up to the gentle glades of the Crystal Zone.
  • This Crystal Ridge Express will vastly improve the access to some of the best-kept secrets in the whole Whistler Blackcomb ski area, the Crystal zone offers the chance to escape the throng and ski wide open runs through the trees whose mellow, undulating slopes are ideal for skiers of any ability.
  • Capacity will increase from 1,450 skiers per hour to 2,400 skiers per hour, with an additional 158m vertical rise.
To find out more about Whistler or to book your next ski holiday, get in touch with one of our knowledgeable reservation team members on 0131 243 8097 or click here to request a tailor made quote by email.
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