There’s currently a battle going on south of the North American border among American resorts wishing to hold the title of “biggest ski area in the US”. There’s also a bit of elbowing going on between Canadian areas wishing to take their place in the size league for Canada too, with several candidates lining up to claim “second biggest in Canada”. But what none of those competing resorts mention in their press releases is who the number one for size is: which resort is the biggest in North America? Because everyone knows that’s Whistler Blackcomb.

Over the past 30 years, no resort has hit the winter sports world headlines quite as often as Whistler in British Columbia. Coming from way down the world rankings, the resort shot to the top of the reader survey popularity charts in North American consumer ski magazines in the early ’90s and has stayed there ever since.

Not only a North American phenomenon, Whistler has pulled in package tour operators from all over the world and topped “favourite foreign resort” polls in countries from Australia and Japan to the UK.

Of course, Whistler famously hosted most on-snow events (except snowboarding, ski cross and freestyle) at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, fulfilling its creators’ dreams 50 years earlier of creating a resort to host the Olympic Games. It now attracts more skiers and snowboarders than any other resort on the North American continent.

How has Whistler been so successful, and why does it continue to be one of the most popular and visited resorts in the world, considering it did not exist only 50 years ago?

Well, perhaps you start with the fact that North American ski resorts are recognised as having the best service standards and lift systems in the world; then you consider that Whistler has (arguably) the best lift system in North America and is up there as a contender for the title of “most high-speed lifts in the world”.

Secondly, you might add in to your musings that Whistler has not one but two mountains, Whistler and Blackcomb, lift-linked together, providing the biggest ski area in North America. Oh, and these two mountains also have 1.6km of vertical, which is one of the top two biggest lift-accessed verticals in North America.

Thirdly, there’s the snow. Whistler gets vast volumes of powder dumped on it from the Pacific; it’s one of the snowiest resorts in the world. In fact, it has a season lasting from November to May, and thanks to its glaciers (a very rare asset in North America), early summer skiing on top of that and guaranteed open terrain all season long.

Fourthly, there’s the scale of the place, which has seen over $3 billion (£1.66 million) invested over its 48-year history. Whistler is big enough to ensure a vast range of choices when you’re not riding up and sliding down the slopes – more than 150 restaurants and 200 shops, plus a huge choice of accommodation (more of it slopeside than anywhere else in North America) and a great choice of activities. All these things make Whistler Blackcomb a vibrant, cosmopolitan resort which is busy year-round, creating a genuine community.

Finally, there are little things, like the proximity to a major international airport (see Sea-to-Sky Highway enhanced for the Olympics, making the connection quicker and easier still); the relatively favourable exchange rate of most countries to the Canadian dollar; the welcoming attitude and visa-free entry to Canada for international guests, compared to those arriving in the US; the status of having the only lift-served summer glacier skiing in North America; the uncrowded slopes; the vast choice of terrain; the list goes on …

Of course, the residents and fans of Whistler will tell you that these are just the ingredients, and it’s that “something else”, the feel of the place, that makes it truly great. The only negative factor that any critics, desperate to find a flaw in the apparently nigh on perfect ski resort, can find, is that its low elevation and proximity to the Pacific can mean rain rather than snow at base level at each end of the season.

Whistler’s view is that the low base is a boon because, although they have some of the biggest verticals in North America, the top elevation is not as high as resorts in Colorado, so altitude sickness is not a danger for Whistler’s guests. The proximity to the coast also means that it doesn’t get overly cold – just cold enough for an average 10 metres dump of powder each season.

Amazing Lifts

Whistler’s lift network is one of the world’s best, with a host of high-speed, high-capacity chairlifts and gondolas.

None is more remarkable, however, than the Peak2Peak Gondola, which links the two mountains at altitude and has become an attraction in its own right.

The lift holds three world records, firstly for the 3.024km of space between the two mountains it crosses without supporting towers (the straight line between the two towers that are furthest apart), the second for reaching a highest point above the ground of 436m over Fitzsimmons Creek – that’s the highest above the ground any lift goes.

Thirdly, Peak2Peak completes a lift network that’s the longest continuous lift system on the globe, which from a practical point of view makes it possible for skiers and snowboarders to complete spectacular circuits, ascending one mountain on the lifts and descending the other, travelling in either direction. The resort offers various itineraries tailored to transport all types and levels of snow-sports enthusiasts to help them make the most of their day.

But although very special, Peak2Peak is just one of Whistler’s many superb lifts which, this winter, will all benefit from a new Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) system integrated into your lift ticket, which will automatically register and open an access gate so that you can ride the lift.

The new system, which has cost around $5 million (£2.77 million) to install, provides easy, hands-free access and means you can go straight to the lift. In the seasons to come, Whistler plans to add additional hands-free access while maintaining card-holder privacy.

The resort also invests in new lifts or lift upgrades each winter. This season, it’s the turn of one of the village’s main workhorses to be upgraded: the Whistler Village Gondola, which has been loading guests to the top of Whistler Mountain since 1988. Whistler Blackcomb will send its original cabins into retirement, and new “Diamond” cabins designed by Sigma, a subsidiary of Leitner-Poma, will be in place. These have the capacity to comfortably seat eight passengers at a time, with outside racks for gear. There’ll also be improvements to lift terminals at the base, at the “mid” Olympic Station and at the top by Roundhouse Lodge.

It’s not just the big lifts that get attention either; this winter, Whistler Blackcomb will be installing its first-ever covered Magic Carpet lift at the Children’s Learning Centre on Whistler Mountain. Replacing the handle tows previously in this location, the covered Magic Carpet will create a safe and comfortable learning environment for new child skiers and snowboarders with an easy-to-access lift that offers protection from snow, rain, wind and cold.

Committed To Learning

This winter, Whistler Blackcomb will join only a few resorts in North America in the newest trend in ski and snowboard instruction with the introduction of Terrain-Based Learning to its Snow School programme.

Terrain-Based Learning is a relatively new but proven way to increase ski and snowboard participation with first-timers. The concept involves building small terrain features so beginners can experience the true feelings of skiing and snowboarding in a safe environment, which makes the learning process easier and results in faster progression for participants.

Whistler Blackcomb is also committed to growing the ski and snowboard community by encouraging more adults, children and families to try skiing and snowboarding, and sometimes this works best when families all learn together.

So to continue this effort in the upcoming winter, Whistler Blackcomb will begin to offer private lessons to families, as well as lower the minimum age for private lessons. Children can now participate in private ski lessons from as young as 30 months (2.5 years), so if your whole family has never skied before, or if you’re a young family, Whistler Blackcomb has the answer to your learning needs.

Environmental Stewards

Whistler Blackcomb has set high standards for its environmental management over the years and took a big leap forward in that area a few years ago with the opening of its Fitzsimmons Creek Renewable Energy Project, which generates as much hydro power as the resort consumes annually.

It is situated on Fitzsimmons Creek in the valley between Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains, which is crossed by the Peak2Peak Gondola (a cabin which has a glass panel in the floor so you can helpfully look down at the Creek if you have a head for heights!).

Located entirely within Whistler Blackcomb’s operating area, the run-of-river project produces 33 gigawatt hours of hydroelectricity per year from a single turbine with a capacity of 7.9 megawatts.

That’s the equivalent of powering the ski resort’s winter and summer operations, including 37 lifts, 17 restaurants, 270 snow guns and countless other buildings and services.

The project does not require above-ground transmission lines, which are instead buried in and run through a previously disturbed area, and it also supports the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s 2020 plan, which lays out a vision for success through 2020 based on the three pillars of sustainability: economic, social and environmental.

Whistler Blackcomb was awarded the Golden Eagle Award for Overall Environmental Excellence at the 2010 National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) National Convention and Tradeshow. It was the latest of many environmental awards the resort has received since 1998.

Olympic Legacy

Five seasons on, Whistler Blackcomb’s guests can still relive the Olympic excitement from the 2010 Games on the slopes and try out sliding sports in the Olympic Sliding Centre, and much more.

Whistler Blackcomb continues to celebrate its Olympic legacy from hosting the 2010 Games, with its “Ski With An Olympian” Snow School programme, its most elite product, and offers guests the chance to hire an Olympic athlete to be their own personal guide.

You don’t have to ski with an Olympian to experience your own Olympic moment! You can ski/ride the two Alpine Venue race courses (men’s and women’s), which the athletes raced on in February and March 2010 during the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Whistler Creekside was the host Alpine Skiing Venue for men’s and women’s downhill, super-G, giant slalom, slalom and super combined in 2010. Skiers and snowboarders alike can experience every tight turn, drop, fall-away, and even “Hot Air”, just as the Olympians did (recommended skiing ability is intermediate to advanced).

First off, you can tackle The Dave Murray Downhill Olympic course, named after Dave Murray, one of the most popular ski personalities Canada has ever produced. After retiring from the Canadian ski team in 1982, Dave joined Whistler Mountain as Director of Skiing and created a series of events and programmes targeting mature skiers – the legendary Dave Murray Camps continue to be offered at Whistler Blackcomb to this day.

If you fancy a real high-speed thrill, head to the Olympic Sliding Centre, where you can try the public bobsleigh and skeleton programmes. It boasts one of only 15 international competition sliding tracks in the world, and the public programmes include everything you need to slide down the 2010 Olympic track, starting with a sport orientation, advice on track etiquette, safety guidelines and a mock run before graduating to the real thing. You can expect to reach speeds of up to 125km/h for bobsleigh and 100km/h for skeleton!