Whistler Blackcomb’s twin peaks and record?breaking span

High above the village of Whistler in British Columbia, Whistler Blackcomb brings together two large Coast Mountain peaks, extensive ski terrain and a gondola that crosses the valley in a single span. The combined ski area grew from separate developments on Whistler Mountain in the 1960s and Blackcomb Mountain in the 1980s, and is now known for its high alpine bowls, glaciers and long descents reaching into the forested slopes above the valley.

Two mountains, one vast ski area

Whistler Blackcomb is built around Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain, which rise side by side above the resort village and valley floor. Whistler’s lift?serviced summit reaches 2,182 m (7,160 ft), while the highest lift?served point on Blackcomb stands at 2,284 m (7,494 ft), giving both mountains substantial vertical drops back to the village area at about 675 m (2,214 ft).Whistler and Blackcomb elevations Together they offer a combined ski area of 8,171 acres (around 3,307 hectares), laid out across marked runs, open bowls and high glacial terrain, with statistics summarised on the resort’s mountain information pages.combined terrain figures

Whistler Mountain opened as a ski resort in January 1966, after plans for a Winter Olympics bid had encouraged development of the area, and Blackcomb Mountain followed as a separate ski area in December 1980.opening dates for both mountains Over time the two areas were brought together under a single Whistler Blackcomb banner, creating a continuous lift network and trail system spanning both sides of the valley. Each mountain retains its own character, with Whistler known for routes such as the long Peak To Creek run and Blackcomb for terrain reaching the Horstman Glacier, but the modern experience treats them as one resort.

Glaciers, bowls and long descents

The scale of Whistler Blackcomb’s terrain is reflected in its layout of bowls, glaciers and long pistes that drop from the alpine into the forest. Across both mountains there are over 200 marked trails, 16 alpine bowls and 3 glaciers within the lift?served area, giving skiers and snowboarders a wide range of routes.bowls, glaciers and trail counts Trail statistics published for the resort’s summit zones show terrain graded from easier runs through intermediate pistes to difficult and expert lines, with vertical drops on each mountain exceeding 1,500 m (around 5,000 ft).vertical and trail breakdown

On Whistler, Peak To Creek is noted as a longest run of about 11 km (6.8 mi), descending continuously from high alpine elevations down to the Creekside base, while Blackcomb offers similarly extended descents such as Green Road to Easy Out.examples of long runs Glacial skiing on Blackcomb’s Horstman Glacier sits at lift?served elevations above 2,200 m (around 7,200 ft), reached by chairs and surface lifts from the upper mountain area, and contributes to the resort’s reputation for high?altitude snowfields within its boundary terrain.Horstman Glacier access

The PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola across the valley

Linking Whistler and Blackcomb high above the valley is the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola, a cable car that runs between the upper stations of the two mountains. The gondola’s total line length is 4.4 km (2.73 mi), with an unsupported span of about 3.024 km (1.88 mi) between its main valley towers, a distance recognised in records for cable car engineering.PEAK 2 PEAK span and length At its highest point the cabins pass around 436 m (1,427 ft) above the valley floor, giving wide views of the Fitzsimmons Valley and surrounding peaks as they cross between the two summits.height above the valley floor

Construction of the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola was completed in 2008, adding a direct high?level connection between the two mountains and completing a continuous lift system across the resort.opening year of the gondola The cabins run between elevations of about 1,850 m (6,069 ft) on Whistler and 1,680 m (5,512 ft) on Blackcomb, so that riders step out directly into the alpine environments on each side.terminal elevations The line uses four towers in total, two on each mountain, and is designed both for winter connections between ski areas and for summer sightseeing over the valley and forest.

Visiting Whistler Blackcomb: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Whistler Blackcomb lies above the resort community of Whistler in British Columbia, about 120 km north of Vancouver, and is reached by road along the Sea to Sky Highway and by bus services that connect the city with Whistler Village.
• The terrain includes substantial elevation differences between the village and upper mountain areas, with approaches on foot involving stairways, sloping paths and open mountain trails at over 2,000 m (6,562 ft).
• Whistler Village sits in a forested valley with the ski lifts rising directly from the built?up area to mid?station zones, so moving between accommodation and the main gondolas generally involves short walks on paved routes.
• The official language is English and the currency is the Canadian dollar.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Whistler Blackcomb

Where is Whistler Blackcomb?

Whistler Blackcomb is a mountain resort area above Whistler in British Columbia, western Canada, in the Coast Mountains north of Vancouver.

What can visitors expect on a first visit?

Visitors encounter a village at around 675 m (2,214 ft) with lifts rising towards high alpine terrain on two adjacent peaks, extensive marked ski runs and views over the surrounding mountains.

What makes Whistler Blackcomb distinctive among mountain resorts?

The combination of two large lift?served mountains, glacial ski terrain and the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola crossing 4.4 km (2.73 mi) between their upper stations makes Whistler Blackcomb a distinctive high alpine resort.