Take Your Winter Getaway to New Heights in Whistler

It's cold at home. The rain hasn't stopped. There are postcards of a mystical haven in the mountains, where ‘rain' is white, peaks kiss the sky, and leisure is at your doorstep; that haven is a reality in Whistler. Step out of your routine, wind your way up the Sea to Sky Highway, and step into luxury at the Westin Resort & Spa Whistler, the perfect mountain retreat from where to start your adventure.

Whistler: Host Mountain Resort of the 2010 Winter Olympic & Paralymic Games; average summit snowfall of 10.25m; adventure and culinary smorgasbord; number 1 ski resort in North America; does anyone need an excuse? Perhaps not, but there a lot of great reasons...

Day One
Perhaps your snowboarding skills needing some fine-tuning since your last alpine rendezvous; or you'd like a local guide to show you some undiscovered terrain (Whistler Blackcomb does have over 8,100 acres of terrain!) Well, there is no better way of absorbing the alpine air than taking the Whistler Gondola, scaling the 7,160 feet to the Roundhouse, and starting your ski or snowboard lesson.Whistler Blackcomb offers private and group lessons and caters to every age. Your Guide can help you experience Whistler at its best; and if you want a change of scenery, the Peak to Peak Gondola spans the 4.4km between Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains, and provides 360 degree views of the valley.

At the end of a long day, you ski down to Skiers' Plaza, see the Westin Resort and Spa ski valet tent, where you just may lay your skis to rest for a day or two...

After a well-earned soak in one of the Westin's hot tubs, you are prepared for a culinary expedition with Whistler Tasting Tours. Your local guides will weave a gastronomic path through four of the best restaurants Whistler has to offer. Each restaurant is a stop on the way to a multi-course dinner and dessert with British Columbian wine pairings. It's a unique dining experience, and perfect if you wanted to taste it all but didn't think you had the time.

Whistler Blackcomb: 1-800-766-0449   |   Whistler Tasting Tours: (604) 902-8687

Day Two
You awake refreshed and revitalized after a night in Westin's signature Heavenly® Bed. You stroll down from your room and indulge in the buffet breakfast at the Westin's Aubergine Grille.

Just when you thought you were relaxed, you discover a retreat inside a sanctuary; the Scandinave Spa is tucked away in a spruce and cedar forest just north of Whistler. Indulge in a Swedish massage before surrendering to the benefits of hydrotherapy in this traditional Finnish spa. Share your time between the wood-burning sauna, thermal and Nordic waterfalls, outdoor fireplace, and Eucalyptus steam bath, while staring out at the valley and mountain vistas.

How do you match last night's dining experience? By scaling Blackcomb Mountain and indulging in the Mountain Top Fondue Dinner with Canadian Snowmobile. With your dogsled safely stowed, your mode of transport tonight is a luxury heated Snowcat. The quaint Crystal Hut is a cozy log cabin sitting at 6000ft, and will be filled with warmth from the wood-fired oven, and music from the live entertainment. You will be treated with a candle-lit fondue dinner, fine wine, and fresh-baked pie.

And now it's early to bed in your Heavenly Bed; it will be an early start to catch the fresh powder tomorrow morning.....

Scandinave Spa: (604) 935-2424   |  Canadian Snowmobile (604) 938-1616

Day Three
It's early. The sun is still asleep behind the mountains; but you are not. You have skis and lift ticket in hand, and you are about to make the journey to the Roundhouse so you can be one of the first people of the day to weave lines through the fresh snow. Before you can curse the time of day, you spot the mountain-size buffet and soon have a muffin and coffee in hand; thank you Fresh Tracks! Once the mountain has been cleared by Ski Patrol, it's time for you to hone in on the skills that you acquired on Day One. This really is 7th Heaven.

Imagine zigzagging the valley between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, traipsing along suspension bridges and tree-high viewing platforms. Ziptrek Ecotours have made this a reality with Whistler's "Best year-round activity". You'll zoom over Fitzsimmons Creek, past the sliding centre, making your way back to the base of the village.

After as you snake your way back down the Sea-to-Sky highway, thankful for choosing Whistler and the Westin Resort and Spa for your winter vacation, you just wonder what it might be like in summer...

Whistler Blackcomb: 1-800-766-0449   |   Ziptrek Ecotours: 1-866-935-0001