Madeleine Lyons on things to do in a ski resort when the snow doesn't show
A week skiing in one of the most renowned ski resorts in the Americas? Yes, please. Whistler, host to the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in 2010. Whistler, a haven for skiers with its two enormous facing mountains, and super, wide pistes. Whistler, where they had no snow last season for the first time in more than 30 years. Yes, no snow.
Even the Canadians with their permanently sunny disposition found it hard to take. The best they could muster when you mentioned weather, was an optimistic: "Well if it's raining in the village, it must be snowing on the mountain." But you knew they were crying on the inside.
Whistler is in British Colombia, at the bottom of the Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, about one and a half hours north of Vancouver by car or behemoth SUV, which appears to be the transport of choice for most Canadians. Its proximity to Vancouver, via the modestly-named Sea to Sky highway, makes a skiing holiday in Whistler a very different proposition to a European ski holiday.
Travellers can take in a city break in Vancouver - a vibrant, outdoorsy city - before heading up to the ski resort, or even take a day trip from Whistler for a shopping expedition. The resort caters for all skiers, with rough-and-ready facilities for the après grunge set, and high-end luxury at the Fairmont Chateau, where skiers coming down from a hard day on the piste can practically ski into the outdoor hot-tubs.
That said, a ski haven without snow is still a tough call. While it was possible for us to ski on occasional mornings, if we went high enough - 80 per cent of the 200 runs were still open - how much longer this could be sustained seemed limited. There is little joy to be had negotiating snow the texture of ice cream.
So if it ain't snowing, what's the point? Well, Whistler has had the foresight to diversify. There are plenty of non-ski/board kicks to be had in the snow, even if it's not powder-perfect. There is snowshoeing: it sounds dreadful I know, but it's a great way to view some of the most scenic off-piste areas on the mountain, and gets non-skiers involved. There's a great evening tour that involves a snowshoe trek through the moonlit forest, followed by a traditional fondue meal at a mountain restaurant. And snowmobiling: basically lunacy on ice which tends to kick off around twilight, plus there's a night-time version involving fondue, too. I met a group who had come to Whistler from the US solely to snowmobile. Other snow-based diversions include dog sledding, and sleigh rides with a team of Clydesdale-Percheron horses.
The resort is working to become a year-round destination, so there are other attractions beyond the slopes, such as the Ziptrek Ecotour, a brilliant adrenalin-fuelled way to appreciate the beautiful rainforest just above the village. A series of cables run between treetops 50 metres above the ground. You clip your harness to the cable and shoot over the white water of Fitzsimmons Creek below. The guides even manage to sneak in lots of information about the naturally sustainable ecosystem of the rainforest, without making it sound like school. There's a network of beautifully crafted suspension bridges, boardwalks and galleries sympathetically designed to showcase the dense forest.
There's also plenty of fishing in the peaceful surrounds of Cougar Mountain - an attraction in itself - and eagle-watching tours in nearby Squamish. For the non-outdoor type there's still plenty to enjoy. Whistler Cooking School is a big draw for foodies. Visiting chefs hold three-hour masterclasses, and that ubiquitous activity - yoga - is on offer in every shape and form.
The Canadian dollar to euro exchange rate is very favourable, and the many nooks and crannies of the village are crammed with designer boutiques, jewellery and gift shops, and cafes with great homemade fare. Whistler has a good selection of fine art, local work, ceramics and woodwork. It certainly beats the last-minute duty free grab of a bottle of rum and giant Toblerone on the way home.
But après ski is where it's at in Whistler - the nightlife is consistently ranked among the best of all ski resorts around the world. "Après-only" visitors are not unheard of here. They indulge themselves in the shops, cafes and spas all day, then around 5pm throw on their ski gear and head to the bars and pass themselves off as serious "riders" just to get that authentic après experience.
Weary skiers hungrily tuck into pitchers of beer and mountains of nachos groaning under the weight of melted cheese, salsa and chillies at Merlin's Bar, while over at the Garibaldi Lift Company, the music is cranked up for an early-evening nightclub vibe. On the after dark front, a good tip is to find out about the "locals' nights" - each club has one, where all the people who work in Whistler, from ski instructors to shop workers, kick loose.
When it comes to food, Whistler is a gastronome's paradise. Araxi restaurant, probably the best restaurant in the village, has an excellent seafood selection, including an oyster menu offering 13 varieties, the freshest and most adventurous ingredients, and a dessert menu to die for, all served up in laid-back surrounds. Teppan Village Japanese steakhouse makes dinner a spectacle, with your own chef cooking up teriyaki steak and prawns on the hotplate at your table. Lots of fire, and the sake daiquiris go down very easily.
Whistler was designed in the 1960s to become one of the best ski resorts in North America. European skiers, while bemoaning the absence of snow last season, will happily concede that in terms of facilities and value for money, it's hard to beat. The ski area is vast, and while it may not offer the rugged cragginess of Alpine peaks, Whistler's ridges are shaped like huge bowls which attract lots of off-piste skiers. Boarders are well catered for too: Whistler hosted the FIS Snowboard World Championships last year.
This month, Whistler had a decent dumping of snow. But if global warming should suddenly accelerate, or if you just don't like skiing at all, even non-skiers will be well entertained here. Downsides are the distance and cost involved in getting there (don't discount jetlag), but the upsides are the almost limitless terrain, excellent facilities, a fun atmosphere and very good value.
Madeleine Lyons travelled as a guest of Tour America. She flew with Air Canada, and stayed at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler (00-1-604-9388000), and the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver (00-1-604-6843131). www.fairmont.com. Five nights at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler with two nights at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, including return flights from Dublin via Heathrow and transfers costs from €1,500 per person. Ski passes cost €135 for three days and equipment hire costs €88 for four days. Tour America reservations on 01-8173500, www.touramerica.ie.
For those who want to plan their own trip, Zoom Airlines is to operate weekly Saturday flights direct from Belfast to Vancouver starting in June 2006, with prices starting at £119 one-way, plus tax. See flyzoom.com or call 00-44-0870-2400055.
More information and useful links: www.whistlerblackcomb.com. www.findwhistler.com. ZipTrek Ecotours: www.ziptrek.com. Snowshoeing: www.adventureswhistler.com. Sleigh rides: 00-1-604-9320647. Snowmobiling: www.canadiansnowmobile.com.
HIT VANCOUVER
Vancouver, tucked into the southwest corner of British Columbia, is built on and around the Fraser River delta. It offers spectacular views across to the North Shore and the slopes of the Coast mountain range. The spring climate will be familiar to Irish visitors; though rarely cold, it rains frequently.
Despite this, the citizens of Vancouver are determined to en joy an al fresco lifestyle. Most bars and restaurants have outdoor areas that would put ours to shame, and it's common to find a fleecy blanket thrown over the back of a chair to see diners through those cold nips.
A high point is Granville Island - food, plant and craft markets crammedinto converted warehouses. Really nice to stroll around, it can be accessed by the very quaint Aquabus, very cheap water taxis that put-put their way across False Creek in five minutes.
There's plenty of mainstream, good-value shopping on the intersection of West Georgia and Granville Streets and on Robson Street. The exchange rate and the tax-back benefits enjoyed on the way home make shopping for clothes, CDs and cameras especially attractive.
Vancouver's Chinatown is the third largest in North America and should not be missed. Exuding Asian authenticity, it coexists happily with the modern metropolis. On every corner there are stores packed with plants and Chinese folk medicine, colourful silks, novelties, and downright frightening meat and vegetables. Dim-sum and won-ton houses clutter the place.
In the midst of the mayhem is the ordered tranquillity of Dr Sun Yat-Sen's Classical Chinese Garden. It is worth taking a tour of this scholar's garden and learning about a landscape masterpiece that embodies the best of Chinese arts, philosophy and architecture. (www.vancouverchinesegarden.com.)
Yaletown is the city's new "hip" district, having undergone an overhaul. Lots of good food is on offer here, in particular at Brix restaurant. But it all seems too hell-bent on being the new, new thing.
Just outside town, on the way to Whistler, get a reminder of the unspoilt terrain the original natives enjoyed at the Capilano Suspension Bridge. A cedar plank and rope bridge runs 137m (450ft) across and 70m (230ft) above the Capilano river. It brings the forest alive, and the totem park and craft centre feature authentic creations by First Nations' carvers. Contact the craft centre and park on 00-1-604-9857474.
DON'T SKI . . . SNOW PROBLEM For those who don't want to ski, most established resorts will have lots of spas, cafes and shopping, but here are some that offer a little bit more.
ASPEN, USA Non-ski activities here are countless, from dog-sledding to hot-air ballooning. There are also 200 shops and art galleries drawn from the top shelf of retail therapy.
BAD GASTEIN, AUSTRIA About 23 million litres of hot water bubble up each day from natural springs. The public indoor and outdoor pools at the Felsenbad by the railway station are a popular hotspot, where you can relax in a haze of steam and watch skiers exert themselves .
BEIRUT, LEBANON Lebanon's six ski resorts are all within 90 minutes' drive of Beirut, a fascinating city in the midst of major redevelopment. The Acropolis of Baalbek, 85km away, is the largest and best-preserved example of Roman architecture in the world, with the six remaining pillars of Jupiter's Temple standing 22 metres high.
MEGÈVE, FRANCE A stylish, old-school ski destination. The jazz venue, Club Les Cinq Rues, attracts major artists during the ski season. The Palais des Sports contains, among other things, an Olympic-size skating-rink and electric-powered ice bumper-cars. Shopping is the major pastime, with antique and jewellery shops, designer boutiques, and interior decoration outlets.
SIERRA NEVADA, SPAIN Sierra Nevada lies just 32km up a winding mountain road from the ancient Moorish city of Granada, making it a comfortable and cultured base from which to ski. Non-skiers can enjoy the city, especially the Alhambra, at a time when it is virtually empty of other tourists. Apart from the Moorish buildings, there's a long-established gypsy quarter and some of the best tapas bars in Spain.
ST MORITZ, SWITZERLAND Another resort steeped in style. The Cresta Run features the "skeleton", an extreme form of head-first tobogganing. It makes very exciting viewing. Other spectator sports include bobsleigh, ski-jumping and - on the frozen lake - horse-racing, show-jumping, polo, golf and even cricket.
TAOS, NEW MEXICO The original town of Taos is about 30km below the resort and is a cosmopolitan melting pot with a dominant Native American culture. It has become an art colony, and the town's seven shopping areas include many galleries and restaurants.