Backpackerz BUZZ: Issue 61

Spotlight: HI-Whistler

It’s a former fishing lodge on the shores of Alta Lake, about 10 minutes outside of Whistler Village. In the winter, it’s one of the few places you can find affordable accommodation near Whistler/Blackcomb resort – recently named the #1 ski resort in North America for the 11th year in a row by SKIING magazine. The skiers aren’t the only ones impressed – Transworld SNOWboarding ranked Whistler/Blackcomb #1 for the second consecutive year.

Heading to Whistler this winter? Here are a few tips to make sure you make the most of the mountains.

• Reserve early! Whistler has a limited number of dorm beds and reservations can be hard to come by. Christmas and New Years are the busiest times in Whistler; however, the rest of the winter can still be quite difficult to get last minute reservations. Reservations are a must! You can reserve online at www.hihostels.ca or by calling the hostel at 604-932-5492.
• If you are a resident of B.C. or Washington state and are planning on doing multiple days over the season it would be well worth checking out the resort’s Edge Card program. Details can be found at www.whistlerblackcomb.com.
• Keep an eye on your local newspaper and the Whistler/Blackcomb website for special discounts. Sign up for the resort’s newsletter on their website for special email deals as well.
• Discount tickets for can be hard to come by. Often, your best bet for finding a discount ticket would be to visit a 7-11 convenience store in Vancouver or Squamish. Make sure you pick them up en route - the 7-11 store in Whistler doesn’t sell discounted tickets.
• HI members can present their HI cards at any one of the seven Affinity Sports ski rental shops in Whistler Village for a 10-15% discount on skis, snowboards, and clothing. Another way to save some money would be to book your rentals online a few days in advance for additional savings.
• Getting here! If your car is not snow ready, or you don’t have a car, leave the driving to the professionals. HI members can use their 25 percent off Greyhound discount on trips to Whistler – there are multiple trips between Vancouver and Whistler every day.

Happy Skiing!
—D’Arcy Mackay, manager of HI-Whistler

HI-Whistler
5678 Alta Lake Road, Whistler, B.C.
www.hihostels.ca/whistler, whistler@hihostels.ca
604-932-5492

Ski Big 3: At a Glance
Ski Big 3 is the nickname for the three massive ski resorts around Banff and Lake Louise. At Sunshine Village, Lake Louise Ski Resort and Mount Norquay, you’ll find some of Canada’s best skiing. They all offer something a little different, but no matter what you’re after, you’ll certainly find it at at least one of them.

Ski and stay for less with HI’s winter ski packages at HI-Banff Alpine Centre and HI-Lake Louise Alpine Centre. Stay for one day or more, and you’ll get hostel accommodation and discounted lift tickets at a great rate. Check out www.hihostels.ca/winter or call 866-762-4122 for more details.

Want more?
Sign up for our monthly e-newsletter for more information about hostel happenings in Canada and around the world, as well as special member deals and contests. E-mail: info.pm@hihostels.ca to sign up.

Got a story to share?
Send us your travel stories, tips, photos or advice for a chance to see it in a future issue of Backpackerz Buzz. E-mail your 500-1,500 word stories to: outpost@hihostels.ca

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 13th, 2008 at 10:23 pm and is filed under Hostelling International. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site. Add to del.icio.us.