Whistler – the ‘World-class Winner’
Where to start with Whistler? Seen by many snowsport enthusiasts as the ultimate ski holiday destination, and winner of many ‘best resort’ awards, Whistler is a whole lot of superlatives. It’s home to the largest ski area in the USA and Canada, has a notoriously wild après ski scene and, to top it off, an incredible snowfall record with an average of 12 metres of the white stuff falling per year.
Despite this, Whistler lacks the pretentiousness you might expect, and emulates a chilled-out Canadian vibe on and off the mountain. Once you’ve swooped down the slopes, zip right back up again using Whistler’s brilliantly integrated high-speed lift network, including the record-breaking Peak2Peak Gondola.
Getting there is easy with daily flights from Heathrow to Vancouver, then a straightforward two-hour journey along the scenic Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler resort. For the ultimate trip, start or finish your holiday with a couple of days in Vancouver – especially great for longer stays.
Ski Whistler this winter from £879pp with Skiworld*
Breckenridge – the ‘Historical People Pleaser’
When it comes to character, Breckenridge has it by the bucket-load. Once a thriving gold mining town in the 1800s, now a top-class ski resort, the town still has plenty of Wild Western charm with old clapboard buildings lining much of Main Street and swing-door saloons for après ski. The place has a proper history to it and you can ski right down into the town after a day on the slopes.
The ski area itself is a people-pleaser, with 3,000 acres of terrain and everything from easy groomers for beginners to mad off-piste areas for serious skiers. Breckenridge is a great place to build up ski confidence as the runs tend to be long and wide, and, compared to most European resorts, pretty much crowd-free.
Ski Breckenridge this winter from £949pp with Skiworld*
Vail – the ‘Back Bowl-ing Beauty’
First and foremost, the scenery in Vail is absolutely incredible. Set in the Gore mountain range, it’s beautiful year-round, but, when covered in snow the mountains are especially epic. And with over 300 days of sunshine a year, chances are that you’ll be skiing under blue skies too.
Vail also offers one of the largest ski areas in the world, with over 5,000 acres of terrain to explore and the USA’s largest single ski mountain. Although all skiers will find pisted runs to match their ability among the huge variety of terrain, Vail’s Back Bowls are legendary and hold massive appeal for experts.
These huge skiable areas of powder span seven full miles and are tree-less – unusual for American ski resorts. The town itself is sophisticated with a Tyrolean twist and the attractive, tree-lined streets are home to a vast array of boutique shops, bars and restaurants.
Ski Vail this winter from £1027pp with Skiworld *
Skiworld tip: Want to ski all three this winter? Opt for The Epic Pass – a season-long lift pass that gives you unrestricted access to 12 American, 1 Canadian and 30 European resorts. Book early to get the best prices.
Head to skiworld.co.uk to start planning your North American ski adventure or call 0330 102 8004 to speak to one of our team.
*Price subject to change and availability. Please see Skiworld website for more details.
