Media Releases

Thursday, August 15, 2013

New adventures await this winter at Whistler – book your vacation now to receive the best offers

Suggested tweet: Lift expansion and more terrain at #Whistler this #winter. Best offers available now at http://bit.ly/9EJiJ

Whistler, B.C. – It may be August, but the summer heat shouldn’t deter guests from thinking about winter – especially those who want to ensure they get the most bang for their ski vacation buck.

North America’s top ski destination already has a lot to offer, and this winter, Whistler steps it up a notch with the introduction of two new lifts and some of the best ever book early deals.

New lifts and a reputation for consistent, reliable (not to mention significant) snowfall combined with a book really early promotion with savings of up to 42 per cent means that guests can enjoy all that Whistler has to offer at the best rates possible.

Whistler Blackcomb has invested in a major lift expansion for the upcoming winter season with Whistler Mountain’s Harmony high-speed quad chairlift being replaced with a new Doppelmayr high-speed detachable six-pack chairlift capable of transporting six people on each chair. Blackcomb Mountain will see a lift enhancement with a new high-speed quad chairlift which will replace the existing fix-grip triple chair in that zone.

The new Crystal Ridge Express chair will increase skier carrying capacity by 65 per cent over the current lift to 2,400 skiers per hour and will deliver skiers and riders to the same location as the current triple chair next to the Crystal Hut; however, the new lift alignment will originate 158 metres lower than the old Crystal lift. The bottom terminal elevation will be 1,292 metres and will be located along the Blackcomb Glacier Road ski-out, eliminating the need to utilize the Excelerator Chair to access many Crystal Zone trails including Ridge Runner, Rock ‘N’ Roll, and gladed trails like Outer Limits. The new alignment will make it even quicker to return to the Glacier Express chair to access iconic areas such as the Horstman Glacier, Blackcomb Glacier and Spanky’s Ladder. The new Harmony 6 high-speed chairlift will dramatically improve the uphill capacity in the Harmony Zone by 50 per cent to 3,600 skiers per hour and will keep the same alignment as the original chair.

And don’t forget about Whistler’s snow. Year-over-year, Whistler enjoys consistent, reliable snowfall. Opening for the winter each November and offering spectacular snow and sun conditions throughout the spring (not to mention glacier skiing and riding in the summer), Whistler has one of the longest ski seasons in North America and averages nearly 12 metres of snowfall annually. Earlier this year, 528 centimetres (more than five metres) of snow fell in March and April alone and by the end of March, with two months remaining in the season, Whistler had surpassed its average annual snowfall.

With the Book Really Early and Save promotion, guests booking before the August 31 deadline can save up to 42 per cent on their stay and ski package, as well as enjoy early booking discounts on snow school, some winter activities and rental equipment. Whistler-based travel consultants at whistler.com can customize vacation packages, taking care of flights, ground transportation, accommodation and activities. Whistler.com offers the largest selection with no booking fee for accommodation and activities. Call 1.800.WHISTLER (1.800.944.7853) to request a no-obligation quote or visit whistler.com for more details and offers.

Whistler is Canada’s premier year-round leisure and meeting destination located in the Coast Mountains 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Consistently rated the top ski resort in North America, Whistler was the Host Mountain Resort of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The resort offers an extensive range of accommodations totaling 10,000 bedrooms among 24 hotels as well as townhomes, condos, B&Bs and chalets. Whistler also boasts more than 100 restaurants and bars, 200 retail shops, 25 spas and countless activity options from world-renowned skiing and snowboarding, mountain biking and golf, to hiking, rock climbing, and watersports. The Resort Municipality of Whistler is home to a diverse community of more than 10,000 permanent residents.

Tourism Whistler is the member-based marketing and sales organization representing Whistler, operating the Whistler Conference Centre, Whistler Golf Club, Whistler Visitor Centre, as well as 1.800.WHISTLER and whistler.com – Whistler’s official source for visitor bookings and information. As the convention and visitors bureau for the Resort Municipality of Whistler, Tourism Whistler represents more than 7,000 members who own, manage and operate properties or businesses on resort lands including hotels, restaurants, activity operators and retail shops.

Media can visit whistler.com/media for Whistler facts, media releases, story starters, local personality profiles and access to images and B-roll.

Broadcasters: Whistler now has the capability to take you live with our enhanced fibre network. The significantly expanded network of more than 200 kilometres of fibre optic cabling throughout the resort allows instant transmission of HD signals to any location at any time. Details on how to access, and book the fibre are available on our media site. Filming in Whistler

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