ACI – Vancouver

is it downhill skiing or just terrain parks?

Isn’t it just like green and "parky" then? I know that I’ve been to Whistler in the summer and we just hiked around and it was still beautiful, but not a ski paradise.

For all those who cherish skiing, this sport has everything to offer from fun, adventure, excitement, to some of the exotic skiing resorts and quite a few thrilling contests. This archaic sport has thus been able to garner worldwide acclaim. Now there are wonderful skiing resorts almost all across the globe to cater to the skiing enthusiasm of people especially visitors. Let us take a look at a few globally recognized or eminent skiing resorts in the world today.

• When we talk about skiing, the foremost spot that figures is Aspen. Aspen Highlands as well as Aspen Mountain cuddled in Colorado, United States, offer around 1400 acres of slopes for all the skiing lovers. These slopes are not just meant for the professionals but even the beginners, young and old, snowboarders and skiers can have a lifetime experience skiing here. But skiing is not the only sport to relish in the breathtaking ambience. Well there are other activities such as hot air balloon tours, snowshoe walks and snowmobile rides. All in all the 7495 feet high Aspen Mountains together with Aspen Highlands leave no stone unturned to gratify the skiing passion of people. You can make your stay comfortable at the accommodations offered by Aspen Alps, Ajax Condominiums and Aspen Meadows Resort.

• Another skiing destination that is swarming with people during the months of November to April is the Big Mountain. Big Mountain standing firm in whitefish, Montana is America’s everlasting attraction. On this approximately 3000 acres of real estate you can enjoy on incredible 91 runs. The proficient ones can ski at a set of 15 separate runs and bask in the glory of wonderful aura and the pleasant game. Other games such as sledding, tubing, sleigh riding, dog sledding tours etc. can even be enjoyed here. But this isn’t all…there are nine different restaurants too! The average low temperature of this place is around 44 degrees but winters at 17 degrees can be icy cold. Once Big Mountain is another big destination on your mind, you can get your reservations done at the beautiful Alpenglow Inn or the Grouse Mountain Lodge.

• Big Sky welcomes all the skiing aficionados. The resort is a construction of the former NBC broadcaster Chet Huntley. This area as later on purchased by Boyne Resorts in USA. The contemporary attraction of Big Sky is its being recognized as one amongst greatest skiing resorts and its amazing accommodations.

• Another big name associated with skiing is that of Deer Valley. Deer Valley, a ground to four mountains is situated in Park City, Utah. These huge mountains- Bald Mountain, Flagstaff Mountain, Empire Canyon and Bald Eagle Mountain together make Deer Valley an ideal skiing destination. Horseback riding, swimming, golfing, river rafting are other activities to delight in.

• Colorado presents another great skiing spot- Copper Mountain. Copper Mountain has gained immense recognition because of its incredible 12,313 feet elevation and the huge area 2433 acres of land it conceals, thereby making a perfect skiing spot. Along with these characteristics there are other delightful features too. For instance the West Lake District a home for skating, shopping and bars. The Lazy Lizard and Endo’s Adrenaline Café serve as excellent eating joints to all the visitors.

Besides these for the skiing devotees there are timeless other hot destinations to hit like Whistler Blackcomb, Valle Nevado and Snowmass.

Mansi Gupta
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/guide-to-skiing-101-10438.html

How does Whistler/Blackcomb compare to a top European ski resort like Lech am Arlberg in Austria or Verbier in Switzerland?

Has anyone skied both?

I haven’t skiied both – but the fact that the IOC endorsed Whistler for the 2010 Winter Olympics should tell you something about it. You could google up Whistler and compare it with your own knowledge of Lech am Arlberg, Austria.

If you are a skier or would like to be a skier you know the enjoyment of getting away from the everyday routine to go on a ski vacation. Your ski vacation should be special and memorable. Thankfully, there are numerous fantastic ski vacations to pick from when planning your next trip.

Here are just a popular ski vacations waiting for you:

Vail, Colorado, United States

Vail ski vacation – Vail is a completely self-contained ski vacation area, complete with fine dining, day spa’s and all outdoor activities you would associate with winter sports. The mountain boasts a ski and snowboard school as well as runs that range from beginner level on up to highly experienced.

Whistler/Blackcomb, British Columbia, Canada

Vancouver ski vacation – This is just a short drive from Vancouver, British Columbia. It has been voted the “Best North America Ski Resort” by ski magazines and the “Favourite International Destination” by the Japanese. This scenic village in the mountains offers restaurants, nightspots, shops and all winter sports including skiing and snowboarding for all levels.

Kitzbuhel, Austria

The ski village of Kitzbuhel is over seven hundred years old. The traditional walled town still exists and houses exclusive art boutiques, shops, hotels and five star restaurants. With over fifty lifts this ski vacation destination meets the needs of any level of skier or outdoor enthusiast.

Chamonix Mont-Blanc, France

Another beautiful and breathtaking ski vacation area; Mont-Blanc is one of the most famous ski resorts in the world. Boasting the highest peak in the Alps and the second highest peak in Europe Chamonix provides a challenge for even the most experienced skier, as well as slopes for the beginner. It has one of the longest ski runs in the world, approximately 13.7 miles long.

Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy

Cortina was developed as one of the first ski vacation spots in the world. The centre of Cortina is for pedestrian traffic only; vehicles are not permitted. The stunning rock formations provide the skier and snowboarder with terrain that cannot be seen on any other ski vacation in the world.

Zermatt, Switzerland

Most famous for the breathtaking Matterhorn mountain, this ski vacation resort is truly unique. The village itself is welcoming to all vacationers and still contains many of the original chalets and winding alleys Switzerland is famous for. For a international day of skiing one can ski down the back side of the Matterhorn for lunch in the Italian village of Cervinia.

Mike Singh
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/ski-vacations-which-ones-are-the-best-11098.html

Going there to ski for that week and would really appreciate if anyone up there can tell me how it is around those dates.

I doubt that there will be snow in the village by then, but should be skiable to mid station. The first storms started in day before yesterday and there is snow on the lower areas like 1000 M and there are more storms coming in. Better skiing a couple of days later.

After the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) collapsed, Canada became the world’s second largest country by land mass after Russia and despite a considerably territory area within these countries are tundra land, Canada is a popular tourist destination for both visitors from its neighbor country (USA) and anyone around the world.

Canada is situates in northern North America bordering with the United States in the south, the Atlantic Ocean in the east, the Pacific Ocean in the West and the Artic Ocean in the north. Historically Canada’s the first settlements took place thousand years ago, time at which researchers believe the Bering Strait was connect to Asia.

However, after its historical timeline, Canada is a parliamentary democracy of the British Crown that preserves the French culture and language of the early French Expeditions arriving to the country along with British surveying the region, providing to modern Canada multicultural settings that can be observed throughout different cities and towns.

When it comes to visit Canada, keep in mind the following cities that are considered among the top tourist Canadian destinations to enjoy unforgettable vacations time:

Niagara Falls

Bordering with the city of New York in the United States, the Niagara Falls, in the province of Ontario, are a natural phenomenon attracting visitors from around the world. Best known as a honeymoon destination, Niagara Falls is a top-notch destination with an exciting nightlife, sightseeing and adventure opportunities.

Besides the waterfall, Niagara Falls has a popular Fallsview Casino and long-time running traditional tours including Marineland and the Maid of the Mist tour. At Niagara Falls, expect to find word-class resorts and small bed and breakfast facilities that invite to adopt this place like a dreaming retreat.

Montreal

Situated in the province of Quebec, Montréal is perhaps the most French city in Canada. The city of Montreal is a busy place where dinning, shopping and enjoying the French heritage of the city in every street are just a few of those delightful activities that visitors can find at this place.

Montreal is located between the St. Laurent River (St. Lawrence) and Rivière des Prairies, home to the Olympic Games of 1976, the city keeps the memories of the event in many building including the Olympic Stadium, although there are many other attractions such as the Underground City complex downtown and its main festivals.

Vancouver

Vancouver is the largest city in the province of British Columbia, facing the Pacific Ocean. This coastal city offers a wide array of outdoor activities thanks to its privileged location surrounded by Mountains and water streams that amalgamated with climate are the idea setting for skiing at the famous Whistler/Blackcomb ski resort.

However, there are countless opportunities for shopping, dinning and dancing at nightclubs along Granville Street, or visiting the Commodore Ballroom, a live classic music venue established in 1920. Otherwise, Vancouver invites visitors to hiking trails, take a guided museums tour, or enjoy the events and festivals taking place all year long.

Deep Kalra
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/canada-top-travel-destination-cities-710224.html

I am considering a trip to whistler and I was wondering when the best time to go for the nightlife is? Is there anything going on in November or December? Or would it be best to wait until early into the next year? Also any suggestions on the best nightlife spots would be appreciated.

The best time to go for Whistler nightlife is during the prime of the season. November is typically still pretty slow, unless you go American Thanksgiving weekend, but even then it is not up to full swing. Some of the busiest times are the holiday season, Christmas through New Years and Presidents Day weekend in February. But really things are hopping anytime during January through mid March and then things begin to slow down a bit.

There are a number of clubs to choose from and many have been part of Whistler for fifteen years or more, including Savage Beagle, Garfunkles, Tommy Africas, Longhorns, and Buffalo Bills. Also the drinking age in Canada is 19.

Don’t forget there is also great apres ski going on at many of the clubs with live music including Merlins, Cittas, Garibaldi Lift Co. and Longhorns. I know the crystal lodge does 25 cent buffalo wings from 2:00 – 7:00 pm during the ski season. There is also a great Irish pub, the Dublin Gate.

There are many snowboarding trips one can take in North America and some that one can take in Europe. The North American snowboarding trips take you to Banff/Lake Louis/Sunshine Village, Whistler/Blackcomb, and Mont Tremblant. For The Banff/Lake Louise/Sunshine Village snowboarding trip one can use the lift pass that is good for all three resorts that cost just $414.

Situated picturesquely in the very heart of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, these three snowboarding resorts promise some awesome skiing as well as snowboarding where there is a lot of spellbinding scenery and also slopes that simply take the breath away. Among the protected wilderness of Banff National Park, Banff/Lake Louis provides three skiing areas as well as two towns.

Wonderful Skiing Opportunities At Lake Louis

Lake Louis has wonderful scenery and extraordinary skiing possibilities and the cost of staying at Lake Louis Inn costs about $555 per person. This snowboarding trip destination has fantastic expert runs and freeriders and snowboarders find this to be a very popular place due to its steep terrain as well as large bowls.

The Whistler/Blackcomb is perhaps the best ski deal available and seven nights and five days at this snowboarding trip destination costs about $669 per person and is the top ranked ski resort in North America. It is also the biggest ski area on the American continent, having 7,071 acres of terrain suitable for skiing.

Mont Tremblant is the second snowboarding trip destination and this is the second ski resort that is open in North America and was voted number one Eastern North American ski resort by many of the best ski magazines and is only a 90 minute drive away from Montreal and one day from many U.S. East Coast cities.

For those who wish to visit Europe for their snowboarding trips, there are many wonderful destinations available that stretch the Alps and include countries such as Austria, Switzerland, France and Italy. In Austria one can make a snowboarding trip to Snowboard Innsbruck and the cost is just $715 and here there are one of Europe’s oldest and finest ski centers which are situated in the Tyrolean Alps and have an area of 200 trails that cover 500 kilometers and are ideal for both beginners and intermediate snowboarders.

Snowboard Kitzbuehel, Austria is a must if one wants a snowboarding trip that will give them a classical Tyrolean vacation. It is an old village that dates back to the thirteenth century and its medieval houses only underline the charm of this wonderful village. There are many world class athletes, ski fans as well as the rich and famous who come here as well.

anonymous
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/snowboarding-trip-wonderful-north-american-and-european-destinations-126595.html

I in a desperate hurry to sort out accomodation for 08/09 season. i will hopefully be working at Whistler Blackcomb so the staff housing looks like the best option (if i get it) but which place is the better place, there are five different "glacier" and all the others …which is the best place to stay?

When most people talk about "staff accommodation" in Whistler they’re usually referring to a building up by the Fairmont hotel which is mostly used to house Fairmont staff but there are plenty of staff there from Whistler-Blackcomb and other employers in the area as well. I’ve never actually been in there myself, but a friend of mine lived there briefly when he first moved to Whistler and, believe me, he got the heck out of there as fast a he could. It’s very much like a college dorm – crowded, noisy, not a lot of privacy and, sadly, the residents don’t appear to take very good care of the grounds. If none of that matters to you then by all means try it out as it’s probably one of the cheapest options around. I do know that Whistler-Blackcomb has been securing leases on a few private homes around town for the 08/09 season in order to ensure that they have a good supply of housing for their staff, so you would probably be wise to speak to WB once you’re hired and tell them you need assistance in finding a place to stay. They’ll be happy to help you out.