KEY POINTS:
Queenstown on steroids. That's Whistler. Gnarly manoeuvres by pro snowboarders lifting off for 15,000 fans under night-lights for the Big Air Event. A mother and daughter dressed as huskies for a dog parade. More than 200 ski runs through pine-covered mountains in the mild Pacific air.
If you
like Queenstown, you'll love Whistler, the largest ski resort in North America, where on a good day there are 30,000 people on the slopes.
A former colleague found the Alpine-style architecture fake and was pleased to move on. I can understand the sentiment. However, I was in Whistler at the tail end of the ski season, not just to play in the snow but to experience adventure activities, devour spare ribs the size of Texas and revel in the beauty of the mountainside.
The two-hour drive from Vancouver, on British Columbia's Sea to Sky Highway, is a treat in itself, despite lots of roadworks as part of a $1 billion upgrade in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics.
There's the beautiful Shannon Falls and the town of Squamish, where thousands of bald eagles feed along a stretch of the river on dead salmon that float downstream after spawning from November to February.
When I arrived at Whistler Mountain I met a young family from Squamish on the beginners' Olympic station ski slope. It was the first ski lesson for their 2-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter. It made me feel like I had left skiing a bit late in life.
Fortunately, my ski instructor Jeannie Chisholm had other ideas, and the patience of a saint, to cope with our group of four novices.
The first half-day was spent learning the basics ... and readjusting ski boots clipped on far too tight.
After learning how to stand and balance on skis - knees forward - it's time to learn how to stop. Good idea. Go forward - slowly - with the tips of the skis pointed together. "Big pizza wedge," says Jeannie. Pizza sounds a good idea too.
After some spicy chicken and corn chowder, fruit and chocolate bars for lunch at the Roundhouse Lodge (1850m), it's back to the beginners' slope to learn how to turn - put your hands on one knee and take your weight. I'm beginning to get there.
It's not until later in the day we are allowed to collect our poles and ski proper.
Nothing flash, of course. But you know what? After a full day's lesson I felt like I could ski.
While I'm (kind of) skiing, it's noticeable how many snowboarders there are on the slopes. Young men and women wearing beanies, hoodies and baggy trousers. There's a local joke. What do you call a snowboarder over 50? A grey on a tray.
Later I catch up with a young, professional snowboarder Matt Belzile, 23, who pocketed $5000 for winning the Big Air Event.
Belzile says when he first started snowboarding, skiers accounted for 80 per cent on the slopes. Today, it's about half and half, skiers and snowboarders.
Snowboarders like Belzile are worshipped in this ski-crazy nation; their lifestyle plugged into cellphones, ipods and laptops. He has sponsors for his snowboard, bindings, outer wear, boots, goggles, headwear and gloves.
Then there's the lingo: "Hey dude" (hello), "That's gnarly" (crazy), "I'm stoked" (great run), "I got worked" (fell down).
No sooner had we had taken off our skis, than we were off snowmobiling on Blackcomb Mountain at dusk. Blackcomb and Whistler are dual mountains.
I envisaged snowmobiling would be riding passenger on the back of these huge machines, capable of speeds of up to 220km/h. No. You drive yourself behind a leader.
The ride through the forest to Crystal Hutt at 1845m was thrilling, if somewhat chilling at times.
From the balcony of the log cabin, the late afternoon sun shone beams of light on to the village of Whistler and silent lakes in the distance. It was a heavenly sight.
At the base of a glacier, our leader marked out a track on a flat piece of ground and invited us to put the foot down.
Whistler-stop high adventure
After an exhilarating day on the slopes, the legendary "Big Ass Beef Ribs" washed down with excellent beer at the Whistler Brewhouse sure tasted good.
Whistler has about 90 restaurants and about 30 bars, pubs and nightclubs. My favourite was Moguls Coffee House for wraps, smoothies and noodle bowls. Or a London Fog, chai Earl Gray with vanilla syrup and steamed milk.
At the other end of the scale was Araxi, one of Whistler's leading restaurants. I will never forget the "Kobe-style" pork that literally melted in the mouth. Slow-cooked for four hours at 150C, it had most of the fat removed before being rolled and pan seared. Divine.
The highlight of the trip had to be dog-sledding in the Soo Valley, 25km north of Whistler, on a bumpy road along a granite valley floor.
We were met by teams of barking Alaskan racing huskies, pulling on leashes, eager to start work.
These were not purebred huskies but crosses with bits of greyhound, pointer, dalmatian and other canine genes.
Our musher, Jesse, told us Whistler was too warm for purebred huskies. They needed temperatures of -30C to -20C to race 50km for a sprint and up to 1800km over several days for open events.
We were invited to harness our six dogs: Mini and Isis in the lead, Murphy and Cello (middle), and Senator and Kyle (back). Back loop over the head, neck loop over, lift right front leg through loop, lift left front leg through for a snug fit and clip into tug line.
Next, get comfortable in the sled and pull over a woollen blanket. Jesse drives the sled from the back.
After giving the dogs the word, we are off into the wilderness along a snowy trail, pulled along by the pack. It's late in the season and the snow has melted in places to reveal gravel.
This is no problem for such incredibly strong animals, who frequently lean their rangy jaws and long tongues to one side to scoop mouthfuls of snow to stay cool.
It's a quick 6km round trip, but there's time to stop and admire the mountain views and have a go standing on the back runners and driving the sled. Good balance is required as I found when we hit a bump and fell, face first, into the snow.
Back at the base we feed our dogs milk bone cookies before it is time to say goodbye.
For something different, experience the high-wire act that is zip-trekking above the river valley separating Whistler and Blackcomb mountains.
It's a bit nerve-racking being harnessed into the first of five ziplines and whizzing along this modern-day, steel-cabled flying fox. But by the second my nerves have settled and it's an exhilarating experience between platforms set high up in trees.
The longest run is nearly 400m. If you have your wits about you, there's time to turn your body upside down for a bird's-eye view.
Word has it, the inventors of zip-trekking are looking at bringing it to Queenstown.* Bernard Orsman travelled to Whistler with Air New Zealand.
TEXTHERE
Checklist
How to get there
On November 2 Air New Zealand starts direct flights three times a week to Vancouver, gateway to British Columbia, running until March 28. Online fares start from $2636 return. Alternatively, you can fly to San Francisco and fly with the likes of Air Canada. See www.airnz.co.nzand www.aircanada.com
Whistler is 125km north of Vancouver on the Sea to Sky Highway. The highway is undergoing a major rebuild for the 2010 Olympics, so expect delays. The trip takes about two hours. Bus companies run several services a day, starting at $18 one-way.
Where to stay
There is plenty of accommodation at Whistler - but it is not cheap. Winter rates start about $150 a night and go up from there. Sorting out a package deal well in advance is recommended. The Westin Resort & Spa in the middle of Whistler Village and close to the ski lifts has rooms starting at about $200.
Further information
For information about Whistler visit www.tourismwhistler.com. You can get general tourist information on British Columbia at www.hellobc.com.
