West Coast 2025: Whistler

 [ Continued from Vancouver - Stanley Park ]

The last time we had visited Whistler, it was at the end of a harrowing journey through Duffey Lake Road, a section of Highway 99 from Lillooet to Whistler that features steep hills, sharp hairpins on a hill that set some heavy trucks brakes on fire, and massive drops. The bridges you'll cross are often single lane.  Cell phone coverage is unreliable. Little commercial traffic follows this route. There is no gas station along the route.

This time, we drove up from Vancouver, and it was via the now beautiful (and widened) Sea to Sky highway.

The roads were beautiful, the weather gorgeous, the views spectacular, and the small city of Squamish was nice, but our first stop was Shannon Falls. Shannon Falls is another popular waterfall due to is accessibility. The falls are around a 5-minute walk from the parking lot on a paved walkway.

The issue is parking. On a busy day, especially in the summer with nice weather, it can be a chore to find parking, so come early. 

Located in Squamish, this gorgeous waterfall is the third highest in British Columbia at a height of 335 meters. Shannon Falls Provincial Park is a small picturesque park situated next door to the Sea to Sky Gondola. It’s a perfect spot to bring a picnic. 

There are multiple viewpoints of the falls as you make your way to the main viewing area from the parking lot.

We were not visiting the Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish, however. Our target was the Peak 2 Peak Gondola in Whistler. So after stopping at Shannon Falls for a bit, we were on our way again.

The Peak 2 Peak Gondola is a world-renowned gondola lift system in Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia, Canada, that connects Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. It's famous for its record-breaking unsupported span and high elevation, offering stunning views of the surrounding alpine landscape. 

Even as you sit inside the colourful gondola, you are amazed at the vista that you see outside. No photos can do justice to the mountains. You take one gondola to the top of one mountain, and then another gondola to go from the peak of that mountain to the peak of the other mountain . And then you make the return trip similarly.

There are glass bottom gondolas also available, but it's not worth it to spend an extra half an hour waiting for those. We tried both, and I can tell you that you don't need to ride those. It's just kind of cool though.

The colour of the gondolas reminded me of our visit to Pilatus in Switzerland so many years ago. The gondolas were quite high (436 m). When you think the CN tower is 556 m high, you realize how how far below the ground is!

The two peaks are the Whistler and the Blackcomb mountains. The Peak 2 Peak gondola provides a crucial link between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, allowing for easy access between the two ski areas and offering a unique perspective of the landscape. 

Once you are at the top, you can see snow. Yes, even in July there was some snow at the peak, which the kids had lot of fun playing with. For the weather, we took light jackets with us, as we knew it could be cold at the peak of a large mountain, and it was windy, but nice.

You could hike near the peak, and the surrounding views of the alpine terrain, including glaciers, forests, and mountain peaks reminded me a little of the views you get from the top of Jasper Skytram. You just can't get enough, but unfortunately the Peak 2 Peak closes around 4 or 5 pm, so you have to use it to make its way back to your starting mountain.

The journey back is the same, and this time we did climb abroad a glass bottom gondola because it was available and there was no line.

As I said, not really worth it, but kind of cool.

Before we headed down to the Whistler village, it was surreal to see ALL the various gondolas and how they all worked together seamlessly.

I don't have too many pictures of the views, as most of them have other people of my group in it, and so you will have to take my word for it that the views are gorgeous. If you go to Whistler, you MUST go up the Peak 2 Peak gondola (and leave enough time for your visit).

Finally, once we were down, it was time to tour the Whistler village. This is like any other ski resort village, but in the summer, and quite huge. After all , the 2010 Olympics were here. They had Cows Ice-cream, along with lots and lots of dining options (but only one halal Indian restaurant). There's also KFC, which is now serving halal chicken all over Canada.

Overall, Whistler is a nice day trip from Vancouver, and one you must do - starting from Vancouver early in the day and keeping in mind the weather. The more gorgeous the weather, the better your visit will be.