Webner House

During our visit to Whistler we took a gondola ride up Whistler Mountain, then over to Blackcomb, then back again.  They call it Peak 2 Peak.  It costs $51.50, per person, and it’s well worth every penny.

For one thing, the Peak 2 Peak gondola system owns several world records — at least, according to the sign atop Blackcomb.  It’s the world’s longest continuous lift system, it features the longest unsupported lift span, and it’s the highest lift of its kind anywhere.  It takes you up to an elevation of 6,102 feet.  The section between Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb covers 2.73 miles and moves the gondolas along at a brisk clip of 7.5 meters per second, so that the entire crossing takes 11 minutes.

Heading up the slope of Whistler Mountain

Enough with the statistics!  The important thing is, the whole ride is jaw-droppingly beautiful.  You begin by moving upward and over the beginner slopes on Whistler Mountain, covered during the summer with daredevil off-road cyclists careening down the dirt roads and hurtling over moguls.  The cyclists, all sun-burned and wind-burned and dressed in the standard Xtreme Games outfits, are stoked to begin their ride and give you a happy wave and fist pump.  They get to their destination on the mountain on an open-air lift system that moves their bikes on separate carriages.

After moving through the first drop-off point the gondola swings up and over pine trees and really begins to gain altitude.  You start to feel the air cooling, and you can’t help but stand and gape as the height presents spectacular panoramas.  Once you reach the top of Whistler — where there was enough snow for people to do some sledding — you transfer to another gondola system that takes you over to Blackcomb.

The start of the ride from Whistler to Blackcomb

The segment from Whistler Mountain to Blackcomb is, if anything, even more stunning.  Your gondola swings out over the crevice of the two peaks, with a rushing river visible very far below.  (The picture at the top of this post was taken through the window of our gondola in the middle of the trip from Whistler Mountain to Blackcomb.) The gondola lurches along, and you hear the cool breeze whistling through open slots in the car.  When you reach the top of Blackcomb, still snow-covered even in late June, it feels fresh and crisp, and you take welcome gulps of the pure air as kids frolic in the snow.

A sign, perhaps, of the remarkable beauty of the scenery is that the ride back from Blackcomb to Whistler Mountain, and then down the slopes to the starting point, is every bit as enjoyable and stimulating as the ride up.

Read Full Post »