Three and a half years is far too long to have a proper job
so I'm going to head off to Canada (pref. Whistler) to
become a ski bum.
Since I'm not going to try too hard looking for a job out
there (no work permit, gets in the way of skiing etc) I'd
appreciate any advice on accomodation, season lift pass and
living costs in Whistler & Blackcomb. Are these resorts
just too expensive for your average British age 27 bum and
if so, where else should I think about going?
[There are 5 posts - the latest was added on Fri 14 May, 0:31]
Use the form at the end of this page to add your own post.
Topics
| Thorn Tree
| Home
Hey Mike,
Alberta's cheaper and you have more options. Banff is a
great town for transient types and is no where near as
expensive as Whistler. You also have your choice of hills.
You can buy a Lake Louise pass for $700 and have access to
eight ski hills. And if you feel like a bit of city life,
you're an hour from Calgary where you can party for a lot
less money than Vancouver. I highly recommend looking into
prices for Banff/Lake Louise. Live in Banff and get the
all-inclusive pass.
Have fun!
Living in Banff is going to present you with almost the
same obstacles as Whistler - NO spare accomodation and what
you can find is way expensive. Ski bums will sleep five to
a room!
I say try a smaller hill - you'll find more "locals" so
you'll see lots of deep snow, short lines and plenty or
extreme skiing and boarding. Accomodations will be cheaper
and more abundant - and you might finds the small town
granola lifestyle appealing. The people are friendly and
very hospitable.
I would suggest Fernie, Nelson or even Kimberley. All are
in BC and you can get to Calgary in max 4 hours if you need
a big city fix.
Whistler(and Banff, for that matter) ARE expensive places
to live. I recommend you plan a visit to Whistler first,
see if you can meet some locals who are willing to shack up
with you, and save some money. While living in Whistler IS
pricey, it is not impossible. I've had many friends
survive the high prices.
Another option os to live in Squamish (great if you like
rock climbing and kayaking or windsurfing). It's about a
45 minute drive from Whistler and the prices are much more
reasonable. You could also live in the Vancouver area.
In Vancouver, we have three local mountains that can have
pretty good conditions. Whistler is only a couple hours
from the centre of Vancouver.
Good Luck!!
Just a word of encouragement - good on you, you will have a
fabulous time!! Life's too short and 3 1/2 years is much
too large a chunk of it :)
Dude, Whistler is overrated. When the sun is out and there
is snow, I imagine it is a great place, but its altitude
and location mean that such an occurence is iffy at best. I
spent ten days there and never once saw the top from the
bottom, and frequently got rained on. The snow at the top
was great, but for those prices you want a whole mountain,
not a third of one. I also skied at Lake Louise and I loved
it. Banff is a cool town, but the cost of living will kill
you. Somewhere I wanted to visit but never made it was
Fernie- tons of snow and cheap. Also, a place called
Panorama caught my eye. Those two are south of Banff. I'd
check them out before Whistler.