Whistler And I'll Come To You

As a lifelong supporter of European skiing, Rosie Paterson visits Whistler, Canada, to find out what all the fuss is about.

- Paul Morrison

Big Bang, Jersey Cream, Spanky’s Ladder: if we’re intent on pitting the snow-capped peaks of Europe and the North American continent against one another, then the latter takes the lead when it comes to christening runs.

Jersey Cream, a blue run of over a mile in Canada’s famous Whistler resort, was originally named Hooker, the name given to a logging foreman. Staying true to the valley’s logging heritage (and moving more sensitively with the times), its new name refers to the high-quality timber—the cream of the crop.

Although Whistler boasts more Alpine-style, above-treeline skiing than other North American resorts, that same timber still lines the lower pistes. Skiers aboard the 7th Heaven Express or Symphony chairlift can drop down into wooded trails, most of which are set up for glading—some of the trees have been removed. Sheltered from the outside world, this type of skiing provides a solitude—there’s an eerie lack of noise— and pockets of virgin powder that are markedly absent from much of Europe.