A whistle stop tour of Whistler

We’ve now started our tour around the Canadian Rockies, with a three day stop in and around the town of Whistler. The main attraction here is skiing in the winter, but there’s plenty of hiking that can be done in the summer. 

On our journey to Whistler from Vancouver, we stopped off at Alice Lake, where we took a nice and short trail around the various lakes there. I have to admit I was a bit scared at first while walking through the woods, but I have now got my trusty bear spray in case of an attack. 

Once we arrived at the hostel, which is a former Olympic athlete’s digs when Whistler hosted the Winter Olympics, there were many warnings about what to do if you see a bear. There’s plenty of bears in the area, so the likelihood of seeing one is good or bad, depending how you look at it. 

First things first, you speak to it in a calm tone so it knows you are human. If it starts to come near you, you then get your bear spray out. If that doesn’t work, then you are meant to lie down on your stomach and pretend that you’re dead. Finally, you must fight back. Reading these instructions was a bit terrifying, but at least I know what to do now. 

The next day, we tackled Stawamus Chief, a tall rock near the west coast. The climb was hard with just step after step. About half way the steps stopped, and then we had some interesting chains and ladders to use to get us up. The views were breathtaking, so it was well worth it. 

After a quick shower, we then went to explore Whistler itself, which is full of reminders that it’s a skiing town. 

After exploring Whistler, we went for a drive to see a waterfall, which was impressive, but not as impressive as what was on the side of the road. 

The next day, we did the most popular hike in the area, to Garibaldi Lake. This was a tough ascent, but at least there no steps this time. When we arrived at the blue lake, we had some lunch at the campsite that sits by the waters edge, including a cool way of protecting your backpack from bears. 

We are now on our way up to Jasper, but it’s a long old drive so we’ve had a night stop in a town along the way. The drive has been absolutely incredible, navigating mountain roads and seeing lots of lakes.