Whistler 2011 / 2012 - The Community Blog
I’m with Jeremy.. travel alone, theres enough of us in whistler that you’ll have shred buddies every day.
Depending on what my living arrangements end up being I may be able to sort you out with accom in return for beer/food for the house which will be cheaper for you than staying elsewhere.
received some terrible news from my friend warren chapstick yesterday that he is 95% certain that he will not b able 2 go 2 canada next year…. ruined my entire week
any1 thinking of traveling in feb??
I’m still not sure mate but I would love to go. So far everyone that’s shown interest has pulled out. I still haven’t been game to ask my boss about time off hahaha.
hahahaha na K2 his not really becoming a cop, cops need 2 b able 2 spell!!! think im gonna have 2 still do it, i cant wait till aussie snow season again 2 go riding im still gonna look into coming over there, thanx heaps finney ill see how much everything will price up 
and let me no dan if ya keen im def intrested!!!
Just arrived in Vancouver, 21 hours in transit. Still hasn’t really hit me that I’m here, but hey, it will when I see snow. Fresh but sunny day here in Van!
Enjoy your time in Vancouver, it’s a beautiful city. How long are you in Vancouver for? Going to do much sightseeing?
If you’re still in Vancouver on the 18th, there’s a Canucks home game at Rogers Arena. Definitely worth going if you get the chance.
Well, slated to travel to Whistler on the 22nd but its all open really. I gotta buy all my gear, set up a bank account, phone sim and get BC SIR/Food Safety before i head to Whistler. If you’ve got any advice on those I’d happily listen! Sightseeing isn’t on the top of my list, but I will do it while i’m here for sure. Not really sure where to head though.
Oh that could be interesting. Hockey matches are usually pretty expensive though aren’t they? I’m about to go downstairs (of Samesun Hostel) to watch the match on the big screen 
Not many tickets remaining but it looks like you can get tickets for $88. Go to http://www.ticketmaster.ca/ to purchase. I know it’s pricey but definitely worth getting to a game.
Don’t stress too much about setting up a bank account. You can do that in Whistler if you run out of time. If you do, make sure you go with TD Canada Trust, RBC, or Scotia Bank. Those are the only banks with branches in Whistler. I’ve been with RBC before and recently moved to TD; I’ve been happy with them. I think Scotia Bank only has a branch in Creekside, so probably easier sticking with RBC or TD (both have branches in the Village).
Pay as you go can often be super expensive for mobile phones. The rates are ridiculous and you have to pay the same rate to receive calls! Just say a friend calls you and you speak for 31 seconds, well that’s 80 cents gone. Just make sure you look at the rates; some are better than others. Make sure they have good service in Whistler. You will probably find going on a 12 month plan is probably the best option, even if you aren’t there for 12 months. You can drop down to $5 a month while you’re not there, so essentially a $30 cancellation fee based on 6 months. There’s lots of good deals out there. Look at Fido and Virgin.
Just spoke to my girlfriend; she is with Virgin. It’s only a monthly contract (cancel when you leave, no penalty). She pays $30 a month and gets free international texting, free domestic texting, and unlimited incoming calls. Something like this would be ideal.
Gear, I wouldn’t stress about too much either. Wouldn’t be a bad idea checking out Showcase in Vancouver - http://www.showcasesnowboards.com/. They have two stores in Whistler also, so you can shop around and they can also contact the other stores if there’s something they don’t have. You can get them to call the Whistler stores and put stuff on hold for you. Also check out the Boardroom - http://www.boardroomshop.com/.
Lots of store on West 4th and Burrard in Vancouver, check em out if you have time. There are boardroom, comor, showcase, pacific boarder, and wesbeach for the main ones.
Also make sure when you sign up for a phone if you do it in Vancouver that you make sure they give you a Whistler number.
Previously with my phones in whistler I’ve gone with Solo Mobile - in whistler there’s a Bell store near the lower showcase and they sell Month to Month deals with them. Pay for the phone outright and then just you just get a bill every month in your email, phones range in price from ~$30-150 depending on what features you want. Reason you have to buy a phone with them is because they use the CDMA network which doesn’t use a SIM so youc an’t use your aus phone - old technology we used to have in aus but it’s great for good coverage all over the mountains. In the past I was paying $35 from memory and that gave me unlimited local and international text messaging, 250mins of incoming and outgoing calls with unlimited local calls from 7pm-7am every night and all weekends.
As Jeremy said - -avoid the prepaid options as they’re stupidly expensive.
Cheers guys! So much info at the ready!
That deal with Virgin that your girlfriend has does sound like the way to, Rider. Would I be able to just grab a sim from them and plug it into my iPhone or would i have to buy a phone outright beforehand? Or Finney did you mean all phones we have in Aus won’t work with Canadian Sims? (Or poor reception as the downside?). Appreciate the help guys, I have an uncanny ability to sign up for a contract and then a few days later people tell me everything there is to know about the better options, so i’m trying to avoid that now!!
Thanks for that info skip. I’ll make my way there tomorrow most likely and have a bit of a wander :D.
I can’t remember for certain. I think she bought a cheap flip phone. Personally I don’t like using iPhones on the mountain. You have to take your glove off to answer a call and they don’t work too well in the cold or so I’ve been told. The flip phones are more durable and so easy to use while riding.
Definitely pop into Virgin to see what deals they have going. Great point by finney, make sure they give you a Whistler number.
Re: Iphone…
You do need to take your glove off… but I have never had any issues using it in the snow. Though if you are going to Canada without a PC, having the internet on your phone might be a bit of a bonus.
The other option is to get a resealable bag. Will protect from any water that gets near the phone.
Aus phones will work with sims over there, it’s just with solo the network they use requires different phones.
As for iphones - basically everyone over there I knew with one ended up with a cracked/smashed screen at some point through the season. They’re not the most durable phone to go riding with every day. Thus jeremy’s comments in regards to a flip phone - for $30 you can’t really go wrong. I’ve got a samsung slide phone which has a full keyboard on it since it makes texting a bit quicker because thats primarily all I used over there.
You also have to look into caller id charges. Most phone company charge around $8 so that other people can see your name/number when you call. It all adds up and is expensive compared to back home =/
This should be interesting…
This November, pro skier Mike Douglas will kiss his family goodbye, shoulder his skis and camera bag and embark on a never-before assignment—to stand watch on the Peak of Whistler Mountain waiting for winter to arrive. Armed only with his computer, his camera and a sleeping bag, the “Godfather of Freeskiing” will document the Inside Story of a mountain moving into winter. Find out if he has what it takes to make it up there on his own.
Embedded on the frontlines, waiting on the most anticipated event of the year. Whistler Blackcomb Opening Day. Winter 2011—12. Coming soon.