Having only ever skied in Europe I was so excited about my trip to Whistler, I had heard so much about the width of the runs and the amazing snow. I flew Air Transat to Vancouver from London Gatwick, a very good flight and only living 30 minutes from the airport this was definitely a good option. The transfer to the Tantalus Lodge, my home for the next 6 days, was very efficient and the two bedroom bunk suite was perfect for 4 adults and only a short walk from the base of the Whistler Gondola.

Very early on Thursday morning I was ready to see the mountain for the first time, having rented my skis from the Westin the night before, my new ski boots were ready for action. Riding the Gondola up from the bottom of Whistler Mountain excitement mounted, I passed the Olympic Station and the kids and beginners area, fantastic that even first time skiers can ride a Gondola to their lessons, in Europe you are stuck on the nursery slopes close to the village, no mountain experience. I arrived at the top of the Gondola and started to ski down my first Whistler run, the Upper Whiskey Jack.

Normally close to the top of the Gondola in Europe the first run down means everybody is fighting for a bit of space and more proficient skiers and snowboarders come past you really fast, not here you could traverse as far as you wanted and then turn such a novelty that on some occasions I had nearly reached the other side of the mountain before I put in a turn! I highly recommend the Mountain orientation tours, they meet by the roundhouse on Whistler Mountain or by the Rendezvous on Blackcomb at 11.30 and the mountain hosts will take you on the best runs of the day. These tours are for level 4 and above but there are various groups and you can choose how fast you want to ski.

It snowed Thursday evening, even in the village, is it really April and nearly the end of season on Whistler Mountain! Again due to jet lag we were up very early and couldn’t wait to get up the mountain. I had a lesson all day today which was really good, in Whistler there are only 4 people in each lesson, therefore you get lots of personal attention. I realised today that the blue runs in Whistler are like easier reds in Europe and therefore you can ski most runs without worrying about not being able to get to the bottom, also at the top of every lift there is an easy way down on a green so you never get into trouble. Skied part of the black diamond Dave Murray Downhill today, the great snow conditions meant this run was achievable even by a careful skier!

Saturday was a bluebird day; I didn’t really understand what this was until I reached the top of the peak chair at 2,182m, where I was met by blue skies, sunshine and amazing views. Skied the Upper Peak to Creek, and Highway 89 back down before deciding we had to ski 7th Heaven on Blackcomb. We took the Peak to Peak Gondola, if the queue isn’t too long wait for the glass bottomed one, there are two and the view through the bottom is awesome. Arriving at the top of the 7th Heaven express chair the runs looked amazing. You can ski any of the blues back down to the bottom of the chair, cloud nine was my favourite. I really felt I had skied in Heaven!

What an amazing day that ended with Tubing. Take the Blackcomb Excalibur Gondola up to the first station and enjoy an hour in the Tube Park, really good fun but quite tiring at the end of a full day of skiing. Early night again!

Sunday’s weather was wet but our last day so we had to make the most of it, we felt that we hadn’t even scratched the surface of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. I will have to come back. In the afternoon we snowmobiled. We chose the Callaghan Backcountry tour which was great fun. 20 minutes by minibus and a short orientation later, you are ready to go. This was a great tour because you spent 20 minutes on a frozen lake without anything to crash into, great as a couple in our group had already been in a ditch!

Awake early again, at this rate my Jet Lag will be sorted just as I get off the plane at Gatwick! Raining very hard this morning but determined to ski. Went up the Excalibur Gondola, unfortunately the upper alpine was closed so had to ski lower down. Even with the rain the skiing on Blackcomb was as good as Whistler, we skied for about 3 hours fully testing out my waterproof jacket and trousers, then headed off for Zip Trekking. We did the Eagle tour which is ‘perfect for those who have already experienced Ziptrek or are seeking even more heart pounding adrenaline’. I was worried as I had never been on a zip wire in my life! The advantage with this tour is you arrive back in Whistler Village. A short minibus ride and then we arrived. 5 zip lines, the longest being over 2,000 feet, amazing! Onto Vancouver tomorrow, what a fantastic trip.

Back again in Lake Tahoe at Easter for the 3rd time in 8 years, and it rocks every time!

After spending a night in a motel en-route to Lake Tahoe from San Francisco, we woke up at dawn to complete the drive up to Tahoe. The sun was shining, the shades were on, and the radio blasting… a glorious drive.

Sierra at Tahoe is the first resort you arrive at on the way to South Lake and, as it was spring, we chose to wait for the corduroy to soften up with a leisurely coffee, giving us a chance to soak up the mountain atmosphere. A great wee mountain, without a lift queue in sight, and such empty slopes that Rupert and I could really let loose on the groomers. Flying around the mountain at 50 mph can really get rid of those jet lag cobwebs. Sierra may look small, but it’s one of the best beginner areas in Tahoe. Its sheltered position and simple high speed chairs mean that on a stormy day it can remain open when all the other Tahoe resorts close and, in the powder, the Redwood glades have a perfect pitch to hit time and time again.

So, onto South Lake Tahoe (Heavenly) where the views never fail to disappoint. We stayed in a couple of places, but the morning view from my balcony at the Lakeshore Lodge was definitely a highlight. We ripped up Heavenly over the next 2 days which, except for the Gunbarrel Mogul run, had full snow coverage and offered fantastic skiing. The groomers down to Stagecoach Base area were perfect for cruising in the morning, our tans were coming on a treat and by the afternoon the snow had softened up to make the bumps and trees absolutely fantastic. Heavenly is a big ski area, great for all abilities. For the more advanced riders, get a guide, there are so many secret areas through the trees that you would struggle to find on your own and it completely redefines what’s on offer.

On Tuesday a storm cycle came through and we timed Kirkwood perfectly as it always gets the lion’s share of the Tahoe powder. The newest Ace in Vail Resorts' pack, Kirkwood, is very different to the other resorts. It’s a hard core locals haunt, famous for BIG snowfalls and BIG terrain. The World Extreme Championships are held here every year and above the groomers is arguably the steepest and gnarliest terrain in Tahoe. We had local legend “Cam” guiding us on his trademarked “Kirkwood” fat-boy skis and, after a few warm up powder runs under the Sunrise Lift, we cut back through a pretty narrow chute in “Hells Delight” before some laps on “The Wall”. Kirkwood is special and worth the 45 minute drive from South Lake for a completely unique experience.

The next day our legs were shot, so after a few turns on the groomers at Heavenly and with the weather starting to turn bad again, we decided to head north to The Park Hyatt in Incline Village to “product test” the hotel facilities. We were suitably impressed after a couple of hours in the jacuzzi, steam room, sauna and generally chilling in the spa, readying us for some serious bar action. The Hyatt is on the beach so, whilst very expensive in summer, it’s only around £100 a night (3rd night free) in winter – really affordable luxury! The bar is great and the restaurant overlooking the lake is just amazing!

Next morning we were joined by Richard and Matt and headed out for a day in Mount Rose, just a 30 minute drive away. With another 10” of fluffy stuff overnight the conditions were amazing. We got out of the cars whooping with delight, until I realised I had left my ski boots in the hotel… Nooooo!! So I hired some and, even though they were pretty comfortable, I was all over the place. Our guide was chomping at the bit to take us into the iconic chutes, but after a couple of laps dodging trees I left them to it and drove back for my boots. When I got back the boys were exhausted, yet still managed some cracking runs down “Waterfall” in the afternoon - it is never groomed so develops 10 ft rollers. In powder these were fantastic, but on tired legs it led to plenty of spectacular head plants. That afternoon we headed across to Northstar (another Vail Resorts destination), which is now viewed as the “Beaver Creek of California”. The newish village centre is focused around the big ice-rink, quite compact but one of the prettiest I have seen.

After a welcome party that evening, with free flowing beer and wine, getting up the next morning for “Fresh Tracks” was a push, but we were there at the top of the mountain at 8am, an hour before everyone else. Though there was powder in the trees, the fog (from the storm and hangover!) warned me to avoid them, the freshly groomed black runs in front of me cried out to be destroyed and knowing that there was no one in front of you was amazing! One of our group had a cool app for his iPhone which calculated your maximum speed….I think he hit 72 mph after straight lining it!

We stopped at around 10am, had an amazing breakfast up the mountain (all part of the Fresh Tracks package), then a few more cruisers around the mountain to find Shaun White’s Super Pipe (20 ft walls of death!) before cloud settled in again. We got a tip from a local to take a scenic drive past Donner Lake up to Sugarbowl. Great advice, as this turned out to be the highlight of the trip! The cloud had lifted and it was a complete gem – a big bowl framed by Palisade Cliffs, chutes and steep tree runs. With 10” of fresh from the previous day it was in amazing condition. We took a few movie shots, which of course never really show the steep, but even Matt (deck chair princess!) stepped up to the plate.

Sunday, and by now my knees felt as though they were being held together by elastic bands, so as the sun was out, we decided to feed our tans and tick off Alpine Meadows and Squaw in a day. I knew we did neither resort justice, but having skied both a number of times before we settled for a nice cold beer in the sun with the gorgeous lake views from Alpine Meadows as a backdrop!

We cruised around Squaw at a similar pace in the afternoon, watching the local nutters launch themselves off The Pallisades from the Siberia Express, always great fun. Squaw is really one of my favourite destinations as it has something for everyone, with beginner runs at the top of the mountain, to the insane K22 peak. The resort base is compact, but the après bars can kick off, particularly at the weekend.

After 8 days of serious “product testing” our ski receptors were truly satiated. Once again Tahoe inspired and rewarded our faith. It’s such a unique area and with a little sense of adventure you can turn it into an unforgettable ski experience.

I had booked a “boys” night in San Francisco for the last night, but they bailed on me so I had a morning exploring the city in the sunshine – what a fantastic place! I really wished I had much more time (and company) to truly explore the city. It’s not like many US cities as it is easy to get around, really compact with so much to see and do.  

Please see the links below for more information on skiing this fabulous ski area, and please do give me or any of our team a call on 01273 224 060, we'd be delighted to tell you more!

» Click here for details of skiing the Lake Tahoe area  

» Click here for Heavenly resort details  

» Click here for details of our Californian Ski Safari  

Whistler has hosted many of us from Ski Safari this season so we can relate to all of "Lucky" Luke Dillon's experiences. This video and the rest of his insights give a superb overview of Whistler and what it has to offer.

"Whistler Sabbatical Project winner "Lucky" Luke Dillon and his trusty sidekick Tim Davis finished their action-packed month in Whistler on April 18, 2012, but winter has since refused to let go. With fresh snow in the alpine this morning you can bet the boys, who skied every single day of their month in town, would be up there ripping another day of fresh lines in Spanky's Ladder. (Luke and Tim also managed 31 straight après sessions, which is incredibly admirable.)

The boys are back home in England now but their enthusiasm and adventurous spirit will not soon be forgotten. In the meantime, enjoy this video of the experiences and lessons learned on their incredible one-month Whistler Sabbatical."

Click to view Whistler resort details

A different kind of day!! We have spent 23 hours & travelled 6,000 miles across the world to Whistler, Canada in British Columbia to tie the knot in snowy wedding bliss.

Tuesday 7th of February was D-day. Ben went for a morning snowboard with his parents and brother while I relaxed and slowly got ready (after eating a full Canadian breakfast of bacon and pancakes in the Four Seasons restaurant, yum!).

Wall to wall blue sky set the scene at 2pm when we gathered by some secluded trees to begin the ceremony. It was 10 years to the day that we met and here we were in the most beautiful place in the world waiting to get married on the top of Whistler Mountain with a few family members. Our commissioner Sharon Dorian read the service from her iPad, way too cool, whilst Ben and I laughed our way through the vows. We completed the ceremony by high fiving and throwing snow balls at the family.

After the thousands of pictures where taken and our faces hurt from smiling we headed back to our hotel, the Four Seasons, for some hot chocolate and toast.

The evening began with a horse-drawn sleigh ride under the stars with hot apple cider before heading back to the Four Seasons for the most amazing ‘Snake River’ steak I’ve ever eaten.

All in all it was the most perfect setting for our perfect wedding and we would not have had it any other way.

We couldn’t have asked Ski Safari for anything more to make our trip one to remember, every detail was taken care of so we didn’t have to worry about anything. We were absolutely blown away by the hotel, thank you Andy for the recommendation, it was truly perfect. The Four Seasons Whistler was everything and more than we expected, not to mention the Presidential Suite which included a kitchen, dining and living area with more space than we could have ever wanted, WOW! The staff at the hotel really pushed the boat out to help us in any way they could, we will definitely be back.

So, onto the Honeymoon in Hawaii! What an amazing idea to go from snow to sun and relaxing beaches, and all to be arranged with the same company. Again all the details were meticulously taken care of by Ski Safari and we arrived at our hotel, the Marriot on the beautiful island of Maui. The setting and hotel were again absolutely fabulous. The staff were extremely friendly and couldn’t do enough. The highlight of our stay was the wildlife on Maui, the Humpback Whale season was in full swing and we enjoyed watching them splash and jump out of the water right from our pool. We were also incredibly lucky to see green turtles from the shore and a jumping stingray!

Thanks you to all the guys at Ski Safari and especially Andy for looking after us and making this a truly magical trip. We will be in touch again soon to book our next adventure.

Emily & Ben Hughes.

Click for Whistler & Hawaii details

I booked the Queen Mary 2, Southampton to New York crossing , which takes place monthly between April and December for £800 each way. Crossing the North Atlantic in winter can mean rough seas, so taking a sickness prevention tablet was definitely helpful. Storms only tend to last a day or so, and almost everyone will find their sea legs after a few days...

When I break down this £800 by 7 nights, this includes full board in 5* restaurants, a cinema, nightly shows in the theatre and unlimited daily entertainment with exceptionally good lectures each day. I spent 2 full days at $25 per day in the health spa with 3 types of sauna, swimming pool and Jacuzzi!  In summary it’s all very good value.

I booked the New York to Seattle train, with a 6 hour change in Chicago from the UK, it could not have been easier. Amtrak (the US train provider) has a great website. These are the fastest connections across the US. A more scenic alternative would be New York to Vancouver via Toronto using viarail.com but it takes a day longer and only operates three times per week. Sadly these connections didn’t work for me. Highly comfortable seats were available at just $200 each way (yes, all the way across) with two types of upgrades to small or medium bedrooms also available. The upgrades are popular and expensive, especially at Christmas, at £1200 each way. For this you get full board in the restaurant and a sizeable bedroom, shower, toilet etc. its really cool.

Beware as Amtrak are known for delays – had I missed the Chicago connection on the return I would not have made the return crossing – you do need to think about a Plan B!

Car rental from Seattle to Vancouver was Ski Safari’s suggestion and that went without a hitch, £143 northbound and £56 southbound. The transfer from Vancouver with Whistler Connection was also without problems.

It is a 10 day journey each way and the mind-set has to be one of enjoying the journey as much as reaching the destination. I think really it’s a journey for two people, and probably only suits an individual if they can (i) afford the journey as single supplements are steep (ii) afford to take a month off work and (iii) have an understanding family! For me the solitude this time was reason enough. A close friend of mine passed away last year and this time away allowed my mind to sort itself out!

Would I do it again? The westbound journey was full of anticipation, the crossing home was, to be honest, a little boring. So probably not on my own, even this does mean you meet many people, some interesting, some not so. I would prefer to share the experience next time.

Stuart from Horsham

Not only this but you will also benefit from warmer temperatures, empty slopes, low-season prices on accommodation and lift tickets and historically very good snow conditions by travelling at this time.

Flights will become available over the next couple of weeks - call us now on 01273 224 060 to reserve them at the cheapest possible price - they will only get more expensive!

It is also  a great time to add a city stay or road trip to complete your family adventure.
 

Why is Easter is the perfect time to Ski in North America?

It's low season:
The US school holidays are over, meaning accommodation is cheaper and the slopes are less crowded. Lift passes are also available cheaper, with many resorts offering end of season rates, and 'kids ski free' deals.

Great Snow:
Late season doesn't mean bad snow. Over the past 3 years Colorado's resorts have received an amazing 140cm of snow in the first 3 weeks of April.  Most resorts which remain open late have similar records.

It's an excellent time to combine skiing with a city stay - warmer temperatures & low city hotel rates means it is easier to get the most out of your ski holiday by adding on a city break. See our Cities page for more details. Click here

As a number of us at Ski Safari have experienced for ourselves in March, Whistler is having yet another incredible season of snowfall, this March has been record breaking! “We are in the midst of another fantastic winter season here in Whistler so spring will have to wait just a little bit longer,” says Doug MacFarlane, Whistler Blackcomb mountain operations manager. “We’ve received over 342 cm of snowfall so far in March alone, making for some of the best spring conditions we’ve ever had. Extending the ski season on Blackcomb and giving the people what they want was an easy decision.”

When spring does arrive it will be celebrated in style in Whistler with gorgeous conditions, great deals and fun events.

Events

• The TELUS World Ski and Snowboard Festival takes place April 13-22.
• World Skiing Invitational takes place April 19 through April 22 with the Superpipe finals taking place on Sunday, April 22. Watch future Olympians compete.

 Click here for Whistler resort details

P Combes
"Ally Harmer was a great help in assisting us to plan and book our Holiday in Canada. Ally's own experience, understanding and suggestions were invaluable. Discussing and then agreeing an itinerary Ally proceeded to book and negotiate good prices for us. At all times we were kept informed of what was happening, relieving us of any stress. The result was a well planned holiday, accommodating all that we hoped and wanted and without any problems. EXCELLENT."

Delta Bow Valley Hotel: Comfortable hotel on the edge of downtown Calgary and close to the new park by the Bow river.

Brewster Coach Tour, Rockies Explorer: This proved to be an excellent option. The coaches were clean, comfortable, always on time and never full to capacity. The drivers were very knowledgeable and did all they could to make sightseeing trips enjoyable.

Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise: Great location, lake facing room is a must. Room was comfortable in a posh old way. Food was good, obviously a bit expensive, but my husband reckoned the best steak he had ever had.

Chateau Jasper: Situated on the edge of Jasper 15 - 20mins stroll to the centre. Rooms spacious and comfortable. Restaurant good, other hotel restaurants close by.

Mount Royal Hotel Banff: Location is good right in the heart of Banff. Accommodation clean and spacious but in need of decorating in places. Tony Ribs was the speciality in the restaurant, but there were many restaurants in the vicinity.

Emerald Lake Hotel: Set in Yoho National Park, this is a unique place away from everyday life with just walking and relaxing as activities, no TV. Accommodation is in cabins with your own log fire to light, there are no facilities for self catering, the restaurant is in the main building which is quite a few minutes’ walk and would be a problem if anyone had mobility difficulties. The food in the restaurant was good but expensive. There are no other restaurants anywhere close by.

Alpine Village Jasper: 5 minutes drive from the centre of Jasper set on the bank of the Athabasca river. It is a small well kept site with self catering cabin accommodation. The cabin had recently been refurbished to a high standard. Outside furniture and barbecue were provided on your own front area.
The rest of our holiday we hired a car from Hertz and went to visit a friend in Edmonton. Driving in Canada we didn't find a problem. Everything goes at a slower pace, directions and map reading was easy having been brought up navigating roads in England."

A Anderson
"Many thanks for all you did in helping us plan such a wonderful trip - the hotels you booked were excellent, especially Sun Peaks and Whistler (the latter upgraded us to a suite which was a wonderful and luxurious surprise). Both had exceptional chefs. We were also very pleased with our other hotels, the only one we were not so impressed with was at Lake Louise, mainly for the restaurant. Banff Caribou Hotel cuisine was very good - especially their breakfasts and steaks, also Lobstick Lodge. The Coast Coal Harbour in Vancouver also had a good restaurant, and our room with views to the harbour was most comfortable. All in all staff at all levels everywhere were very helpful and made our visit so memorable and enjoyable. The itinerary worked out very well - in fact with our walking we could have managed an extra day if we had the time! It was definitely a good time of year to travel by car across the Rockies, not too busy anywhere and road conditions were good. We were very pleased with the hire car and the Sat Nav was helpful in getting out of Calgary! We fitted in most things that we wanted to do or see."

I Cartwright
"Nova Scotia was great and we thoroughly enjoyed our trip. Would recommend to anyone if they like a bit of history and museums along with nature, sea, wildlife and some gentle walks. Driving was easy and the Canadians are so polite. Must remember insect repellent if go again. We try not to go back to places we have been as there are so many places to see, but I have a feeling we will have another trip to that side of Canada at some point.  We may revisit some of Nova Scotia and see a couple of things/areas we missed but join it into visiting Prince Edward Island and/or New Brunswick. I recommend the Train Station hotel for its quirkiness - slightly rough around the edges and chaotic at breakfast. Didn’t like the Auberge Giselle's – it’s a motel not a B&B and set up for coach trips of elderly Canadians and Americans so food, decor etc. meets that demographic. It was clean and staff polite etc, just not our taste. All in all, a great trip, flights on time, car fine, hotel rooms all booked etc."

P Collini
"I thought I would drop you a note to say we had a great holiday but it has finally come to an end! The Knight Inlet experience was fantastic - made so by the people there as well as the bears/scenery! The kids and ourselves will remember it forever. Coast Coal Harbour was a great choice - great location and great service. The rest went very smoothly also and I can highly recommend Abigail’s B&B in Victoria to you for future clients. They could not do enough (their Trip Adviser No1 position was well earned) which went as far as hand delivering forgotten passports to a subsequent hotel in Parksville! Hope all is well and thank you very much for your help and guidance in the planning process."

J Denham
"We loved the people, saw bears and the Long Beach Lodge, as you predicted on Tofino was a highlight!!"

J Makeating
"Just wanted to tell you what a wonderful holiday we had in Canada thanks to all your arrangements and pre holiday advice!!  Throughout our holiday, everyone we met was unfailingly helpful, polite and friendly!  The views of the Rockies were stupendous, the campgrounds great (even when there were no facilities), and we learned to chop wood and build a fire to keep the mosquitoes away - what an experience!  Thanks again for helping us to have a superb holiday - it was all we had hoped for!!"

Banff and Lake Louise have been experiencing fantastic snowfall conditions this year and now they are even breaking records! Sunshine Village has just set the record for the its largest snowfall in the resort's 84 year history, with 358 inches (30 feet) having fallen since opening day. The Lake Louise Ski Area is not far behind with its fifth best recorded snowfall ever. And again, it's only March!

With such strong snowfalls, fantastic spring skiing is just around the corner. While most of us are pulling out our golf clubs those in Banff National Park will be skiing into late May!

Click for Banff resort details
Click for Lake Louise resort details

Miracle March has blessed Heavenly with over 5 feet of snow! All this new snow has allowed the resort to open all 4800 acres for your skiing and riding pleasure: 24 lifts accessing over 90 trails.

From the mid-mountain to the summit, Northstar also has seen 2-3 feet of new snow from the current snowstorm, and now has over 90 trails and 15 lifts open for you to enjoy! If you have wanted to ski and absorb the beauty of Lake Tahoe this season, now is the time to go.

Click for Heavenly resort details
Click for Northstar resort details