But Saturday morning found us miraculously unscathed - even my toes had recovered overnight - and by 9am we were boarding the Peak2Peak cable car for Whistler Mountain. It's a memorable eleven minutes on any day. But on a cloudless morning with the sun peeking over the mountains, turning the snow white-gold and etching every tree, rock and lift line in pin-sharp detail, it defies description.
Even on a bad snow day, this is one of my favourite places on Earth. And if you know where to look - in shaded areas which never see the sun - there's good snow to be found even after so many dry, mild days. The Saddle - a warp-speed, arrow-straight plunge from Whistler Peak and surely one of the steepest blue runs in the world - was a revelation, with wonderful soft snow. And as the sun began to soften the crust, Symphony's thousand-acre playground transformed from intimidating to intoxicating.
With two days down and nine to go, we faced day three with a touch of trepidation. Ski School. Our first lessons since 2011 and in my case, long overdue. As usual, Marianne joined the top Level 6 class, while I picked up where I left off, in Level 4.
I ended the day with improved confidence and new technique - extremely useful, but ever so slightly boring. My instructor was very good indeed, but both of my classmates were tentative and slow; I found myself yearning for steeper, more challenging terrain and more mileage.
Be careful what you wish for... this morning, on our second of three days of lessons, I found myself promoted for the first time since 2007. Level 5, playing with the big kids... as I set off with my new instructor and classmates - a deceptively mild-mannered couple from Seattle - I tried to ban the butterflies and prepare for the huge moguls and breath-jamming steeps which surely lay ahead.
They may yet come, but today was all about timing, high-speed turns and adapting to varying conditions. I've never travelled faster on snow. I can, occasionally, pull off a carved turn. And this afternoon, just as overconfidence was starting to get the better of me, I hooked an edge at the thick end of 40mph. No harm done other than a momentary loosening of bowels - but it was a timely reminder. Don't get cocky.
Which brings us up to date aside from an entertaining couple of hours to finish the day. Several times over the years, we've been approached in mountain restaurants by Club Intrawest representatives and invited to a 'presentation' - essentially a sales pitch for their timeshare scheme. We've always politely refused, but on Saturday we caved, suckered in by the offer of a C$150 gift card just for turning up.
There is, of course, absolutely no chance of Marianne and I dropping £15k on a timeshare. Having battened down the mental hatches for a serious hard sell, we were pleasantly surprised. Friendly people, tea on tap, and a very mild attempt to sell. I suspect that they realised early on that we don't fit the timeshare demographic. We escaped with our shirts and our gift card - which will cover lunch on the mountain for the rest of the week. Result.
Final day of lessons tomorrow, and - whisper it - there's even talk of some fresh snow. Fingers crossed.
Even on a bad snow day, this is one of my favourite places on Earth. And if you know where to look - in shaded areas which never see the sun - there's good snow to be found even after so many dry, mild days. The Saddle - a warp-speed, arrow-straight plunge from Whistler Peak and surely one of the steepest blue runs in the world - was a revelation, with wonderful soft snow. And as the sun began to soften the crust, Symphony's thousand-acre playground transformed from intimidating to intoxicating.
With two days down and nine to go, we faced day three with a touch of trepidation. Ski School. Our first lessons since 2011 and in my case, long overdue. As usual, Marianne joined the top Level 6 class, while I picked up where I left off, in Level 4.
I ended the day with improved confidence and new technique - extremely useful, but ever so slightly boring. My instructor was very good indeed, but both of my classmates were tentative and slow; I found myself yearning for steeper, more challenging terrain and more mileage.
Be careful what you wish for... this morning, on our second of three days of lessons, I found myself promoted for the first time since 2007. Level 5, playing with the big kids... as I set off with my new instructor and classmates - a deceptively mild-mannered couple from Seattle - I tried to ban the butterflies and prepare for the huge moguls and breath-jamming steeps which surely lay ahead.
They may yet come, but today was all about timing, high-speed turns and adapting to varying conditions. I've never travelled faster on snow. I can, occasionally, pull off a carved turn. And this afternoon, just as overconfidence was starting to get the better of me, I hooked an edge at the thick end of 40mph. No harm done other than a momentary loosening of bowels - but it was a timely reminder. Don't get cocky.
Which brings us up to date aside from an entertaining couple of hours to finish the day. Several times over the years, we've been approached in mountain restaurants by Club Intrawest representatives and invited to a 'presentation' - essentially a sales pitch for their timeshare scheme. We've always politely refused, but on Saturday we caved, suckered in by the offer of a C$150 gift card just for turning up.
There is, of course, absolutely no chance of Marianne and I dropping £15k on a timeshare. Having battened down the mental hatches for a serious hard sell, we were pleasantly surprised. Friendly people, tea on tap, and a very mild attempt to sell. I suspect that they realised early on that we don't fit the timeshare demographic. We escaped with our shirts and our gift card - which will cover lunch on the mountain for the rest of the week. Result.
Final day of lessons tomorrow, and - whisper it - there's even talk of some fresh snow. Fingers crossed.
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| Where's Andrew? Rhapsody Bowl, Whistler Mountain, 25 January 2014 |
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| Bluebird perfection. Backcountry area from Symphony, Whistler Mountain, 25 January 2014. |
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