This post will be about how YOU can recreate some of the Whistler experiences as featured on the latest episode of the Après Ski show. From snowmobiling and fondues, to weddings in Whistler, read on to start planning your dream trip to the mountains…

Fondue at 6,000 Feet: A Canadian Signature Experience

There are traditional fondue dinners — fun, interactive, delicious —and then there are fondue dinners, Whistler-style. In Whistler, we like to up the ante for almost everything. And, in the case of the fondue dinner, we like to “up it” as much as 6,000 ft. high into the mountains, where the only way in and out is by snowmobile or snowcat.

Just imagine enjoying fondue at the charming and rustic Crystal Hut on Blackcomb Mountain, home of Whistler Blackcomb’s infamous daytime waffles. But before we get to the mouth-watering food, let’s go over how you’re going to whet your appetite!

It all begins at the bottom with a big sled. Snowmobiling is a must-do activity in Whistler, flying through fluffy West Coast powder, up and down mountains, racing through valley floors. In this case, you’re travelling uphill to 6,000 ft. If you feel confident and have some experience, you can go solo. Or, double up with a friend to get to the top. Either way, just imagine zooming over the snow after the sun goes down behind the alpine peaks in its daily kaleidoscope of alpenglow, turning the peaks a pretty pink before darkness falls. There is something magical about being on the mountain at night when all the crowds have disappeared — your own personal winter playground. It’s exhilarating and exciting and just plain fun.

Plus, how many times do you get to say that you drove a snowmobile to get to dinner?

When you arrive at the Crystal Hut, you can warm up by a roaring fire with a glass of wine. Settle in and get cosy. This spot is a locals’ favourite spot during the day and the Crystal zone on Blackcomb Mountain is one of the best places to ski and ride. Be sure to come back here when the sun comes up! During the fondue dinner, by firelight and candlelight, there is always some local entertainment to keep your toes tapping, a little acoustic guitar to set the mood and the chilled, relaxed vibe.

Here’s a little insiders tip. Bundle up and head out to the big patio to check out the world above you and below. Above the night sky is blanketed in stars while below the lights of Whistler Village twinkle in their own party constellations. This is a night sky you don’t want to miss out on. The night-time ride back down the mountain is another thrill ride. If the fondue dinner up high appeals to you but the snowmobile ride is putting you off, you can always travel in a heated 19-passenger snowcat. Do not miss out on this experience from Canadian Wilderness Adventures.

The Canadian Tourism Commission has given this trip its stamp of approval as a Canadian Signature Experience. Our concierges at Gibbons Life can take care of all the details of this adventure from booking the dinner to organizing your outerwear to figuring out what you’re going to do when you get back down to the village. No request is too big or too small.

Let our concierges make this an experience you’ll never forget.

Fondue will never be the same again!

Vows of love on Whistler’s mountaintops: Weddings in Whistler

Just close your eyes and imagine: Is there a more romantic place in the world to declare your love than on top of snowcapped peaks under the banner of an open sky? Picture what it would be like to have your own mountaintop wedding in Whistler.

We can tell you from experience —  weddings in Whistler are more memorable than any beach affair, more magical than a traditional declaration of love. Whether it’s renewing your vows, or saying them for the very first time, you can design it any way you imagine it and Gibbons Life concierge services are on hand to help out with everything to make it extra special.

You’re spoiled for choice in Whistler — you can exchange your vows outside by the mighty stone Inukshuk, book out the Roundhouse Lodge for a big event, or have an intimate affair on the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola while you glide high in the sky between Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains.

It’s not everyday guests get to take a gondola to a wedding!

Or you can fly to a remote location by helicopter to exchange your vows — just you and your love surrounded by B.C. beautiful backcountry. These are just some suggestions. The choices are endless. Winter weddings in Whistler are a specialty. They can be warm and inviting and cozy while the snow swirls in light snowflakes around you. Or you can get what locals call a “bluebird day” — bright blue sky against a sparkling white snow blanketing the mountains, rugged peaks reaching high in the air. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more memorable backdrop and just think of the wedding photos.

But beyond the natural beyond which often inspires a physical reaction, a rush of well-being, a sense of feeling truly alive, this is a setting that simply inspires love. It’s enchanting and captivating and, best of all, romantic. To top it all off, you have every amenity here at your fingertips to accommodate any type of wedding in any kind of style from the most basic to the most luxurious.

Hit the town days before the main event for a legendary bachelor/bachelorette party at the infamous Buffalo Bills or Longhorn Saloon and dance your single days away. Next get pampered at one of Whistler’s lavish spas where you can relax before the big day. You can spend a day soaking and steaming at the Scandinave Spa, enjoying the outdoor hot tubs and cold plunge baths. You can take your wedding party to one of the many day spas, in hotels or in the village, where you can prepare from head toe — hair, nails, makeup.

For the main event don’t worry about a thing — Whistler is home to top chefs working out of award-winning restaurants. They can create a meal to remember. Glide down from the mountaintop to spend your wedding night in Whistler. Where will it be — The Four Seasons? The Fairmont Chateau? The Westin Resort and Spa? In other words, you can have a remote wedding on the top of the world with all of the city amenities at your fingertips.

If this is the wedding you’ve dreamed about, let the Gibbons Life Whistler Concierge team make it a reality. Let Whistler’s magical setting take care of all the beauty of the day, Gibbons Life can manage all the details. And you can focus on the most important part — love.

And, you’ll always have a reason to come back to Whistler to celebrate and remember.