Whistler Mountain

Whistler Mountain
The peak of Whistler Mountain as seen in the summer of 2007. The chairlift pictured is the Peak Chair.
Highest point
Elevation2,181 m (7,156 ft)
Prominence471 m (1,545 ft)
Coordinates50°03′33″N 122°57′25″W / 50.05917°N 122.95694°W / 50.05917; -122.95694
Geography
Whistler Mountain is located in British Columbia
Whistler Mountain
Whistler Mountain
Location in British Columbia
Whistler Mountain is located in Canada
Whistler Mountain
Whistler Mountain
Whistler Mountain (Canada)
LocationBritish Columbia, Canada
DistrictNew Westminster Land District
Parent rangeFitzsimmons Range
Topo mapNTS 92J2 Whistler
Climbing
Easiest routeSki lifts

Whistler Mountain (Lillooet/Ucwalmícwts: Nsqwítsu) is a mountain in the Fitzsimmons Range of the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains, located on the northwestern edge of Garibaldi Provincial Park. It is the location of the Whistler-Blackcomb ski resort and the town of Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, and played host to the 2010 Winter Olympics.[1]

Previously, the mountain was called "London Mountain," named after a mining claim in the area and the fog at the mountain's base.[2][3] The locality was called Alta Lake before the creation of the Resort Municipality of Whistler in the 1970s, but the mountain's name had already been changed in 1965.[4] With the advent of the ski resort in the late 1960s, the name was changed to "Whistler" to represent the whistling calls of the marmots, which are also known as "whistlers", that live in the alpine areas of the mountain.[5]

Because of the mountain's proximity to Garibaldi Provincial Park, ski lifts are regularly used to quickly reach the alpine and ski tour into the park. The summit is home to the Whistler Peak chair, and this makes it one of the most travelled summits in British Columbia.

The mountain forms part of a major ski and snowboard resort, the largest in North America.[6]

  1. ^ "Recurring Olympic Dreams". Pique Newsmagazine. 2022-08-14. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  2. ^ "London Mountain". BC Geographical Names.
  3. ^ "10 fun facts about Vancouver and Whistler | TED Blog". 2013-02-11. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  4. ^ "17 surprising things you didn't know about Whistler's history | To The Mountains Blog by Ski.com | News, Weather, Info". www.ski.com. 2015-12-02. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  5. ^ "Whistler Mountain". BC Geographical Names.
  6. ^ Barber, Claire (2020-07-08). "The 10 Biggest Ski Resorts in the World". SKI. Retrieved 2024-05-29.