Welcome

Greetings from the Wilds of Whistler


After 19 years of Hosting some of the finest folks from around the globe, The Durlacher Hof , with Peter and Erika at the helm, are still serving up genuine hospitality, Legendary breakfasts," a wholesome feast," Immaculate pretty rooms, and beautiful gardens, and all the comforts of home. Won't you join us, in our traditional Austrian Alpine Chalet.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE…

WHISTLER BLACKCOMB HITS JANUARY SNOWFALL AVERAGE EARLY

Above Average Snow for November and December

WHISTLER, BC, January 15, 2008 – Digging your car out of the snow in Whistler Village is a small price to pay for serious powder on Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains. Whistler Blackcomb has already surpassed its average snowfall for January, while great early season conditions and dreams of a white Christmas were realized with above average snowfall during November and December.

Recent weeks on Whistler Blackcomb have been characterized by heavy snowfall and face shots leading to many happy powder smiles. As of today, the snow base is 244cm (96 inches). Whistler Blackcomb surpassed its monthly average of 207cm (81 inches) today, having received 209cm (82 inches) since New Year’s Day. Whistler Blackcomb received 162cm (64 inches) of snow in November, beating average snowfall for the month of 148 cm (58 inches), while a series of heavy storms dumped 260cm (102 inches) of snow in December, again beating the monthly average of 220cm (87 inches).

“The skiing has been fantastic at Whistler Blackcomb, thanks to many storms that dumped on our mountains,” says Stuart Rempel, Whistler Blackcomb’s Senior VP of Marketing and Sales. “Every day it seemed like we were waking up to a winter wonderland in the village and a skiers dream on the slopes. So far, we’ve had some amazing powder days, and with more than four more months to go in the season, we can look forward to more plenty more epic skiing and riding.”

Whistler Blackcomb’s average annual snowfall is 1,022 cm (33.5 feet), however 2006/2007 season was the second snowiest year on record with 1,416 cm (46.5 feet). This season, Whistler Blackcomb has received 631 cm (20.7 feet) of snow.

Whistler Blackcomb’s regular season runs until June 8, and with the outstanding early season snowfall, spring skiing will be fantastic. Glacier Skiing runs June 9 to July 27.

Resort Happenings


News on the Mountains 2007-08

Whistler Blackcomb is casting an optimistic gaze toward its 2007/2008 winter season after last year was heralded as the resort's second snowiest year on record, with a total snowfall of 14.16 metres (46.5 feet). That's 40 per cent more than the resort's average annual snowfall of 1,022cm (33.5 feet).

"With the landmark Peak to Peak project underway, the return of the popular Symphony Amphitheatre, and a host of other on-mountain improvements, this winter promises to be one of the most exciting yet," says Dave Brownlie, Whistler Blackcomb's Chief Operating Officer.

PEAK TO PEAK 

Construction is well underway on one of Whistler Blackcomb's landmark projects and Canada's newest tourism icon, the Peak to Peak Gondola. This autumn, Peak to Peak crews expect to complete concrete pours at the terminal sites located at Blackcomb Mountain's Rendezvous Lodge and Whistler Mountain's Roundhouse Lodge. They also expect to have towers Two and Three erected before the 2007/2008 winter season. Construction will resume in April 2008 and is scheduled to wrap up in time for a December 2008 grand opening.

"This exciting project is such a huge undertaking and one of the largest of its kind in the world," says Rick Temple, Peak to Peak Gondola project manager for Whistler Blackcomb. "The Peak to Peak Gondola project is just an entirely new horizon for Whistler Blackcomb and it's going to spark all kinds of opportunities and growth for tourism in the region."

Once completed, the gondola will become a tourism icon for British Columbia and Canada, bringing visitors from all over the world into the high alpine to experience scenic views. Supported by only four towers, the gondola will travel 4.4 kilometers (2.73 miles) in just 11 minutes – reaching a highest vertical point of 415 m (1,361 feet) above Fitzsimmons Creek, which is a world record. Coming in at $51 million, the Peak to Peak Gondola also breaks the world record for longest free span, with a distance of 3.024 kilometres (1.88 miles) stretching between the two towers furthest apart.

For more information on this project, construction updates, and to view downloadable high resolution images and video, visit: whistlerblackcomb.com/peaktopeak.


2010 OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC WINTER GAMES
With the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games only three winters away, preparations are well underway in the resort and on the mountains.

Whistler Blackcomb is the venue for the men's and women's Olympic and Paralympic alpine skiing disciplines of Downhill, Super-G, Giant Slalom, Slalom and Super Combined. In preparation for these events, crews led by the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC), are contouring and reshaping the men's and women's downhill courses, located at Whistler Creekside. The men's downhill will take place on the Dave Murray course, while the women's downhill and all Paralympic alpine skiing events will take place on a newly designed race course on Wildcard and mid to lower Franz's Trail.

Improvements to snowmaking technology have been ongoing since 2006 and include doubling the size of the reservoir, installing snowmaking pipework and pump station upgrades. VANOC is spending approximately $17.6 million on snowmaking infrastructure for the Games, a legacy for Whistler Blackcomb long after 2010.

Meanwhile, construction is continuing on the Whistler Sliding Centre, located on Blackcomb Mountain. The Sliding Centre will host the bobsleigh, luge and skeleton events with construction finalized in November 2007.

FIS WORLD CUP 2008

The FIS World Cup Alpine Ski Races are scheduled to run February 18 to 24, 2008. Whistler will host the women's Downhill and Super Combined, and men's Super G and Giant Slalom on the new Olympic course.

"The World Cup race events returning to Whistler Blackcomb and Panorama Mountain Village this season represent a major step toward Canada's goal of being a world-leading alpine ski racing nation by 2010," said ACA chief executive officer Ken Read. "As we prepare for the 2010 Games, Whistler has become our home away from home as it will host various race events - such as the Pontiac GMC Canadian Alpine Championships - and dry land training camp for our athletes."
The Pontiac GMC Canadian Alpine Championships will run February 6 to 12, 2008.


MOUNTAIN OPERATIONS

While skiers and riders may not be able to see all of the changes, Whistler Blackcomb crews have been hard at work making some very important on-mountain improvements, including building new water treatment plants at Glacier Creek and Crystal Hut on Blackcomb Mountain and the Children's Learning Centre on Whistler Mountain, at a total cost of $480,000. Meanwhile, the Lift Maintenance team spent nearly three months during the spring conducting $5 million mechanical refit on the Whistler Village Gondola.

The award-winning Whistler Blackcomb Parks Team, known around the world for its innovation, is spending $40,000 on refurbishing rails and purchasing new ones. Last season, the terrain parks, spread across both mountains, accounted for 80 acres and boasted 150-plus features, including jumps ranging from 25 to 80 feet, a rollercoaster rail, a 50-foot single bar rail, 20-foot quarter pipe and a world class super pipe. Park riders can expect to be dazzled again by their gravity defying designs this winter.

SYMPHONY EXPRESS

The Symphony Amphitheatre on Whistler Mountain is entering its second season after a snowy debut in December 2006. Last season, skiers and riders experienced many a powder day as they explored the 1,000 acres of intermediate and advanced terrain. The Symphony Express high-speed quad chair brings guests to Piccolo Peak, where they can access a vast expanse of wide open bowls, groomers and gladed runs – with superb views of Blackcomb Mountain and the surrounding Garibaldi Provincial Park.

A venue for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Whistler Olympic Park is the first Olympic Nordic venue to include all three traditional Nordic sport stadiums in one site:? cross-country, ski jumping and biathlon. The Park will host the 2010 Olympic Games competitions in ski jumping, Nordic combined, cross-country skiing and biathlon as well as the 2010 Paralympic Games cross-country skiing and biathlon competitions. The venue will also serve as a legacy for the enjoyment of local residents, visitors and athletes.
Directions

WHISTLER OLYMPIC PARK

The Whistler Olympic Park is located 18 kilometres southwest of Whistler, 50 kilometres north of Squamish (the turn off highway 99 is 3.1 km north of Brandywine Falls)and 115 kilometres north of Vancouver, BC. From Highway 99, the centre of Whistler Olympic Park is located 10 kilometres up the new Callaghan Valley access road.

The public ski trail system at Whistler Olympic Park consists of approximately 35 kilometres (50 kilometes during the 2008/09 season) of beginner, intermediate and advanced trails. All trails start from the day lodge adjacent to the cross-country stadium. Fifteen kilometres of competition trails are groomed and signed along with 25 km of separate recreational (easier) trails, both of which are accessed from the same starting spot.
www.whistlerolympicpark.ca
 

Special Guests

Les Dames d’Escoffier International Members Vancouver Branch Members came to enjoy Cornucopia at the Durlacher Hof in November together with repeat Floridians guests we had a fabulous evening of European music, traditional food and fine wine.
	FIS Snowboard World Championship Competitors We were honoured with the Austrian Snowboard team in January who competed in the FIS Snowboard World Championships in Whistler.

The Perfect Setting: A Small Inn
For Retreats, Weddings and Meetings

Our enchanting inn offers hospitality in the European tradition. No detail has been overlooked, creating a warm ambience, comfort and style. Alpine cuisine and afternoon refreshments are waiting for you apres ski style, after your fun day in powder.
We offer eight deluxe guest rooms, a Great room/licensed dining room with fire place which serves as a meeting room for up to 20.
We will gladly be open exclusively for your group. 

Travel arrangements to and from Vancouver International Airport arranged by request.
If you’re among those who consider the journey as important as the destination, you’ll start your meeting with Chartered Helijet or Limo Service from December through April or by Whistler Air seaplane (May through October) from Vancouver to Whistler and visa versa. 


Gift Certificates

Need some ideas for your special occasion shopping (i.e. Birthday/Anniversary/Wedding/Promotions)?
May we suggest a Durlacher Hof gift certificate. We will send a gift certificate to someone special for you, along with a box of chocolates as our way of thanking you for your business.

Calling all Longer Stay Travelers

We have a two bedroom self-catering apartment on the lake in Whistler, ideal for longer stay travelers and families. For golf vacations, or adventure getaways in summer, biking and hiking is on your doorstep.


Take an ART WALK

Building on its reputation as a stellar ski resort, Whistler has embraced the Arts, Theatre and Culinary Adventures. Galleries, public sculptures, festivals, etc.. Call for current calendar.


AUF WIEDERSEHN
Erika and Peter Durlacher

Durlacher Hof Alpine Inn
7055 Nesters Road
Whistler, BC
Canada V0N 1B7
Phone: 604-932-1924
Fax: 604-938-1980
Toll Free 1-877-932-1924