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South Bay Accent - Oct/Nov 2015

or a 30-minute ride, followed by a three-course fondue dinner at the Fairmont Chalet. Perhaps dog sledding is more your speed. Activities Central offers a three-hour excursion to an old growth forest of the Callaghan Valley. As you (and the dogs) rest at an abandoned trapper’s camp, you’ll hear the history of the Canadian fur trappers. Then, after learning the necessary canine commands, you can feel the thrill of driving your own team. Want a little more adventure? The Bonnie & Clyde Get Away takes passengers on a high-speed roller coaster trail pulled by a team of eight dogs. The ride is followed by a snowshoe trek to the 140-foot Alexander Falls. Or maybe you prefer to take to the skies. The Ziptrek Bear Tour soars through the forest and over the river on five zip lines. Minimum age is 6 years old. Experienced zip liners prefer the Eagle Tour. Here, five different zip lines will give you thrills, including a 2,000-foot monster that drops you 20 stories. Peak 2 Peak Gondola is not to be missed. It links Whistler’s Roundhouse Lodge with Blackcomb’s Rendezvous Restaurant. Opened in 2008, the gondola is the longest and highest lift in the world. It holds world records for the longest free span between towers (1.88 miles) and the highest point above the ground (1,430 feet). From its large windows, you can see volcanic peaks as well as coastal rainforest. EXTREME FUN REMEMBER THE BOBSLED, luge and skeleton competitions at the 2010 Winter Olympics? The Whistler Sliding Centre still exists in Olympic Park, and you can take part in two of these sports without the years of training. At the Sliding Centre, daredevils opt to go headfirst, face down on the skeleton sled, careening 60 mph for an exhilarating 20 seconds. More “conservative” riders can take the bobsleigh down the track three at a time, with a professional driver at the helm. However, be warned: At 75 mph, the bobsleigh goes even faster. Snowmobiling can be a family outing at Whistler, or not. Seventeen different options are offered to accommodate every level of rider. Children can even try riding their own Mini-Z snowmobiles on a specially designed track. Explore forests, frozen lakes or a historic gold mine, go riding at sunset or in the moonlight and top off your ride with a candlelit fondue dinner or enjoy a meal at a mountaintop yurt. A helicopterassisted tour with a mountain guide is also offered to experienced snowmobilers who want to ride over vast, open ice fields. October/November 2015 77


South Bay Accent - Oct/Nov 2015
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