East, West, Nelson best!

In B.C. skiing is not just a sport, it’s a way of life. For us, two Dutch ladies, it feels extraordinary to be surrounded by skiers. Unsurprisingly, we keep coming back for more. Having spent a few winters in Whitewater, it is a place where we feel at home. We would happily ski there for the rest of our lives as passionate skiers of all ages, enthusiastically share their love for the mountains with us!

WH2O is an authentic ski resort with just three old-fashioned, rickety second-hand chairlifts that take you up to extremely steep, challenging and tight tree runs with lots of pillows to drop. If you prefer to go touring, the backcountry options are endless and very accessible.

There are many short tours leaving from the top of the lifts and you can find an overview of the different routes in the West Kootenay Touring Guide. Although we have spent several winters in Whitewater, we still have many lines to explore, so we’ll be back for sure!

Especially as our ultimate goal is to become a “silver bird”: as you receive a free season pass from age 75!

Nelson is the closest town from Whitewater and is situated on the shores of Lake Kootenay, which itself is surrounded by white sandy beaches.

Nelson is a close-knit community where money is simply a means to fund your passions, and not a goal itself. Quality of life is the main thing, the combination of breath-taking nature and mountains of powder – an average of 12 metres a year – in such a friendly and creative town makes Nelson the best place to live for us and we are currently figuring out ways to permanently move there.

Where to stay in Nelson?

This trip, we stayed in the Alpine Inn, a very comfortable hotel. The rooms are equipped with a small kitchen and a night in a twin room starts at $99. Make sure to check out the two day special for $202, which includes 2 Whitewater day passes and two nights in a twin room.

The Logden Lodge is another great option, located just outside of Ymir (also a 15-minute drive to WH2O) in a dense forest with no other sounds than a small running creek. The Dutch owners, Paul & Annelies, two former diplomats, designed the cute and boutique cabins themselves and it is the perfect place to completely relax, for example with a book in front of the fireplace.

Out of all of the places we have skied around the world, we have never felt so proud to be a skier as we do here: East, west, Nelson best!