I love mountains

Hey peeps

I hope everyone is having a lovely summer- I hear it is finally hot in the UK- hurrah!

Gosh my visit to Canada seems a long time ago now. Last Friday we flew to Vancouver- by the time we landed it was something like 8pm in the UK, but midday there. We drove up into Whistler along the “sea to sky highway” with amazing views.

Once in Whistler village we forced ourselves to have a wander (whereas what I actually wanted to do was sleep) and have some dinner.

Of course I woke up at 5am the next morning- very bright and early!

Whistler village is so pretty- it reminded me a lot of the ski village at Lake Tahoe- lots of little shops, and lovely views of the mountains. We bought a 2 day pass for the lifts, and spent the days there in the mountains.

We got a gondola up, and then from there one day we got a chairlift even higher up- that was OK except for the fact that you then had to get the chairlift back down- it was super steep and high up!

Once up there, there were different hikes signposted around, although I am not sure I agreed with the difficulty levels- even the “easy” hikes had very steep bits, loose ground and you had to clamber over rocks.

At some points we could see across to another mountain range- the spike is from a volcano, and the rest of the mountain wore away, leaving only the central core.

I feel like the Vancouver olympic statue is so much nicer than our one, sorry London! Plus it is way up a mountain, which is always good.

From Whistler mountain we could see across to the other main ski mountain, Blackcombe mountain- the ski runs were very easy to see as gaps between the trees. Once we got over to that side, they turned out to be beautiful mountain meadows filled with wild flowers.

Hello from the mountain!

All the buildings had ladders underneath them, for when the snow did not reach as high as the door!

I liked the statue! But you had to be quick to get a photo before the next person came along.

Excited to be tall enough for something, for a change.

We also did the scariest thing- ride across from one mountain to the other, in a gondola. I thought it would go down one mountain, across the valley, and then up, but not, it was way up above the trees. I was not keen on this at all. And I had to do it on both days!!!

That is not from a helicopter, but from the gondola- so high up!

But the views were worth it- more hiking- more clambering over rocks- and we even got to see some marmots (they whistle, which is where the mountain gets its name from). They were not too bothered by people.

There were swarms of midgies all over this lake, but some fabulous views made it worth it (and the long hike).

And an even friendlier marmot!

The air was just so fresh.

Pretty sure Andrew had his camera out just in case I fell in!

Another ride on the gondola of terror.

But more beautiful views made it OK.

Mountain streams from all the ice/snow that was melting.

Meadows (ski runs) filled with flowers.

A grouse and her chicks walking across the path- there were loads of people on the path and they were not bothered at all.

Then we got the chair lift down the other mountain, and had a short walk back to Whistler village- over a gushing river.

Olympic rings!

We ate in the same restaurant each evening- The Old Spaghetti Factory. Last time we were in Canada we loved this place, and it did not disappoint. Yummy pasta, salad, sourdough, plus tea and a scoop of ice cream- a total bargain.

Then after 2 days there, we drove back to Vancouver for our flight to Hawaii. We left some time to stop along the way, and saw a few beautiful waterfalls.

So spectacular.

Anyway, that is enough photos for now! We have taken so many- it was very hard to cut it down to those.

Hawaii has also been fab, but I will post about that later. I am sure everyone has photo brain freeze or something to that effect.

Any news I have missed? What are you all up to?

And do you prefer mountains or beaches?