TRAVEL
TIPS
|
Will
I need a visa?
Do I need
a visa if I plan to work in Canada?
Do
I need travel insurance?
What do I do if I lose my passport? |
ACCOMMODATION
|
Can
I
stay in my own room?
Can I arrange
my own accommodation and still do a YES program?
More accommodation
information: Whistler, Niseko & Wanaka |
TRANSFERS
|
How
do I
get from Vancouver to Whistler? |
YES PROGRAMS
|
What
is
the YES program itinerary?
Am I good
enough? What level of skier or snowboarder do I need to be to
join a YES program?
What if I am a
beginner? Do you have a program for me?
Do you cater
for children?
Where do you
offer YES programs?
Do you go
anywhere else apart from Whistler, Niseko and Wanaka?
How long do
YES programs take?
What is the average
age of people on the YES program? |
WORKING IN CANADA
|
Will
I
be able to work in Canada after I do my YES Instructor program?
Do I need
a visa if I plan to work? |
EQUIPMENT
|
Should
I
buy ski or boarding equipment at home or in resort?
Where can I rent
equipment? |
PAYMENTS
|
How
can I pay for my YES program?
Can I pay
by credit card? |
IN RESORT
|
Do
I
need to tip? |
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
|
If you have
any other questions we'll be happy to answer them - email us at
res@yesimprovement.com |
|
|
TRAVEL TIPS
|
Will
I need a visa?
Visiting Canada
In
general visitors to Canada from many countries including Australia, New
Zealand and the UK, who
will stay less than 6 months and do not intend to work, do not need a
visa to enter Canada. However if your passport is from another country
or you intend to stay longer, please check the Canadian immigration
website for more information: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp
Back
Visiting
New Zealand
Australian
citizens do not need a visa to enter New Zealand, and UK citizens are
entitled to stay for 6 months without a visa. Citizens of many other
countries can visit for 3 months without a visa - follow this link for
more information: http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/stream/visit/visitors/quickcheck.htm
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Visiting Japan
For
citizens of the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand (and many other
countries) a visitor's visa will be issued on arrival in Japan, valid
for at least 90 days. Citizens of some other countries may need to
apply in advance for a visitors visa, follow this link for more
information: http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/02.html#a
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Do
I need a visa if I plan to work in Canada?
Yes, unless you are a Canadian
citizen, you must have a visa if you plan to work after your program in
Canada. The best option for most people is the Working Holiday Visa.
You must be aged between 18 and 30 inclusive, and
have a current passport, to
apply for a working holiday visa. Working
holiday visas are released each year in January and when they run out
they're gone until the following January, so applying early is
important.
For more information on employment and work visas, visit the Canadian
Immigration website: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/index.asp
or follow your country specific link below. Note that WhistlerBlackcomb
will not offer you a job unless you already have a visa or are already
an qualified ski instructor with at least 2 full seasons' experience.
Therefore the working holiday visa is the best option for most new
instructors. Alternatively it may be possible to gain employment with a
smaller resort who may be willing to sponsor your visa.
Australian
Passport holders:
Working Holiday Program http://www.whpcanada.org.au
SWAP Program http://www.statravel.com.au
New
Zealand Passport holders:
Working Holiday Program http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/asia/whp/intro-en.asp
United
Kingdom Passport holders:
BUNAC http://www.bunac.org.uk/uk/workcanada/
(NB. BUNAC manage the working holiday program for the UK, all
applications should be made directly with them).
Working Holiday Program http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/missions/unitedkingdom-royaumeuni/youth_jeunes/menu-eng.asp
Irish
Passport holders:
Work in Canada Program http://canada.usit.ie
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Do
I need travel insurance?
Yes, to cover all eventualities we can recommend WorldNomad for travel insurance - click here for more
information.
Health Cover
We strongly recommend that you
take out comprehensive travel insurance
that will cover any overseas medical costs, before you depart. Confirm
that your insurance covers you for the whole time you'll be away and
check what circumstances are included
in your policy to ensure your on-mountain activities are covered.
Remember, if you can't afford travel insurance, you
can't afford to travel.
The standard of health facilities in Canada, New Zealand and Japan is
comparable
to Australia or the UK. However you will generally be expected
to
pay for treatment, which can be very expensive, so ensure you have
sufficient travel insurance coverage.
Your doctor or
travel clinic is the best source of information
about preventive measures, immunisations and disease outbreaks
overseas. The World Health Organisation (WHO) provides information for
travelers: http://www.who.int/ith/en/index.html
Money
& Valuables
Before you leave home, organise a variety of ways of accessing your
money overseas, such as credit cards, traveler's cheques and cash.
Check with your bank whether your ATM card will work overseas and what
fees are associated with using it to avoid nasty surprises later.
Whilst traveling, don't carry too much cash and remember that expensive
watches, jewellery and cameras may be tempting targets for thieves.
Make two copies of valuable documents such as your passport, tickets,
visas and traveler's cheques. Keep one copy with you in a separate
place to your original documents and leave the other copy with someone
at home.
As a sensible precaution against luggage tampering, including theft,
lock your luggage.
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What
do I do if I lose my passport?
Your passport is a valuable
document that is attractive to criminals
who may try to use your identity to commit crimes. It should always be
kept in a safe place. If your passport is lost or stolen overseas,
contact the nearest Embassy, High Commission or Consulate of your
citizenship as soon as possible.
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ACCOMMODATION
|
Can I
stay in my own room?
Yes,
single supplements are available on request if you prefer your own room
in our 3 star condos.
Our
three-star share condos situated in Whistler Creekside provide
spacious,
modern accommodation within walking distance of the Creekside Gondola.
Our 2 and 3 bedroom condos normally house 4 to 6 people (i.e. 2 share
per room). The 2-bedroom condo has 2 full bathrooms and the 3-bedroom
condo includes 3 full bathrooms. Both condos include full
kitchen, dishwasher,
laundry washer and drier, cable TV, DVD player, CD player,
fireplace and balcony.
One-bedroom
suites are also available at an additional cost; just ask us for more
details.
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Can I
arrange my own accommodation and still do a YES program?
Yes!
You are welcome to join our program for instruction only if you have
arranged your own accommodation. Price per week is CAD$660 including
tax - this gives you 22 hours of top-level instruction and guiding per
week. It also includes our evening functions and activities. Please
note we can also assist you with a discounted lift pass if you wish.
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For more information on
accommodation options click on the following links: Whistler, Niseko & Wanaka |
TRANSFERS
|
How
do I
get from Vancouver to Whistler?
The
trip up the Sea to Sky Highway from Vancouver to Whistler takes about 2
1/2 hours (depending on weather and traffic) and is a very scenic trip.
We recommend Ridebooker to
organise your transfer from the airport to
Whistler. They offer a variety of transfer methods from coaches to
limos, and you can make a booking with them directly at: http://www.ridebooker.com.
Fill
out your journey details under "Find My Ride!" and they will show
you all the options and prices available. The journey by shuttle bus or
coach costs about CAD$63 each way plus 5% GST, with the shuttle leaving
more
often than the standard coach timetable.
Yes
Tours have a
special arrangement with Ridebooker to drop you at the door of your
accommodation - to ensure you get this service, enter "Yes Improvement
Client" in the "Group Name" box and "Yes Tours door-to-door service" in
the "Special Instructions" box when finalising your booking details.
Ridebooker will meet you at the airport and will modify your shuttle
timing if your flight is delayed to ensure you have a smooth journey to
Whistler.
If
you will be arriving late at night (after 10pm)
or very early in the morning (first transfers start at 8.30am) please
let us know - we can organise a hotel at the airport if you would
prefer not to travel up during the night.
If you would like us to book this for you please email you full flight
arrival and departure details to: res@yesimprovement.com.
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YES PROGRAMS
|
What is
the YES program itinerary?
The
weekly instruction program is made up of: 1 day guiding and 4 days of
instruction (4 hours/day plus a lunch break). Group sizes are limited
to a maximum of 7 people to ensure you are with like-minded people
of similar ability level. The weekly program also includes
video
analysis, lift line queue priority, in-resort service and welcome and
farewell functions.
We
develop your skills in varying terrain to
suit your ability level. You will become more proficient when
skiing/boarding in powder, through moguls, off piste - and of course on
the groomed slopes. The week concludes with a written
personalized evaluation of your week, which includes suggestions for
future development.
Our
programs run from Saturday to Saturday
and you can join as many weeks together as you like. Our first day on
snow is Sunday - we meet at Dusty's at the base of the Creekside
Gondola at 8.30am for a guiding day, which is when we work out groups
by ability level. Our instruction days are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday
and Friday.
We meet at 9.30am for a 10am start each day at the Roundhouse on
Whistler Mountain. We have a break for lunch around 12 and our day on
the hill finishes at about 3pm.
The
majority of our clients stay
2 weeks at a time to benefit from the weekend rest and to practice the
things that they learned the week prior. This allows them to capitalize
on their improvement and make even greater strides towards higher
skiing levels.
Joining
us for the first week you are here is the
best thing you can do for your skiing - then you can use your newfound
skills during the rest of your holiday.
Back
Am I good
enough? What level of skier or snowboarder do I need to be to
join a YES program?
High
Ski/Ride Ability Level
We
do not have any top end to our programs. We have people who have been
over 10 times, who have their CSIA or CASI Level 2 and come back to
refresh and keep learning. There is still so much to learn - at every
level. That is the beauty of skiing, isn't it!
At
the higher
end of skiing we take the tack of a ski coach rather than rigid lessons
and keep the pace up and the stoppage to a minimum. Goals take on a
more "open-defined" approach in that the options are limitless (steeps,
bumps, powder, trees, short radius, long radius) but the tactics for
each situation are specified and focus for each individual is
discussed. Skiing with others is what skiing is all about - we call it
an "individually social" sport - lots of personal satisfaction from
skiing better - but no fun if no one is there to share a good run with!
Low
Ski/Ride Ability Level
As
long as you are linking turns on a blue run you should fit into one of
our groups - if you are not up to that level then we will organise to
have you join appropriate ski school classes during the same days our
other clients are in our ski groups until you are at a comfortable
level to join one of our groups.
Of
course you will still be
fully involved in all our après events even if you are in
ski school
for the first few days. You can still benefit from our program
and our experienced coaches.
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What if I
am a beginner? Do you have a program for me?
The
YES Program is designed for improvement from above beginner level. So
if you wish to join the program at a beginner level, we will book you
into normal full day beginner ski school lessons on the same days as
the
YES Program runs (Sun, Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri). You will still be able to
join us for all the other YES off-snow activities. We will monitor your
progress throughout the week and as soon as you have reached the level
of our lowest YES group we will move you into that group.
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Do you
cater for children?
We
do cater for children, what they will do depends on their ages but as a
basic guide we book them into one of the Whistler Kids programs for the
same time frame that the parents are on the YES Program. The cost will
be similar to our instruction cost which is CAD$660 per person per
week. They are very well looked after on these programs. Depending on
the ages and whether they ski or board, we can direct you to the most
suitable programs for them.
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Where do
you offer YES programs?
We
offer Ski and Board Improvement Programs in Whistler, Canada; Niseko,
Japan; and Wanaka, New Zealand. We offer Ski and Board Instructor
Training Programs in Whistler only.
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Do you go
anywhere else apart from Whistler, Niseko and Wanaka?
Not
at the moment but we are always looking into new opportunities - if you
would be interested in doing a program elsewhere drop us a line and
we'll get back to you: res@yesimprovement.com
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How long
do YES programs take?
All
our Improvement Programs are a week long, they run from Saturday to
Saturday and you can join together as many weeks as you like.
Out
first day on snow is Sunday; we meet at Dusty's at the base of the
Creekside Gondola at 8.30am for a guiding day. This gives you a chance
to find your skiing legs and lets us assess your ability so we can
organise groups of similar ability for the rest of the week. Our
instruction days are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. We meet at
9.30am for a 10am start each day at the Roundhouse on Whistler
Mountain.
We have a break for lunch around 12 and the day on the hill finishes at
about 3pm.
The
majority of our clients stay 2 weeks at a time to
benefit from the weekend rest and to practice the skills they have
learned in the first week. This allows them to capitalize on their
improvements and make even greater strides towards higher skiing levels.
Our
Instructor Programs range from 3 to 8 weeks in length, depending on
what your goals are we will certainly have a program to suit you.
Back
What is
the average age of people on the YES program?
Our
average age is about 32 for our improvement programs and 25 for
instructor programs but each program can vary.
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WORKING IN CANADA
|
Will
I
be able to work in Canada after I do my YES Instructor program?
Successful
candidates, on completion of the Instructor Training Program, may be
able to arrange work with
Whistler Blackcomb Ski & Snowboard School, provided that you
have a
valid Canadian working visa. YES have strong contacts with the School
and can introduce you to the right people to help you get
started.
For
more information on Canadian working visas, click
here.
In
addition to the work visa, to be able to work or do work experience,
candidates must have:
- Social
Insurance Number (SIN or proof of application) - we recommend you
arrange this when you arrive in Vancouver (or other major Canadian
city), as you cannot apply for this in Whistler and it must be done in
person.
- Bank
account in
Canada - this can be easily set up on arrival in Whistler with Scotia
Bank,
TD Canada Trust or North Shore Credit Union.
- A
Criminal Record
Check (CRC) - best to get one of these from your local Police
Station
before you leave for Canada. If you wait until you get here, they are
much more expensive (over CAD$100) and can take up to 6 weeks to
process. This means if you want to work for the Ski &
Snowboard School, then you cannot work until you have your CRC approved.
Back
Do
I need a visa if I plan to work?
Unless you are a Canadian
citizen, you will need a visa to work in Canada. For more information
on work visas click here.
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EQUIPMENT
|
Should I
buy ski or boarding equipment at home or in the resort?
If
you are coming to Whistler, you should definitely make your
purchases in Canada. There is an enormous selection
of stores
to choose from and we have great relationships with some of the very
best so would be only too happy to point you in the right direction to
ensure you are well looked after. Also you can benefit from discussing
what you need with our pros - they will be able to advise on what sort
of equipment from the huge range available will be best for you and
your skiing/riding style. You may also be able to get staff
discounts off
equipment if purchased in the resort.
The
right equipment can
make a real difference to your skiing or riding - particularly if you
are planning on taking an instructor training program, you will benefit
from help in making the right choice once you get to Whistler. You will
also benefit from being able to demo equipment before you buy to make
sure you are happy before you commit. The cost of a demo is usually
offset against your purchase.
If
you are going to Wanaka or Niseko, you may chose to buy equipment
before your trip although there is a good selection available in resort
and you can still benefit from the advice of our pros if you are not
sure what to choose. You may also be able to demo equipment before you
commit to buying to be sure you are making the right choice.
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Where can I rent equipment?
There
are plenty of choices in resort to rent equipment, we can point you in
the right direction once you get here. You can also demo equipment if
you are thinking of buying - the cost of the demo is normally offset
against your eventual purchase.
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PAYMENT
|
How
can I pay for my YES program?
Whistler & Niseko
Payments: (For
Wanaka payments, click here)
All
payments should to be made out to YES Tours Inc. A $400 deposit is due
upon confirmation of a booking, and then full payment is due 60 days
prior
to the program start date. Payment can be made by cheque (in
CAD
$), direct deposit to our Canadian bank or by credit card (click here
for details). Please email full details of the cheque or
direct deposit
to res@yesimprovement.com
so
we can promptly credit you account and issue your client voucher.
Direct
Deposit for CAD
Route
Through:
Royal
Bank of Canada
ABA
# 021 000 021
For
further Credit to:
Royal
Bank of Canada, Whistler Branch
101
- 4000 Whistler Way,
Whistler,
B.C. V0N 1B4
Branch
# 08500 003
For
the benefit of:
YES
TOURS INC
Acc
# 100-4597
Payment
by Cheque
Post
CAD cheques to:
YES
TOURS INC
PO
Box 1390
Whistler,
B.C., V0N 1B0,
CANADA
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Wanaka Payments:
To
confirm your booking, we require $400 deposit paid either into our
Australian account or by cheque or credit card (MasterCard, VISA or
AMEX) directly to the Edgewater Resort in New Zealand. See below for
full payment details or click
here for credit card payments. Please email full details
of the deposit to res@yesimprovement.com
so
we can promptly credit your account and issue the client voucher. All
payments are to be made out to YES TOURS INC.
Direct
Deposit (Australian $)
Direct
Deposit if preferred as payment method as we can confirm receipt
immediately.
ANZ
Bank
Branch
# 013839
Acc
# 589458048
Payment
by Cheque
All
cheque payments are to be made out to Edgewater Resort with reference
to your YES Tours reservation.
Post
cheques to:
Attn:
Reservations
Edgewater
Resort
PO
Box 61
Wanaka
New
Zealand
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Can I pay
by credit card?
Payments
for Whistler or Niseko:
We
can accept credit card payments by VISA, MasterCard or AMEX and this is
how the majority of our clients pay. Please provide your card
number,
expiry date and CVD security code. The CVD is a 3 or 4 digit code on
the back of the credit card (for Visa and MasterCard) or in the case of
American Express cards, on the front.
Payments
for Wanaka:
Credit
card payments can be made directly to Edgewater Resort. Please phone
the Edgewater Resort on +64 (0)3 443 8311 or fax +61 (0)3 443 8323 with
reference to you YES Tours reservation. Alternatively, we are happy to
organise this for you if you send us your credit card details to
res@yesimprovement.com.
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IN RESORT
|
Do I need
to tip?
We
know that most of you come from countries where tipping is not common.
In Canada as in the USA, it is common to tip for most services such
as: taxi drivers, hairdressers, bartenders and servers. The regular
amount is 15% of your bill in restaurants or bars. For taxi drivers and
hairdressers you can just add a couple of dollars to the bill. It is
also customary to tip our instructors. We recommend $25+ per person per
week for your instructor.
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