The Scandinave Spa Whistler and Rocky Mountaineer Train

The Scandinave Spa Whistler Outdoor Pools in British Columbia, Canada.

I just might start calling myself an expert in Scandinavian-style spas. In January I went to Le Nordik Spa in Gatineau, Quebec; this spring I made it out alive of the coldest sauna in North America at -110°C; and this week I spent the afternoon at the Scandinave Spa Whistler (co-owned by ex-NHL hockey players Vincent Damphousse and Eric Désjardins).

Le Scandinave Spa Whistler
Hidden from lively Whistler Village by under 10 minutes, the Scandinave Spa is in another universe. An unassuming gravel path leads to the drenched-in-light entrance and café where I took a peek at the Scandinavian pools below: some steaming, others shockingly cold, with wooden lawn chairs scattered throughout.

This would be my “office” for the next few hours. The screen was the protective spruce and cedar forest surrounding the pools, my keyboard the steaming water rising off my arms; my seat was the startlingly cold pools, and in between the hot pools was my desk, the dry Finnish sauna with a smooth wooden surface.

Scandinavian Style Spa
The point of this type of wellness treatment is to do a three-part routine of hot (pool, sauna or steam room), cold pool or shower, then relaxation. Repeat. It helps flush and re-boot your system while clearing your head. The temperature changes also make me ravenous.

After a full circuit of all the hot and cold pools, I rushed (as much as I could with my body feeling like smiling Jello and my mind in a half Zen state) to the refreshing kitchen of Barefoot Bistro.

Bearfoot Bistro Catering
Not the real kitchen, of course, because Bearfoot Bistro the restaurant is located at 4121 Village Green (Whistler). This is a new (since February) partnership between Le Scandinave Spa and Bearfoot Bistro catering. And a happy relationship it is.

Rocky Mountaineer's Whistler Sea to Sky Climb Train from Vancouver to Whistler, BC.

I deliriously made my way through a Mangorific smoothie chock-full of mango, ginger, frozen yogurt, orange juice and ginseng. My boticcelli salad was a perfectly light meal to end my spa visit, with a handful of trail mix to go.

Whistler Sea to Sky Climb Train

Leaving my “office” in Whistler, I boarded the Rocky Mountaineer’s Whistler Sea to Sky Climb (formerly the Whistler Mountaineer) to spend a leisurely three hours through the 118 km (73 miles) of the Cheakamus Canyon, Squamish and Howe Sound.

I don’t think the staff believed me when I told them I had been well fed at the spa because they insisted on serving an afternoon tea for everyone, complete with a sandwich or vegetarian wrap, a scone, and chocolate-dipped tarts, profiteroles and strawberries. I was able to eat almost everything

After that thoroughly difficult day, I closed my eyes to the gushing waterfalls and deep canyons for a well-deserved nap. Zzzz…

Tags: Bearfoot Bistro, Eric Desjardins, Rocky Mountaineer, Scandinave Spa Whistler, Scandinavian pools, Train, Vincent Damphousse, Whistler Sea to Sky Climb