Banff, Alberta, Canada. Resort review by Tom
By admin | September 3, 2011
Banff – Situated in the heart of the Canadian Rockies is the picturesque town of Banff. The postcard perfect town of three thousand, give or take a few tourists, is the perfect place to base yourself for a week (or season) worth of skiing and boarding in the Rockies signature champagne powder. With three resorts within 40 minutes, Norquay, Sinshine Village and Lake Louise, there is terrain for everyone from first timer to professional.
Norquay – Built for the 1988 winter Olympics and lying just a 5 minute drive from the township is the smallest of the ‘Big Three’ resorts, Norquay. Offering a nice mix between some more mellow family slopes and the steeps of the North America chair, Norquay is a convenient and fun resort for the family. Get up there on Fridays and Wednesdays in peak season and lap the park and other runs under lights.
Sunshine Village – Sunshine Village is a 20 minute drive/bus/hitchhike from the town and is where I spent the most of my time. The runs off Goats Eye chair on a powder day was some of the most amazing tree skiing I’ve ever done. After a dump call the Delirium Dive hotline and if it’s open head to Mountain Magic Equipment on Bear street, say hi the resident golden Labrador Charlotte, rent a pair of fat demo skis, an avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe and go shred the double black freeride zone which will have you shaking with adrenaline for hours after. If you can find someone to show you around there is some great slackcountry hikes just out of bounds on Wawa chair, but I definitely wouldn’t recommended exploring out of bounds without someone with local knowledge as avalanches are a real danger and you can end up in some pretty hairy situations. Sunshine boasts the best park in the area and when they get it all up there’s a good mixture of beginner to advance lines so you can hurt yourself as much or as little as you want.
Lake Louise –A forty minute drive or bus from Banff is the biggest of the resorts. Typically not as busy as the other two Louise is where to head after you’ve found your ski legs. The back bowls on a powder day are incredible. The huge amount of vertical terrain makes for some long runs and there is plenty of stuff to explore through. Head to the trees and gullies off Top of the World Chair for some adventure or rip some GS turns down the world cup circuit. If you’ve got a few days I’d recommend organizing a night or two at Skoki Backcountry Lodge (http://www.skoki.com/). It takes a couple of hours to skin in from Lake Louise (trail is all marked) and you’re greeted with great food and incredible scenery, defiantly an experience you don’t get in Australia.
Make sure you set aside some time for other festivities as Banff by night is something special. Numerous bars and clubs on the main street are always buzzing once the sun goes down. Grab a cheap feed at Melissa’s before heading to the Magpie and Stump for cold beer out of a jar and FREE peanuts. Inadvertently this often leads to Hoodoo’s or Aurora’s, the towns two nightclubs, one of which is open every night and always happy to take your money. For a more relaxed vibe go and watch some Hockey at Tommy’s or shoot some pool at the Pump and Tap.
Boasting one of the longest ski seasons in North America from Mid November until late May, skiing Banff you can expect the fluffiest, driest powder there is.
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Lake Louise Ski Area
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Sunshine Village
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Mt. Norquay
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Average Snowfall
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454 cms
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914 cms
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300 cms
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Skiable Acres
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4,200 acres
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3,358 acres
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190 acres
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Longest Run
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8 kms
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8 kms
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1,167 m
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Terrain
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25% Beginner
45% Intermediate 30% Expert |
20% Beginner
55% Intermediate 25% Expert |
20% Beginner
36% Intermediate 28% Advanced 16% Expert |
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Runs
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139
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107
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28
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Vertical Drop
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3,250 feet
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3,514 feet
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3.514 feet
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Lifts
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9
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12
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5
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Topics: Canada | No Comments »
Warm August but still good skiing!
By Ben | August 31, 2011
I heard yesterday that we have just had the warmest August ever and that temperatures were 2.5 degrees higher than average. Some might think that after this warm spell it will all be over but there is still good snow up there. Not only that but you will have a much higher chance of sunny conditions and less crowds.
I love spring skiing and would much rather take a soft warm sunny day up there than a cold foggy day any time.
Gear at Auski is cheap so check our SALE PAGE out for some ripper deals, put some warm wax on those skis and get up there for some fun.
Topics: Snow News | No Comments »
Red Mountain B.C Canada Resort Review
By Ben | August 31, 2011
Red Mountain is one of my favourite resorts in the world nestled in the Kootenay’s in British Columbia. It has been named one of the Top Ten Resorts of North America by Forbes Magazine, and is quickly becoming one of North America’s most sought-after mountain destinations.
Red is only a ten minutes drive north of the Canada/US Border, a 2.5 hour drive from Spokane International Airport (Washington state) and 3.5 hour drive from Kelowna International Airport. Red is easily accessible from major airports from both Canada and the United States. The regional airports of Trail– a 20 minute drive, and Castlegar –a 30 minute drive also serve the mountain.
Most Aussies go to one of the well known B.C resorts such as Whistler, Big White or Silver Star but I would recommend a person going over there to ditch that idea, rent a car and travell through B.C to descover the real Canadian gems.
The small town of Rossland is only 5 minutes drive from Red Mountain, and is a very cool town oozing with character and is one of the highest towns in North America. Accommodation choices are some what limited but I found the local hotels to be fine. You can alternatively stay on the Mountain if you want to ski in/out with new lodges going up every year. Don’t head to Red for a party vibe though as Red is for serious riders, there for the steeps and deep dry snow.
Now for the important stuff….
The terrain at Red is amazing! If you like steep chutes, big cliff drops, amazing tree runs, no lift queues and deep powder then Red is for you. If you are travelling with beginner or timid intermediates then this may not be the mountain for you. However if you are looking for a massive untouched Canadian mountain then giddyup!!
I would suggest that anyone travelling in the interior of B.C to take a longer reverse camber board or some fat skis with rocker as the snow can get really deep.
Overall, Red is a fantastic challenging mountain and I would recommend it to anyone thinking of heading to Canada as an alternative to the bigger resorts.
The Hard Numbers
Statistics
| Location | Rossland, B.C. |
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| Vertical Drop | 890m |
| Total Size | 4,200 acres |
| Lift Serviced | 1,685 acres |
| Number of Marked Runs | 88 |
| Number of Lifts | 6 |
| Longest Run | 7km |
| % Beginner | 15% |
| % Intermediate | 40% |
| % Advanced | 45% |
| Avg. Snowfall | 750cm |
| Base Elevation | 1185m |
| Summit Elevation | 2075m |
| Average Winter Temp | -4°C |
Topics: Resort Reviews | No Comments »
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