 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all, we are just thinking of our next ski trip, last year we went to Wengen which was the best place we have been to, only our fourth trip but it is a lovely place, and it suits my wife Linda as she just likes cruising runs nothing too steep or scarey as she freaks out a bit. We have fancied Canada for a while although not keen on the long flight as we went to america for two of our trips this involving 2 and 3 flights!!! Don't fancy whistler as i don't like the idea of rain at resort level and from what i have read it sounds like it is always busy there. I quite like the idea of sun peaks big white silver star etc but don't know how good they are, it seems common to do a twin centre trip, i have just been quoted by ski independance for this at £1481 per person!!!!!!! it just seems a lot of money for a room only then ski hire and meals on top. Any ideas on how to do it cheaper or is that just what it costs? Also I don't want a charter flight it has to be scheduled. What are the resorts like, is there a good atmosphere to them, i know the scenery won't match Wengen so we might have to back there it's just that i do like trying new places. I thought about jasper but it seems very small ski area and not that snow sure. Confused I am, any thoughts and help much appreciated. Oh i forgot are the runs nice long cruisers?
Thanks
Andy
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hi andyarmitage, we're doing a joint Sun Peaks/Big White trip this year and going with Ski Independence. If you're a member of the Ski Club of GB (which costs £75 joint/family membership) you will get 10% off Ski Independence holidays. They fly scheduled not charter. There are quite a few threads on this here and here and here to name just a few. Okanagan is our expert on these resorts! I'm sure he'll be along soon 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Thanks for that Cathy
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| andyarmitage wrote: |
We have fancied Canada for a while although not keen on the long flight as we went to america for two of our trips this involving 2 and 3 flights!!! Don't fancy whistler as i don't like the idea of rain at resort level and from what i have read it sounds like it is always busy there.
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Snap, 
we are thinking of exaclty the same kind of trip, end of feb / march 5 days at each and if we can a couple at Vancouver
the flights not too bad, if you can sleep and we too are thinking of not doing whistler due to comments on wet weather
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I quite like the idea of sun peaks big white silver star etc but don't know how good they are, it seems common to do a twin centre trip, i have just been quoted by ski independance for this at £1481 per person!!!!!!! it just seems a lot of money for a room only then ski hire and meals on top. Any ideas on how to do it cheaper or is that just what it costs? Also I don't want a charter flight it has to be scheduled. What are the resorts like, is there a good atmosphere to them, i know the scenery won't match Wengen so we might have to back there it's just that i do like trying new places. Andy |
Sun peaks is nice enough and a couple of good places to eat
what has pushed the price up for us is the possible car hire, which is about 1300 per person. + ski hire etc
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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andyarmitage, you're a bit late to do it really cheaply! For that it's best to get in early and buy one of the early season priced season passes (break even is about 10 days skiing), which then qualify you for a discount on accomodation at Big White/Silver Star too.
Given that you're talking scheduled flights it's not going to be cheap ...
e.g. for 28/01/06 -> 11/02/06
Heathrow->Kelowna (via Vancouver) = £630 on Air Canada
Transfers from Kelowna airport to the resort are £30 return, and the same for the inter-resort transfer between BW & SS.
Accomodation - for Putnam Station (the nicest place to stay at SS) it's $99 per night per room at that time of the season. You need to add provincial hotel tax of 8% to that (also 7 % GST but that's reclaimable) - so about £53 per night for 2.
At BW the most econmical Hotel option is probably White Crystal - from C$112/night - so about £60 per night for 2.
So your basic flights/transfers/rooms price would be about
flights: £630
transfers: £60
accomodation: £395
total: £1075
Did your ski independence quote include lift tickets? If so it sounds about right - if not you could definately do it cheaper yourself.
You might shave a bit off (up to about £100) by going BA to Seattle, and then Horizon to Kelowna, but it's quite tight at 1 hr 25 mins from landing to take-off at Seattle.
We use the http://www.canadian-affair.com/ flights to Vancouver - currently £345 inc tax and pay the extra £7 to pre-select seats (or £25 for extra legroom/£59 for premium if you've got more money than we have!) and then drive (about 4.5 hours in good conditions).
Car hire: best price is usually http://www.wheelsabroad.com/ - currently just under £300 inclusive for a 4-wheel drive jeep style vehicle for the two weeks. That also allows us to do the first night en route (around Abbotsford or Hope) and finish the drive in the morning, and stay off mountain on the last night too, which cuts the accomodation cost a bit too.
I'll write more about the resorts later - but I'm actually supposed to be working at the moment!
Cathy Coins, I'm a she actually.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Should have said that for accomodation a little cheaper at BW, as breakfast is included, you could try here
Personally I'd spend a little more for this
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| andyarmitage wrote: |
| my wife .... just likes cruising runs nothing too steep or scarey as she freaks out a bit. ....Don't fancy whistler as i don't like the idea of rain at resort level and from what i have read it sounds like it is always busy there. I quite like the idea of sun peaks big white silver star etc but don't know how good they are..... What are the resorts like, is there a good atmosphere to them, i know the scenery won't match Wengen .... I thought about jasper but it seems very small ski area and not that snow sure. .... are the runs nice long cruisers? |
andyarmitage, there's plenty of blue (for which read european blue/red) cruisy runs at both BW and SS. SS has a lot more difficult skiing than BW, but of course you don't have to do it, and you'll never find yourself on the more difficult bits accidentally as they're nearly all headwall runs and very obvious from the top (generally the top is the worst bit!). I'd suggest hooking up with one of the "Snow Host" tours to start with so you get your bearings - and they'll probably show you one or two place you might not have found on your own too.
Scenery wise it's certainly different to Wengen, but you'll find some dramatic scenery at BW too if the conditions are right for the "Snow Ghosts" to form (snow encrusted trees) - which is different to anything you'll see in Europe. There are nice views down to the lakes from Silver Star too.
What you will find as that being small resorts there isn't a vast choice of raucous nightlife at either - it's more bars (some with live music) and restaurants rather than clubs, so it all depends upon what you mean by "atmosphere"! At SS Long John's is the bar to be in, and at BW head for Snowshoe Sam's. There are others at both of course.
Both resorts are very snow sure - last year in what was a dreadful winter from late January on for everywhere in BC and the Pacific North West of the US, the resorts fared better than anywhere else in the region. And they're typically neither as wet as Whistler, or as cold as the resorts over in the Rockies (Banff area, Jasper, etc).
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Thanks Okanagan appreciate your help, we are now thinking of maybe just doing one resort for two weeks, or would this be a mistake? Would sun peaks be the best one to do as it seems to have the larger ski area? Very confusing all these choices how well do you know sun peaks
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I'd say that you'd probably get bored of Sun Peaks after two weeks. Not that it's not nice, but if you're going to go that far, you'd get more out of your trip by doing a 2 centre. Bear in mind that the resorts aren't the same size you'd get in Europe - so you're only talking three lifts up from the village area at Sun Peaks, even counting Mt Morrisey which isn't exactly linked into the skiing on the original side of the resort.
Personally I find Sun Peaks a bit mock-Austrian, which considering that I can get the real thing without travelling that far, doesn't especially appeal. It's also very popular with Germans, more so than the other two (which attract a lot of Aussies/Kiwis).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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nbt, not for 4WD it isn't. And Vancouver being coastal, the hire cars there don't come with winter tyres or chains. We've driven across in storms, and personally I'd rather pay the bit extra for 4WD than brave the Coquihalla in a non 4WD with summer tyres.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Okanagan which two centres would you yourself combine as you know the area well, i would appreciate your opinion, we just love long cruising runs not too steep and obviously nice centres and hotels as well.
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andyarmitage, depends if you're flying or driving.
If you're flying in and using the resort shuttle, then Big White and Silver Star is the sensible combination, as they're each about an hour in different directions from the same airport (Kelowna).
For Sun Peaks the local airport is Kamloops, and I'm not sure about the availability of transfers between Sun Peaks and the others or from the others back to Kamloops airport. I think there is a Sun Peaks/Silver Star transfer a couple of times a week (Wednesday and Saturday only) which is used by the tourops when they have people on multicentres - but don't quote me on it and I don't remember ever seeing it advertised with a price. It's possible that you could do Air Canada (via Vancouver or Calgary) flying into Kamloops and out of Kelowna I suppose, but not sure what the cost implication would be.
If you're thinking of driving, then distance wise Sun Peaks to Silver Star is about 100 miles - so about 2.5 hours in reasonable road conditions (which obviously aren't guaranteed!). Sun Peaks to Big White nearer 3.5-4 hours, Big White to Silver Star about 2 hours - direct transfers a couple of times a week and via the airport (which is en-route anyway) every day. Nothing to stop you doing 3 centres though if you're driving, which actually gives you a round trip with a bit of varied scenery as you could go along the Fraser Canyon to get between Vancouver and Sun Peaks, down the Okanagan Valley to Silver Star and Big White, and over the Coquihalla pass heading back to Vancouver (or vice versa of course). There's actually a 4th, smaller, resort a bit further south called Apex Mountain, which would fit into a round trip too, but a variety of long cruisy runs wouldn't be Apex's claim to fame!
Other considerations - BW & SS are under the same ownership, so the multi-day lift tickets are interchangable. This can save you a little bit compared to buying seperate 6/7 day tickets at each. Although actually if you've got a car and have time to stop off on your way up, call in at Coopers Foods - 3155 Lakeshore Rd, Kelowna (for Big White), or 43rd Avenue in Vernon (for Silver Star) where you can pick up discounted midweek lift tickets which work out cheaper than buying the multi day passes at the mountain given that you'll probably have 10 out of 13 days skiing midweek.
Talking of discounts and shopping, if you've got a car, check out the Far West factory outlets in Vernon or Kelowna for bargain goretex etc., which you can even claim the tax back on when you come home. Of the three resorts Silver Star is the close enough to a town (Vernon) for you to drive down after skiing (or stop enroute between resorts) for shopping if you like - the others are more remote.
All the areas have good cruising runs. Of the three Silver Star has the smallest village (but the prettiest), and is probably my favourite - it's definately still as much a locals mountain as a destination resort, so after a few days you'll find you're recognised and greeted by the lifties etc. The longest runs are at Big White. Sun Peaks is a bit too cruisy and all much of a muchness in terms of gradient for my taste - but hey you get the chance to ski with, and pick up tips from Nancy Greene, which is something the others can't offer.
Don't forget that without having to confront anything steep, you will find lots of easy off-piste and tree skiing too - Silver Star has some super easy glade skiing on the front side of the mountain (and more new glades opening this year), and areas like the Enchanted Forest and SunRype Bowl at BW make a nice, non intimidating, introduction to skiing off the pisted runs. Whichever combination you decide on I'm sure you'll have a great time!
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You know it makes sense.
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andyarmitage,
If you're going for 2 weeks, and staying at a single centre, then consider Banff. It has access to 3 ski areas on a single lift pass (with free shuttle bus), it's a single direct flight to Calgary followed by a 1.5 hour bus transfer, it's a bustling little town with a lot going on, and there is a full range of terrain options. It's also popular with tour operators, so it should be a lot cheaper than the price you've been quoted for Sun Peaks Big White.
Oh, and if you can, go toward the end of March: generally warmer weather and the whole season's accumulated snow, plus whatever falls while you're there.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Acacia I have considered Banff but am really put off by having to get a bus to all the ski areas, i have read that you can have a long cold wait for them. Have you been there I am sure it would be great and cheaper, the big white silver star etc is just coming out too dear as we don't want to spend as much as that holiday will cost. We might just have to go back to wengen for a week but we really fancied canada.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I usually reckon on £100 per person per day once we've paid for everything - beer, lifts, food etc. Maybe very by £20 each way depending on whether we go budget or luxury.
that rule of thumb works whether it;s 7 days in europe or 14 days in canada - and you need to go to canada for longer to counter the effect of travelling so far
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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excitableboy, when are you there? We'll be over at the back end of January. Looking good at the moment though - I can't remember a snow base of over a metre before the end of November in the last few years....
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FAQ
Not long until beer and music at Long John's and Red Wine and entres at The Wine Cellar. 