As it's our groups 10th ski trip in 2017 we were thinking of branching out and trying Canada for a change.
We are a group of 8 to 12 (varies over the years), 35 - 50 year old guys who range from low to slightly lower intermediate (actually a few of us aren't too bad), who enjoy cruisy runs, little bit of off piste. Apres is normally relatively tame with the odd "big" night out.
I'm desperate to try Whistler, not really sure why but having read a few reviews it seems to tick a number of boxes and I just get a good feeling about it, but would welcome recommendations from others for Canada or North America.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Am soon returning to Banff / Lake Louise for the fourth time.
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?
Whistler is the best resort in Canada. Just go there.
Whistler is the best resort in Canada. Just go there
But - being near the coast - is also prone to rain at lower levels on the mountain; as well as lift queues.
Having said that, is a fantastic area. I loved it. Also loved Banff - great town, great ski areas. You have to bus to the skiing but I didn't find that too bad at all.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Road trip, ski several areas. Whistler is fun and you can always stay on the upper slopes, if it warms up. Best apres in BC.
Revelstoke has gotten a lot of snow this winter. Banff can be quite fun. Plenty more options. Time & $ to winmow all the options.
im off to panorama for the 4th time at the end of the month . whistler certainly ticks all of your boxes . but there are many many others to consider too . how about sun peaks and big white .
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I used to hear about Fernie being up and coming (15 years ago). What's that like these days? I think it was good skiing but very small town?
After all it is free
After all it is free
mountainaddict wrote:
Quote:
Whistler is the best resort in Canada. Just go there
But - being near the coast - is also prone to rain at lower levels on the mountain; as well as lift queues.
Having said that, is a fantastic area. I loved it. Also loved Banff - great town, great ski areas. You have to bus to the skiing but I didn't find that too bad at all.
Couldn't agree more, doesn't feel like a ski resort at all.. mainly because it isn't. It's just a regular working town (at heart) so not everyone you speak to bangs on about skiing/boarding
The buses are comfortable, the ones to Lake Louise have WiFi too, and due to the time difference, you'll be up early enough (whether you like it or not) to get the 1st buses to Sunshine & LL and get started early.. Another big plus is the way they arrange their passes, you can ski 3 days out of 4, 4 out of 5, or 5 out of 7 for example.. so if you get a pants weather day, or your legs need a break, you don't lose a day
Oh, and I can recommend an excursion to Kicking Horse in BC for the day, bit of a trek by minibus and an early start, but well worth it, and great value too for $89 for the return journey AND your lift ticket..
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@Orange200, Fernie is a great hill I was there about 8-9 years ago and loved the terrain. I think it's lower/warmer than banff, but still not quite as warm as the coast, i.e. whistler. When I was in Banff last season, which was particularly warm, i.e. banff was -5 or so most of the time they were talking about people downloading on the lower lifts in Fernie.
Like I say I loved the hill, the town was great and when we were there the snow was in great shape, we had a couple of 20cm days in the 10 we stayed and I can only imagine how great it would have been if it really threw down.
The town was really nice too, more of a real town than a ski resort, good bars and food from what I recall. Reminded me visually of South Park. I reckon it would be worth a visit, maybe if you're over for 2 weeks a two centre stay? I did Revvie and Banff last season in that order and really enjoyed it, even though conditions were crap in Revelstoke I knew at least Banff would be in better shape.
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Just be aware that if you go with a tour operator you may have under occupancy charges for the hotel rooms unless you sleep 4 to a room.
Generally the rooms are large with 2 large Queen/king beds and the TOs believe that they will sleep 4 adults!
It can be awkward if you are anticipating single beds!
If less than 4 occupy the room they charge for under occupancy.
If you book the room direct with the hotel you don't have this problem.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
The weak Canadian dollar makes now a great time to go to Canada. My husband and I were in Whistler last March (with terrible snow conditions...), but the town was really convenient, loads of restaurant and bar options and plenty to do other than ski (the Olympic bobsleigh was one of the best things I've ever done!). But the snow was pretty horrible in some spots, so the high up runs were really, really busy. I'm sure on a better snow year, the crowds would be much better dispersed. If you're set on Whistler, but could wait to book and keep an eye on the conditions, I would recommend that. That being said, it was still one of the greatest ski holidays we've ever had! And if you can manage a day or 2 in Vancouver, you must.
We're off to Banff this year (please god, give us some decent snow...) - sorry to hijack the thread slightly, but QRZBudda, could you tell me where you booked the excursion to Kicking Horse?
Quote:
Oh, and I can recommend an excursion to Kicking Horse in BC for the day, bit of a trek by minibus and an early start, but well worth it, and great value too for $89 for the return journey AND your lift ticket..
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.
SLB79 wrote:
The weak Canadian dollar makes now a great time to go to Canada. My husband and I were in Whistler last March (with terrible snow conditions...), but the town was really convenient, loads of restaurant and bar options and plenty to do other than ski (the Olympic bobsleigh was one of the best things I've ever done!). But the snow was pretty horrible in some spots, so the high up runs were really, really busy. I'm sure on a better snow year, the crowds would be much better dispersed. If you're set on Whistler, but could wait to book and keep an eye on the conditions, I would recommend that. That being said, it was still one of the greatest ski holidays we've ever had! And if you can manage a day or 2 in Vancouver, you must.
We're off to Banff this year (please god, give us some decent snow...) - sorry to hijack the thread slightly, but QRZBudda, could you tell me where you booked the excursion to Kicking Horse?
Quote:
Oh, and I can recommend an excursion to Kicking Horse in BC for the day, bit of a trek by minibus and an early start, but well worth it, and great value too for $89 for the return journey AND your lift ticket..
Their office is in the little mall with the stinky fudge shop at the front .. cracking service, couldn't fault it.. just a shame it was a whiteout when I got there
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
dont forget eastern canada too . 7 hr flight instead of 9-10 hr . mont tremblant , stoneham and mont st anne .
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Out of interest, those of you who have been to Whistler, would you say January is a risky time to go with conditions?
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Mid to late January should be very good. There's been plenty of time to get depth to the snow and its generally pretty cold with some new snow falling regularly. The downside of January is that the lift close fairly early (around 3.00) but there is so much skiing to do that you may be glad to stop then and anyway if you get a late lift up from the village it can take a while to ski back down. The village has a number of great pubs and bars and the nightlife while slightly muted can provide what most people want of one sort of another.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
reded78 wrote:
As it's our groups 10th ski trip in 2017 we were thinking of branching out and trying Canada for a change.
We are a group of 8 to 12 (varies over the years), 35 - 50 year old guys who range from low to slightly lower intermediate (actually a few of us aren't too bad), who enjoy cruisy runs, little bit of off piste. Apres is normally relatively tame with the odd "big" night out.
I'm desperate to try Whistler, not really sure why but having read a few reviews it seems to tick a number of boxes and I just get a good feeling about it, but would welcome recommendations from others for Canada or North America.
I can certainly recommend Big White for that sort of skiing and nightlife. Snow is usually awesome throughout the season and lots of easy and safe lift accessible powder. Groomed runs are excellent too with plenty of variety. Less crowds than Whistler and accommodation is relatively cheap and luxurious. You could hire yourselves a really smart penthouse apartment or chalet and that's what a group of my work colleagues did a few years back and they had a great time.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Whistler is popular for good reason, but have a look at Mont Tremblant too - smaller, but still big enough and can get icy as it's east side... but it is a very easy/closer flight and short transfer.
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?
Whistler is having a great snow year so far compared to last season. So far this season we've had more snow than the whole of last season
Canadian resorts fall into two categories, those that are big enough for a week's piste skiing and those that aren't. Perhaps three categories, because I'm ignoring the east here.
An average piste skier can cover all the pistes in the majority of the resorts in a day, so for me, that rules out all but Banff and Whistler for your trip.
Banff has a lot going for it, attractive town, plenty of entertainment and dining options and things to do away from the skiing. The downside is the journey to the mountains. Sunshine and Lake Louise are themselves two of the biggest Canadian ski areas and both entertain for a couple of days. It's where I'd go for a one off trip.
Whistler is the biggest resort. I've never seen it at its best (over three visits) and I find the town corporate and soulless. You'd struggle not to have a good time there though.
For the rest, you need to clear your mind of what is familiar in Europe. Base areas (or the dormitory town down the hill) tend to be very quiet with limited drinking and dining options. Unless you're dedicated self caterers who prefer to stay in and play cards at night, that alone would stop me from spending a week at most of the Can resorts.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Canadian Affair will likley be the cheapest way of getting there and omewhere to stay.
I'm desperate to try Whistler, not really sure why
I'm not really sure why either.
Whistler is great for: steep off piste, deep powder if it's cold enough when it precipitates, some great gladed tree skiing.
Quote:
low to slightly lower intermediate
Doesn't map so well onto that profile...
Otherwise it's just another ski resort, but much further than the Alps.
Don't get me wrong, I've twice added a few days there on to heli trips and we had a ball, skiing steep and deep powder and through the trees. But...
Revelstoke and Kicking Horse again, great if you're happy with steep and (sometimes) deep. But for lower level piste skiing? Very, very limited.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
coops1967 wrote:
Whistler is popular for good reason, but have a look at Mont Tremblant too - smaller, but still big enough and can get icy as it's east side... but it is a very easy/closer flight and short transfer.
For the sake of staying on a plane for another few hours, I'd go west every single time. Which I do! Icy east side snow with the occasional mega-storm is not my idea of good skiing. I tried to tell that to a mate of mine, but he insisted on going to Tremblant and came home with a broken collar bone - fell on some bullet proof ice.
I've skied in Big White now for a decade and I can literally count the truly icy days on one hand. It's nearly always fresh conditions and the snow preservation is great as it rarely goes into freeze/thaw cycles - except for very late season sometimes which reminds me why we keep going there.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Val Desire wrote:
reded78
Canadian resorts fall into two categories, those that are big enough for a week's piste skiing and those that aren't. Perhaps three categories, because I'm ignoring the east here.
An average piste skier can cover all the pistes in the majority of the resorts in a day, so for me, that rules out all but Banff and Whistler for your trip.
Depends whether you judge resorts on size or actual quality of skiing (especially for your level of skiing too). Technically it's true I could ski every single marked piste in Big White in 2 or 3 days, but an average intermediate would need maybe closer to a full week. But that is not the full story by any means. If you venture off-piste (safely in-bounds) there is enough terrain to keep you going pretty much indefinitely and a lot of it is the sort of off-piste that an intermediate could tackle safely. I'm still finding interesting new spots a decade later. Also the on-piste is quite varied so you never really get bored of it and you certainly wouldn't in a week or two, especially with a few decent powder dumps along the way.
I've skied Whistler and Banff / Lake Louise too and they're both good. But actually I preferred Lake Louise, it just felt a bit more real to me and there were no crowds (but this was mid 90s). Whistler was okay but didn't quite live up to the hype for me. Snow was heavy and wet, everything was skied out before breakfast and the crowds were pretty bad too. Nightlife was obviously lively, but too packed for my liking. I remember finding it hard to even get a table in the more popular restaurants. It was actually in Whistler we heard about Big White from some locals and went there to investigate the following season (end of 2006) and never looked back since.
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What month are you planning? If it's early or late go for Alberta, but it can be really cold. Pre-children I would have chosen Banff area any day. Lake Louise is good if you like cruisy blues, anything ungroomed is generally a mugul field by January, unless you get lucky. They've opened up some of the 'off piste/out of bounds' since I was a kid. We used to love playing out of bounds around larch, now that they patrol it it's a little safer for intermediates and still nearly as fun.
I'd suggest renting a car and driving to Kicking Horse for a day. There's some intimidating stuff there but you'll really feel that you've experienced Canadian wilderness. They have a resident bear. Don't go out of bounds there if you're intermediate.
Panarama is also good for a day. Skip kaninaskis and norquay unless you've only got a couple of hours.
More recently I'm a convert to Whistler. It's a little warmer and very child friendly. There's some fun intermediate friendly ungroomed snow off the glacier and symphony bowl. Everything is a little more 'civilised'. Plenty of ski-in ski-out too. Less reliable snow, but great when it does.
Quebec is great for children and beginners. It can get icy.
Definitely go ahead with the trip either way. Canada is awesome, cheap food, free water in all the lodges, no drunk skiiers. Really friendly people
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How many days are you skiing that affects where iit is worth the time and energy to travel. Skied many of the places mentioned and enjoyed them all. Banff is a fun place for apres as is Whistler. Fernie great when it's cold , but low elev. Red and Whitewater are a great duo, as is skiing in the Okanogon areas.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Yes I agree with pinhead. The main point is that Canadian skiing is not just about Whistler or Banff, good as they are. There are so many other resorts to consider, especially if you want to get away from the tour operator masses. Dual mountain trips can be good too if you are going for a couple of weeks e.g. Big White / Silver Star
Here's a video of Big White (it's actually a ski tip video I spotted in another thread recently) but it shows some of the pistes and typical snow conditions (i.e. soft) quite well.
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.
@reded78, I like Whistler and go there most years. Lucky we missed last year - phew.
January is an ok time to go and it is cheap and quiet but as mentioned above last lift is 3pm.
I would be happy trying more places as some look great (Big White and Sun Peaks) but the extra hassle to get to them just has never been worth to to me. So if you were thinking of a longer trip maybe worth trying some more places too.
Note if you are at the lower end of capabilities then you will be ok but not huge quantities of green runs. Plenty of Blues that they do bash most nights (check website each day) or if you are on one they have not, it will be very bumpy. They do leave a lot of mountain un groomed.
One good thing is that of any lift there is always the 3 options (Green, Blue and Black) to get down to the lift again so you can still stay together as a group and ski to the standard you want.
Go on or you will always wonder what you have missed.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Jake43 wrote:
@reded78
I would be happy trying more places as some look great (Big White and Sun Peaks) but the extra hassle to get to them just has never been worth to to me.
40 mins flight from Vancouver/Calgary/Seattle + 1 hour easy drive to resort. I've had more hassle than that driving from Vancouver to Whistler (nearly missed a flight once due to bad traffic). Honestly it's not a big deal getting into interior BC if you want to get away from the crowds.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
uktrailmonster wrote:
Jake43 wrote:
@reded78
I would be happy trying more places as some look great (Big White and Sun Peaks) but the extra hassle to get to them just has never been worth to to me.
40 mins flight from Vancouver/Calgary/Seattle + 1 hour easy drive to resort. I've had more hassle than that driving from Vancouver to Whistler (nearly missed a flight once due to bad traffic). Honestly it's not a big deal getting into interior BC if you want to get away from the crowds.
Ah but you don't have a wife that hates flights and it is a long drive. So saving it for a long road trip.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Did she take the boat to Whistler then?
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
uktrailmonster wrote:
Did she take the boat to Whistler then?
As I hit submit I just thought that would come back No she can stay in a plane (bigger the better) for as long as you want its the up and down bits she does not like. So another flight is not happening. Not to mention Daughter lives in Whistler at the mo so tricky looking elsewhere for us.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Well I'm glad you didn't say you live in Vancouver. That would have peed me right off
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?
I've been to Whistler 4 times, loved it everytime.........but it does have its draw backs, the rain in the village for one. Its great for shopping and nightlife, be careful where you stay tho as it can be noisy if you're close to the party spots.
I'm currently in Big White Canada, its great! Every accommodation is ski in and ski out, the village is compact but quite small. Our group is 5 skiers, 45-53, reasonable level, prefer nice wide cruising blues (europe reds) not too steep and some powder to play in at the edge of the piste. Big White has this in boat loads!
We are in the Stonegate apartments, they are very high quality, 3 minute walk to the village centre (which you can ski down) you exit the ski lockers directly onto a lovely wide piste down to the lifts. No real big party places as its a family resort, dont let that deter you though as Sno Shoe Sams has won the best Canadian apre ski bar a few times and is pretty lively, plus its Canada, so they actually make really good beer and the Okanagan wine is excellent!
Its snowed a lot, been sunny a lot, been very nice!! And if you do come here, you HAVE to go to the Kettle Valley Steakhouse and try the Tomahawk Steak...............
Canadian resorts fall into two categories, those that are big enough for a week's piste skiing and those that aren't. Perhaps three categories, because I'm ignoring the east here.
... An average piste skier can cover all the pistes in the majority of the resorts in a day, so for me, that rules out all but Banff and Whistler for your trip.
...Whistler is the biggest resort. I've never seen it at its best (over three visits) and I find the town corporate and soulless. You'd struggle not to have a good time there though.
For the rest, you need to clear your mind of what is familiar in Europe. Base areas (or the dormitory town down the hill) tend to be very quiet with limited drinking and dining options. Unless you're dedicated self caterers who prefer to stay in and play cards at night, that alone would stop me from spending a week at most of the Can resorts.
I would put that another way: many of the best Canadian resorts, like many European and US resorts, are not "destination" resorts intended for people to spend weeks in one place. Most of the best hills aren't big enough for many people to want to stay all that long. On the other hand, if you measure a hill by the length of "piste", then you're making a huge mistake. In North America you can, and should, ride anywhere in-bounds, not just on the pistes. So there's way more area "in-bounds off-piste" than there is on the piste. Hence lots of resorts (Snowbird, Taos) may appear tiny, but in fact have fresh lines waiting for the more intrepid even days after a storm.
If it's your first time then I would suggest one of the big places (Banff, Whistler) because they're easy to get to, they have something for everyone, including plenty of on-piste, and you don't need to drive. Whistler's coastal so the snow is wetter and you will get rain in the village, but it's the biggest and probably most interesting resort in North America, and it gets vast amounts of snow in an ordinary season. Almost anywhere else in BC will get drier snow and have fewer tourists. Banff has drier snow (but less of it), and a similar number of tourists. Whistler attracts more "wannabe" people and drunks, but has better restaurants than anywhere outside the city.
Less popular places are of course better. Fernie/ Revelstoke/ Golden/ Kelowna/ Vernon/ Kamloops/ Chilliwack /Prince George in the rain are places I've happily driven away from. That's not a realistic option for first-timers or those asking "where should I go" questions => don't go there, yet.
--
You can get good craft beer almost anywhere and local Okanagan wines are excellent, and the Canadian Peso makes everything cheap at the moment. The food's cheap so remember to tip the wait staff.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Banff, Banff , Banff. It has 3 ski areas, less likelihood of rain than Whistler and has a good night life. Terrain to suit all levels and a huge range of accommodation.
The East of Canada just shouldn't be in the picture...Tremblant, Mt St Anne, Lake Placid,(US) Stowe,.....they are as prone to dicey weather and ice as is Scotland. OK if you live nearby but don't cross the pond for them.
As mentioned above Big White is a great option to go to! I'm now 18 and I've skied there 2 weeks a year for the past 10 years having always been to Whistler before. I can still honestly say i never get bored at big white. There is always something different that you notice you haven't done before! Can definitely highly recommend it… Plus think its 100% ski-in ski-out so thats pretty sweet to!
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Farley Goode wrote:
Banff, Banff , Banff. It has 3 ski areas, less likelihood of rain than Whistler and has a good night life. Terrain to suit all levels and a huge range of accommodation.
Been three times and concur wholeheartedly. There's a magic about it that makes the commute part of the adventure.
NB Bear in mind that a 45 min bus ride followed by relatively brief lifts to the top of Lake Louise, can still compare favourably with getting to the top of many European resorts, e.g. Zermatt or Chamonix. Banff simply involves a longer bus journey phase vs cable car phase.
Unfortunately, a lack of dosh keeps me tied to the Pyrenees (and Alps if I'm lucky), but I'd love to visit Banff again.
Lake Louise is a pretty good match for "cruisy runs, little bit of off piste"
After all it is free
After all it is free
We're off to Big White next weekend for 4 weeks. The snow conditions look great at the moment, so just hope it keeps snowing through the rest of the month!
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crosbie wrote:
NB Bear in mind that a 45 min bus ride followed by relatively brief lifts to the top of Lake Louise, can still compare favourably with getting to the top of many European resorts, e.g. Zermatt or Chamonix. Banff simply involves a longer bus journey phase vs cable car phase.
Screw all that! I just have a 10 sec ski from the condo down to the base gondola and up onto the main mountain lifts in under 5 mins. Not a smelly armpit or lift queue in sight Once you get used to that regime there's no going back!
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Quote:
Screw all that! I just have a 10 sec ski from the condo down to the base gondola and up onto the main mountain lifts in under 5 mins. Not a smelly armpit or lift queue in sight Once you get used to that regime there's no going back!
If you are based in the UK you can't really argue you ski in the Rockies for convenience!
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
No she can stay in a plane (bigger the better) for as long as you want its the up and down bits she does not like. So another flight is not happening. Not to mention Daughter lives in Whistler at the mo so tricky looking elsewhere for us.
