Ski Club 2.0 Home
Snow Reports
FAQFAQ

Mail for help.Help!!

Log in to snowHeads to make it MUCH better! Registration's totally free, of course, and makes snowHeads easier to use and to understand, gives better searching, filtering etc. as well as access to 'members only' forums, discounts and deals that U don't even know exist as a 'guest' user. (btw. 50,000+ snowHeads already know all this, making snowHeads the biggest, most active community of snow-heads in the UK, so you'll be in good company)..... When you register, you get our free weekly(-ish) snow report by email. It's rather good and not made up by tourist offices (or people that love the tourist office and want to marry it either)... We don't share your email address with anyone and we never send out any of those cheesy 'message from our partners' emails either. Anyway, snowHeads really is MUCH better when you're logged in - not least because you get to post your own messages complaining about things that annoy you like perhaps this banner which, incidentally, disappears when you log in :-)
Username:-
 Password:
Remember me:
👁 durr, I forgot...
Or: Register
(to be a proper snow-head, all official-like!)

banff - tell me all about it

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
purlease
snow report
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Do a search, there's loads of stuff on here about Banff. Any specific question?
snow conditions
 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?
basically is it good?

considering a trip there next season but apres looks iffy and reserved about the long trek to the main slopes on the bus


is that bit of it ok or a bit of a drag?
snow report
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
nick0861, it depends what you want. I love the place. Pleasant town, lovely situation. I am reliably informed the bus service is good, but we always hired a car for the flexibility and to avoid the TO transfer. We never found the drive to Sunshine Norquay or LL a drag, driving in Canada is a pleasure (apart from the low speed limits, although in 8 visits I only picked up one ticket).

We didn't exactly hit the apres, but it looked good and reports suggest that it is. There are loads of bars, some quiet, some definitely not, and restos. Not many sophisticated nite spots SFAIK.

The skiing is pretty varied and so far as I'm concerned, excellent.
snow conditions
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
go late Feb onwards for best snow/weather
snow conditions
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
nick0861, spent 3 months there this year, bus every day, you grow to love it! Towns excellent wether it be for a good meal or a cheap drink. Lake Louise is my favorite of the 3 by far.
snow conditions
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Went to LL on Honeymoon. Most stunning setting.

ski holidays
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
I went there for the first time this year having been to Whistler for a number of years.

We had a great time. That said, Whistler , in my view, beats it overall (but not on every aspect). A part of that may well be that I just know Whistler a lot better

We went in March so it was not bitterly cold, as ,apparently, it can be earlier in the year. In fact the weather was great, blue skies, sunny etc for the full week. No rain at all, even at resort level (which is a lot higher than the Whistler resort level). It snowed whilst we were there which freshened things up (which was needed). Whistler beats it, in my limited experience, on snow cover

The scenery is to die for. Banff is great but is trumped by a sunny day at the top of the Lake Louse gondola. When we were there (on a Saturday) a couple were getting married at the top of the gondola......the wedding pics would be stunning. There are some great vistas, on a clear day, in Whistler. The Banff ones are better and you probably get more clear days there

Banff the town. Long and narrow....Banff Avenue is the main drag and there are a few streets either side of it. A load of good restaurants and pubs worth a visit, certainly enough to keep anyone happy on a 7/10/14 day break. The walk from the edge of town (the Inns of Banff hotel) to the centre was not a problem but (1) it was not bitterly cold when we were there and (2) we had no small children. Add in one or both of those and you might think differently. But there is a bus service along Banff Avenue, a number of the hotels do shuttles I believe and there appeared to be a fair number of taxis about

The buses....not as much of a pain as you might think but they are not one of Banffs plus points. They are well run, on time and when they fill up they get another one along pretty quickly. You get a seat, the skis/boards/poles go underneath in the luggage compartment. It takes about 35-40 mins to Lake Louise and you are dropped right at the base area, it takes about 15 mins to Sunshine but then you have 15 mins in the gondola to get to the ski area. The scenery on either trip is very attractive.

I find the Canadians a very easy going nationality, service etc in hotels, bars and restaurants is typically very good....although you are as likely to be served by a Brit/Aussie/Kiwi as a Canadian. The Alberta economy is booming due to oil and so they are importers of labour in a big way.

Would I go back........certainly.
latest report
 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.
malcolm1,

Great report
snow report
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
cheers malcolm - so would you say it is better to stay in lake louise itself or head for banff??

any hotel recommendations?
snow report
 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
stay in banff for the most part... lake louise doesn't have much going on. it's about 45 mins in the bus up to lake louise so if you can't be bothered with that, you could always stay up there for a couple of nights. Just means you get more skiing time as you'll want to spend your time on the slopes rather than in the bar.
latest report
 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.
Is there much to do for the non-skier at (or around) Banff?

Actually thinking of taking a short trip (easy enough from New York) with non-skiing family member now that snow is starting to melt...
snow report
 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
abc, loads. Summer is a more popular season in Banff than Winter.
ski holidays
 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
My knowledge of Lake Louise is limited to going there by bus from Banff so that is not really much of a base at all to be giving anybody any advice!

That said, Lake Louise didnt look like a place that I would want to stay for a week or more. The ski area is off the main highway (maybe a mile or a bit more) and so far as I could see sits by itself. When you drive back to the highway there appeared to be the "town" of Lake Louise which looked like a few hotels, a gas station and not much else. I assume that if you carried on beyond where we turned off to get back to Banff you would get to the Lake itself and the Chateau Lake Louise hotel. It is all very spread out as is the way in Canada and the US. I guess a car would be a very good idea.

Far better to stay in Banff which is a real town and drive/bus to Lake Louise when you want to ski.

As regards hotels, we went on an Inghams package to the Fox Hotel on Banff Avenue which you can see on this site, along with a load of other hotels in Banff that the same crowd own/operate. There are in all the standard UK based brochures

www.bestofbanff.com

The hotels are all a bit different in terms of room size/configuration. The Fox is brand new. We had a 1 bed suite. I would have no hesitation in going back. They are all pretty close to each other and strung along Banff Avenue. The Inns of Banff is the furthest out (but is first stop on the ski bus on the journey out and back so you should have no problem getting a seat in the morning and you get dropped first going home.

For adults all of these hotels are easily walkable in the town centre, say 15ish mins for the furthest out ones at a brisk pace.
snow report
 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
We had been going to Lake Louise for 11 years and then last summer we emmigrated and are now living in Canmore (just down the road from Banff). My wife got a job at Sunshine ski hill so we have been skiing/boarding there all season. I'll start off with some information about Lake Louise as that has been our main destination as tourists.

Accommodation: Lake Louise has two luxurious hotels, the Chateau (massive, long way out of town*, stunning location, looks like Colditz Wink), the Post Hotel (excellent service, central location*, best food I have eaten anywhere, 3rd biggest wine cellar in Canada - 48000 bottles, waiting list for rooms peak times). Also there is the Lake Louise Inn, which is OK, we stayed in it a couple of years but would not go back. Then there is Red Deer Lodge which we stayed in last year, nice location, nice rooms, ok food). If I was going back, I would still raid the kids college funds to stay at The Post, but a very reasonable second choice would be Red Deer Lodge.

Transport: All hotels have free shuttles multiple times a day between hotel and hill. Once you get to the car park you are almost immediately at the base of the main run.

Scenery: Spectacular, I love the view from the LL Gondola and didn't think anything could beat it. On the whole it does have the edge on Sunshine, but see below.

Conditions: Almost always very good, front side has excellent snow making so even in a bad year or late season they can still provide a surface. Back side is all natural so can be weather dependent, also can have very poor light on some days. Worst season we have had in 12 years was still far better than an average season in the French resorts we have tried.

Weather: OK, no point in denying it, in January and early February it can be cold. But put it into perspective, you get the right gear (we replaced every item of ski clothing within 2 days of arrival on our first trip), you don't expose skin, you stay away from the most exposed lifts/ridges if the wind comes in and you will be fine! I have skied at -35C it was great, amazing snow (though I had to get the wax changed) and the average is only something like -10 or -15 which is in fact perfect for skiing. It is very hard to make anyone believe until they have come here, but it is so dry that -15C 'feels like' 0C or +5C in a damper climate. This year we have had three weeks out of the entire winter where the temperature ever went below -20C and even then it was the odd day here and there.

Terrain: Excellent mix of easy nursery slopes, wide blues, bowls, tree runs, mogul fields and really steep stuff. Lots for everyone of every ability.

Apres Ski: Almost non-existant in LL, outside of the hotels and the hill itself there is hardly anything to do.

* Lake Louise is tiny and there is very little to do in the centre of the village itself so hotel location is not very relevant. If you are staying in LL I would highly recommend hiring a car so you can get to Banff easily and so you can ski some time at Sunshine.

So that is LL, now for Banff:

Accommodation: I have visited there many many times, my kids go to school there now. I have never stayed in any of the hotels there but there are a good mix of prices and quality. I really can't add to anything malcolm1 said. However there is a hotel on the hill at Sunshine, true ski in - ski out as it is at the top of the gondola. I have stayed there a few nights and it is OK, the rooms are a little small and the food isn't great, but they are putting a lot of money into it this summer so things could change a great deal. It does give a real benefit of being able to get on the slopes before the gondola is even running! The down side is you are a little trapped up the hill at night time.

Transport: As malcolm1 said, the buses are good and I haven't heard any complaints about the travel to and from the ski hills. Norquay is the nearest hill, but I have never skied there. My son went a few times with his school and said it was OK but nowhere near as good as LL or Sunshine. Once you arrive at Sunshine you do have 15 minutes (can be up to 25 if the wind causes them to slow it down) on the gondola to get to the main ski base. You are not likely to do this more than once during the day and you can get off half way up at Goats Eye where the more challenging runs are.

Scenery: I will disagree with malcolm1 on one specific point. I too thought LL was the best scenery until I hiked up to the entrance of Delerium Dive at Sunshine. I didn't ski it because it was closed, it is on my list for next year, but it is quite simply the most breathtaking view I have ever seen. 360 degrees of just a sea of mountains! However it does need to be a perfect day and the weather can change so quickly that I have set off for the sumit three times this year in sunshine and twice it has been hidden in cloud by the time I got there!

Weather: The weather at Sunshine is usually comparable to Lake Louise, from my experience both can get the occasional very cold day, both can suffer from poor visibility and both can have great sunny days too. If I had to differentiate between them I would say Sunshine had a little more runs likely to have greater exposure to windchill and the back side of LL is probably the area least likely to get sun. I am also fairly sure Sunshine has still had no rain at the hill all year, certainly nothing after the gondola. Not so sure about LL, but if they have had any it will have been minimal, neither resort really gets rain until they very end of the season.

Conditions: I had never skied Sunshine until this season when I have in fact not been anywhere else. So far I have got in about 30 days I think and it has been a relatively poor winter. They average 10m of snow and so far have only had about 7m (though we are due 40+cm this week). However it is all natural snow and the difference, compared to LL, is incredible. No sign of ice or slush anywhere on the main slopes when I was there the weekend before last. I have had ice and slush on the front side at LL every year that I have been there later in the season. Every single person I have spoken to who knows both hills says the snow at Sunshine is better for both quality and quantity.

Terrain: Sunshine is not as big as LL, but it still has plenty for most people. Many of the most challenging runs are in the most exposed locations which means they open later in the season (early snow blows off) and they can be very cold if the wind is blowing. Some of the easier runs are a little flat, I learnt snowboarding this year and soon realised I was best to stay away form the greens if I didn't want to walk. I would say the intermediate terrain is as large and varied as LL, but it certainly would not offer quite as much for the expert. One big plus point for those inclined, is that Sunshine has a big terrain park and LL has decided not to build theirs anymore because of safety concerns.

Apres ski: There is a good apres ski scene in Banff, plenty of bars and restaurants and loads of shops. Banff is a pretty lively town. At Sunshine itself there is not much to do after the lifts close apart from those who work there or are staying at the Sunshine Inn.

Overall I think the best bet for anyone coming is to stay in Banff if you want any nightlife and to hire a car if you have children or if you are staying in Lake Louise itself. Adults in Banff will be fine with buses because you really only use them to get to and from the hills, the rest of the time you can walk/stagger. Advanced skiers, looking to maximise their time on the hill and not worried about nightlife should probably stay at LL, you will benefit from the half hour head start on the mountain first thing in the morning before the Banff coaches arrive. Also families who really don't want anything in the evenings except food and sleep, will find LL far more relaxing than Banff, but I still think you will want a car.

Hope that is useful, any other specific questions I will be glad to answer.
ski holidays
 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
abc wrote:
Is there much to do for the non-skier at (or around) Banff?

Actually thinking of taking a short trip (easy enough from New York) with non-skiing family member now that snow is starting to melt...


Loads to do here in summer, but also don't forget Sunshine is open until 19th May, this week we are due to get dumped on, so skiing is certainly on the agenda if you can get here soon.
latest report
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
solarfish wrote:
abc wrote:
Is there much to do for the non-skier at (or around) Banff?

Actually thinking of taking a short trip (easy enough from New York) with non-skiing family member now that snow is starting to melt...


Loads to do here in summer, but also don't forget Sunshine is open until 19th May, this week we are due to get dumped on, so skiing is certainly on the agenda if you can get here soon.

Serious? Puzzled Shocked Laughing

How much is the lift ticket this late in the season?
ski holidays
 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?
solarfish - thanks thats great

banff looks like a goer then!!
snow conditions
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
nick0861 - Just booked yesterday for 2009. This will be 4 years in a row. Love Banff and all the ski areas. Sunshine is our group's favourite but Lake Louise as everyone says is spectacular.

There's lots to do outside skiing. This year we had a day ski-dooing and walked Johnson Canyon. The Baff tour is also good.

The hotels are very good and if you've stayed in some of the (so called) 4 star chalets in France you'll see a massive difference. Because Banff is a town, there's loads of bars and restaurants. St James Gate (Irish bar) and the Rose and Crown have live music at least once a week. Take your pick of restaurants and we like the Saltlik and Bumpers. There's lots of others and you won't get bored.

Hope that helps.
snow report
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
abc wrote:
Serious? Puzzled Shocked Laughing

How much is the lift ticket this late in the season?


Yesterday snow forecast between now and weekend was 48cm with temp not going above 0C at any time. Today the forecast has been down graded a bit but still shows low temps with over 30cm snowfall. Also the place is of course empty right now apart from weekends.

Lift tickets are $78 bucks, full breakdown here.
latest report
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
HarryOK, Spent 3 months in the R&C-great pub! Saltlik is excellent-not a fan of bumpers, try Buffalo Lodge which is fantastic!
snow report
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
nick0861 wrote:
basically is it good?

considering a trip there next season but apres looks iffy and reserved about the long trek to the main slopes on the bus


is that bit of it ok or a bit of a drag?
We had 10 days in Banff a couple of years ago,staying at the Mount Royal hotel which we liked,the ski busses stop right outside,and are frequent,and if bus is full another is called up so your never stuck.The town is great with lots of good eating places and bars.You get used to the bus tripsto the three ski areas.Sunshine Village was my fave.out of the three,with Lake Louise 2nd.Scenery is amazing.Wealso went on a snowmoble trip to British Columbia(reccomended)Also something not to be missed is a buffet meal at the Banff Springs Hotel(cost us about £16 for all you could eat,there was every kind of food possible)So all in all highly reccomended.Alan Paterson[img][/img][img][/img]
latest report
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
cheers chaps - could any of you also recommend a site where I can get a good deal on lift passes?
snow conditions
 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.
nick0861, you won't get a "good deal", just what the big3 have to offer so www.skibig3.com.
snow report
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
i thought there were some companies that but them in bulk for trips and then sell on the excess
snow conditions
 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
nick0861, not that i'm aware of but if you find any it will be good to know of them for future reference.
snow report
 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.
Ski Independence can normally offer a good deal on lift passes, may be worth a try http://www.ski-i.com/USAResortsListFrontPage.aspx . You don't need to book a holiday with them to buy a lift pass
snow report
 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
Hi All

One of my friends in Edmonton is getting hitched on may 24 next year, the big 3 website says that the resorts are open till May 23rd Smile

I was hoping someone could enlighten me to snow / slush conditions at this time of year.

Cheers

James
ski holidays
 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
ehhh loadsa snow, melting fast Very Happy
snow conditions



Terms and conditions  Privacy Policy