After a thoroughly depressing 2 week trip to Whistler last year, we had, to an extent lost our enthusiasm for skiing.
However after a week in Banff which was fantastic we are BUZZING with the thrills of skiing again.
We now know that a 7 day trip to Canada is worthwhile and a "square deal" can be amazing value. The flight was a Thomas cook airbus 330 with plenty of legroom, back of seat tv monitors and early both ways! The hotel, Banff Inn was excellent, large rooms, decent bar/restaurant, and the ski bus stopped straight outside. It had snowed heavily the day before we arrived and conditions were perfect. On the first two days we did first track private lessons at Lake louise, so we were first on the mountain at 8:30 a.m. with a brilliant instructor. The cost for 2 of us for 2 hours was 99$ for what were very good lessons. The sun shone,the sky was blue and the slopes were pretty empty.The scenery is majestic. They were a couple of the best skiing days we have ever had.
On previous holidays to Banff we have skiied mainly at Sunshine, this time we only went there once because the conditions at LL were so good. Also LL have impoved catering facilities and there is an excellent buffet breakfast and lunch in a new World cup Alpine Room. Even the weekends were not too busy. There were very few American or Japanese visitors and there were fewer British families than we have seen before. the atmosphere in Banff was as good as ever,- we had some good meals also. As to apres ski,- we can't comment, as after an early start and skiing all day, we had early dinner and then early nights and a good sleep. The holiday was cheap in cost (£450 each) but it was probably the best ever, and has inspired us. we had previously thoought that 14 days was necessary for Canada but 6 solid days skiing is a proper holiday, and we don't feel that we have missed out. Can't wait for next year, but won't book until much nearer the time, it seems that most in our hotel had benefitted from "square deals".
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Excellent. We must go back to Basnff one day. Our first couple of trips to Canada were for 1 week (to LL), well worth it. I'm impressed that you got from Banff to LL for an 8.30am lesson, even with jet lag.
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?
There was a special pickup organised by LL direct from the hotel at around 7:00 a.m..Then we grabbed breakfast at 8:00 at LL before first tracks at 8:30! Brilliant! No jetlag,- we were too excited!
Paul - you speak sense. I've had 4 weeks away this year NOT to Canada and I fear I've lost my enthusiasm... but deep down I know that I simply pine for LL.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
paul.kin, Interested to know, what was depressing about Whistler? I had some amazing times there a few years back and even went for a 4 nights once! Gave up after my last visit, terrible lift lines and long waits to get into restaurants in the evening and loads of drunk American kids coming across the border and kicking off everywhere because they can't handle their drink. Glad you had a good trip this time
Gsyfreerider, I think that Whistler had been hyped up so much that it was always going to be a let down. Firstly it was expensive and it was busy compared to Banff. You accept queues in Europe and deal with it. When there are big queues at Whistler you can't help thinking, I wish we had gone to Banff. Secondly, the atmosphere is not as relaxed or as upbeat as Sunshine or Lake Louise where people are very friendly and even the lifties greet you. Thirdly the conditions were so frustrating,- on the first day we had a lesson,- not only was it raining in the village but even at the top station! A couple of people who had poor quality ski wear had to give up as they were drenched, and we spent lunch waiting for and then using the glove driers! In the whole two weeks the cloud and fog was so thick that you couldn't ski freely. People say, ski in the trees, - you couldn't see a tree 10 feet away! The snow was good and plenty of it but with diabolical visibility you are unable to enjoy it.You couldn't admire the scenery as you couldn't see it. I don't have any impression of the Whistler landscape! Fourthly, the ski school was the worst we have encountered, the instructor was disinterested and skiied ahead without looking at any of us and gave no feedback. I tackled him about this and instead of dealing with the issue we were simply put with another instructor who ended up more like a mountain host. Fifthly the cost and quality of restaurants was a problem for a family of four.The cheaper restaurants such as Old spaghetti factorywere poor compared with their sister restaurants in Banff. The Keg which is always good in Banff, did not have the same atmosphere in Whistler and appeared more expensive. We ended up going often to a small Italian place called Pasta Lupino which was good value and decent food. There were restaurants which we would have liked to have tried but the price was prohibitive. In Banff we are always spoilt for choice. The best bits of Whistler were Zip Trekking and Snowmobiling,- not the skiing. In Banff and Lake Louise, the whole atmosphere and the pricing structure allows you to enjoy the basic and simple ingredients which for me make a ski holiday: beautiful scenery, lots of variety of slopes, good snow, efficient and friendly staff, relaxed holiday makers, the amazing quiet as you ride a chair anticipating the next run and then reaching the top of the chair and taking a minute to marvel at the majestic mountains framed by brilliant blue skies. Obviously it is not always sunny and we have skiied in whiteouts at the top of Goats Eye mountain, but in 4 visits we have never been frustrated as we were in Whistler. We have had similar fantastic joyful days in the 3 valleys and Zermatt and even in a little resort of Pila in Italy,- its not the size or so called ranking of the resort which makes it great,- its the right combination of the factors mentioned above which come together, perhaps by serendipity to make a great day or a great holiday.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
paul.kin, I love all the enthusiasm for Banff - we have never been there but our daughter is off this morning to Banff with a bunch of friends and it sounds great so I hope they have an equally good time.
Pity about Whistler - its often the case that places that are really hyped up don't quite live up to expectations. We were there nine years ago and what I remember, apart from the skiing which was good as we were blessed with good conditions, were the fabulous dinners in the evenings - daughter was instructing there for the season and she had marked out all the places to go, accompanied by her and sometimes her friends, so I remember the food and husband remembers his credit card bill coming in afterwards!
After all it is free
After all it is free
I've never been to Whistler, more's the pity, so I can't make the comparison, but my family and I love Banff, as much for the town as for the skiing. When we visited Banff, last time about 5 yerars ago, winter was not regarded as the high season; that was summer, when hordes of Japanese descended, presumably ready to be milked dry by the good citizens of Banff. If that is still the case, it might account for the very pleasant attitude of practically everyone in Banff (so far as I could see in 6 visits) to winter visitors.
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.
Pamski, I guess it's a credit to their marketing team, their marketing is phenomenal and their skier numbers (2m+ a year is incredible) so it is inevitable it's going to get busy. Like I mentioned I had some great times there when I started skiing again just over ten years or so ago and thought it was the only place to go and couldn't get over how big it was! Then I started taking my skiing seriously and discovered Europe again and it kind of puts things into perspective. I was in Avoriaz a week or so ago and granted the snow is phenomenal this year but the PDS area is just vast, unbelievable. Spoke to a lot of Americans on my last visit to Whistler who were chirping on about how huge Whistler is with it's 8000+ acres of terrain. We don't tend to use those measurements in Europe but to put things into perspective L'Espace Killy is 25,000 acres and Paradiski 42,000 so Lord how big the PDS is!
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Gsyfreerider, Those areas do indeed sound absolutely huge, but is Average Joe allowed to ski those areas? Or simply cruise the bashed motorways?
I love my acreage - to explore!
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Gsyfreerider, but nothing beats all the little cafes and bars that we have all over the PDS - generally we just have to turn a corner and there is somewhere to stop, and in my book that is qute important. We went over to Whistler because our daughter was there and we have now been back to Vermont because a son lives in CT so fairly close but we have yet to venture further afield in Canada or the USA
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.
Alexandra wrote:
Gsyfreerider, Those areas do indeed sound absolutely huge, but is Average Joe allowed to ski those areas? Or simply cruise the bashed motorways?
Average Joe is allowed to ski pretty much wherever they want, on piste or off. Almost no restrictions whatsoever, with a just few exceptions (small nature reserves normally).
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
At the risk of attracting all the usual entrenched positions, I'm not convinced that a huge ski area in itself is that important for me. If I know that I like an area, the fact that it may be small is not that important. Banff and LL, for example,are fairly modest in size (although virtually all the areas are available for safe skiing), but I really enjoy them, as, obviously, do a lot of others. We spent two days last month skiing a tiny hill in Austria (one chair, 3 drags of which we used two because of the vis) and thoroughly enjoyed it. The only thing I miss with a small area is skiing somewhere new for lunch. Of course, if you don't know the resort, you're statistically more likely to find the skiing you're looking for in a big resort than in a small one. I suppose too that if you're lucky enough to be spending weeks and weeks in a resort, a big one is useful (snigger). Mind you, I could probably cope with a season in Banff.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Glad you had a good time.
We relocated to Clagary about 15months ago and love our ski trips!!!
Would never go back to Whistler after going there a few years ago Mid ajn and spending most of the time in a queue!
We love the BC resorts too (with maybe one exception!)
Gryph
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Whistler is a ghost town in mid January, I don't believe you spent most of your time in a lift line.
and
Whistler has 8000+ acres of avalanche controlled terrain - how much of those HUGE areas are AC ?
I have done around 65-70 days this season (grant you a bad season, and numbers are down 20% so therefore probably around only 1.6mil visits this year) and have only had a handful of days where the lift line was 10+ mins - probably half of those days I have been able to ski straight onto the lift.
I have stayed at Banff a few times, always enjoyed the skiing, but hated the 30+ min drive each way - also meant no apres drinking for me which is an important part of a ski day IMO.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
wbsr wrote:
Whistler is a ghost town in mid January, I don't believe you spent most of your time in a lift line.
This is true - a good time to go in fact. maybe busy at weekends, especially if snow good, but mid-week, mid-Jan - pretty darn relaxed in m,y experience
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
wbsr wrote:
I have stayed at Banff a few times, always enjoyed the skiing, but hated the 30+ min drive each way - also meant no apres drinking for me which is an important part of a ski day IMO.
agreed - we always stay in Lake Louise for this very reason, and take bus to Sunshine or LL. Much more civilized
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?
wbsr,
Well its your perogative not to believe me, but its true!
For the first time ever we experienced lift referees on high tennis umpire chairs to manage the queues - never seen that anywhere else, ever!
The place was packed full of Austrialians and Japanese.
Admittedly it was a poor snow year and not everywhere was open.
Admittedly it was a poor snow year and not everywhere was open.
Gryph
2005 by any chance? I can believe Whistler was a zoo then as it was a rather horrible January (which fortunately, I missed!)
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
No - 2001
It was a very poor early season in a lot of Canada I think. We had been to Jasper the week beore and that had been poor- but we didn't queue and we saw a lynx!!!!
It was a very poor early season in a lot of Canada I think. We had been to Jasper the week beore and that had been poor- but we didn't queue and we saw a lynx!!!!
yep - 2001 was a little grim - I didn't get there until mid Feb when fortunately conditions had improved somewhat. Lift lines in January at Whistler is however definitely the exception.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I've only had a few days this season where I have had to wait about 10 minutes for a chairlift... it's been a cruisie year... cruise down the mountain right right onto the chairlift.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
