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!)

Kimberley - Canada

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hi for my boyfriends 30th we are looking at going to Canada and the resort of Kimberley has been recommended to us. Has anyone been and would share their opinions as to where to stay, eat, cost etc?

thanks! snowHead
latest report
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
small-ish ski hill but with a nice terrain variety, decent groomers and some really good steeps and trees. It's pretty quiet at the ski hill base, town is a bit livelier but not really an apres hot spot - fairly family oriented place really. Don't get a huge amount of snow, but they make plenty, and I've actually had two great powder days there - very light! I'd go Feb-ish for best snow, I suspect
snow report
 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?
Personally I've not stepped foot on the hill, but..................

Whenever I'm in Canada I always ask the "locals" about the places I've never been, and Kimberley always seems to attract the same type of comments, such as "small and friendly", "family orientated", "doesn't get lots of snow" etc etc, from pretty much whoever you speak to.

That's not to say it's not worth a visit, but I presume from your post you'll be going for at least seven days (staying in one place), possibly with a TO, and from the UK, which is the crunch. In which case there are certainly much better choices, all things considered. Banff, Fernie, Panorama etc etc.

If you're touring around a bit, Kimberley should be good for a few days or so, and is how I will see it, probably in the next season or two.

John.
snow report
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
How good are you? If you're 2nd weekers or so it might keep you entertained but even then the nighlife might depress you. When they say family friendly it means very quiet and not too much challenge. Some decent glades and bump runs but dependent on snow. Where you stay would have a big impact if you don't have a car, town isn't exactly raging but it does have a couple of bavarian oompah themed restaurants & a cheesy cuckoo clock to while away the hours.
snow report
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
right, thanks for the posts. Gonna rethink this one!!! We like the idea od Banff and Fernie but heard that queues can be ridiculous for the lifts. ANy recommendations?
snow report
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
stroppyboarder, when are you going? Fernie was almost queue free when I went there a few years ago in January.
ski holidays
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
stroppyboarder,

Only been to Banff and Lake Louise and didn't experiance any queues, although it was early season.
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!
going feb ish
ski holidays
 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.
stroppyboarder wrote:
right, thanks for the posts. Gonna rethink this one!!! We like the idea od Banff and Fernie but heard that queues can be ridiculous for the lifts. Any recommendations?


I think you heard wrong, or were given bad advice. Outside of weekends/hols/events Canada generally (excluding WB) is one of the most queue free places you'll find. IME.

John.

You'd get much better help if you gave more deatil.

What ability are you? How important are the different aspects of your trip (terrain/apres/accom etc etc)? TO/DIY? Duration? Budget?..............................
snow conditions
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
stroppyboarder, The others covered it Kimberley is a nice intermediate hill with the town a couple miles down the road. My other half enjoyed it but if you like more aggressive terrain you'll get bored, best apres is on the hill and ends quickly. Fernie is only an hour away though.

Never had european queues in CA although holidays will leave you stacked up and at Sunshine the Austrians will still walk on your skis.
snow report
 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
stroppyboarder,

Having skied a lot of resorts in eastern BC and Alberta I wouldn't go back to Kimberley, and we are a family!

Admittedly we were there for New Year last year but the queues were dire, really dire (OK probably dire by Canadian standards, but we did ski family day at fernie and the queues were fine). They were partly so bad because they had shut a chair lift from the base, which needed upgrading giving only one option up the hill and no on mountain eatery at all. Also the only way back to village was over a 20m wide bridge and this was sheet ice and packed and very dangerous- not family-friendly in my eyes at all. The skiing wasn't great- OK so not that much snow, but RCR hadn't spent nearly enough money brush cutting, really it was dire, and there would have to have been at least 80cm more snow to make it better. My son had the worst lesson he has had in Canada.

That said we met an english family there in the hot tub and they go for two weeks every year!! SO they must like it. WE did actually like the night skiing.

The transfer is slightly long too.

I would go elsewhere in canada, probably Fernie.

Gryph
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.
PS the far bits of Kimberley with more interesting runs have long walkout for boarders if I remmeber rightly , i remember taking my skis off a bit. I think there was once another lift there but that hadn't worked for what looked like years!
ski holidays
 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
We went middle of January and there were no queues, no bottle neck at the bridge (and I was learning to board for the first time time, so it could've been an issue but wasn't).

This year they've done a lot of bush cutting and pre snow preperation according to their press releases.

Yep, there's no nightlife so to speak of - but I'm too tired too care - get the bus into the town at night - have a meal and get a taxi back - worked for us.

We're going back in January as a change from our normal visit to Jasper. Basically we're having the change to do 'ski-in - ski-out' for a change.
latest report
 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
ive skied panorama , heavenly , kimberley , fernie and tremblant . over the last five years and out of all the places i would revist it would be panorama , in fact going back in feb .
skied on the last day at kimberley for the spring splash ( daytrip from fernie ) and although they are trying to promote as having had some investment , nothing much has really changed on the trails side .
nightlife on the hill is either the polaris lodge or kelseys . downtown is a half hour walk and is themed towards the bavarian kitsch , there are several austro-german places to eat, think there are a couple of pubs that have live bands on , there is one like a backpacker hostel thats a real dive but gets busy .
we stayed in the lodges at kimberley ridge , very nice apartments with their own private hotub on each balcony , dont think inghams are featuring this property this year .
if you do go try to go to a hockey match , they run trips to see the kooteney ice in cranbrook .
also if you go on a ski away day to fernie , the trails at fernie are quite steep and is more of a experts hill and can seem quite intimidating for beginners , but there are plenty of trails for everyone .
costs are very reasonable but remember to include tax and tip , food is cheap and huge portions , try some poutine , beer is $ 15.50 a pitcher
last thing to remember about kimberley is the long long long transfer from calgary , took six hours from airport to apartment .
snow report
 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
outside presidents week in Feb, New Year and the odd mad powder day at weekends, you're unlikely to have any lift lines at Fernie, Lake Luoise or Sunshine.
ski holidays



Terms and conditions  Privacy Policy