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Calgary calling!

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Just booked flights a few minutes ago for a Feb 2011 Half term trip to Calgary! Yeehaaa! Very Happy

Absolute bargain as well - £460 each for direct flights from Manchester Very Happy Very Happy

So now we need to decide on an itinerary for the week. Fly drive looks likely.

We went to Fernie last year and have skiied at Banff and surrounding areas in the past (including Lake Louise, Sunshine Village, Panorama and Nakiska).

This time we are thinking about a twin centre trip to Kicking Horse and Revelstoke as we haven't been to either of them. However, the concern I have about KH is that Mountainaddict and his Mrs went a couple of years ago, only to find the gondola closed due to wind and (lo and behold) the ridiculous design of it (with no mid station and it being the only access to the top of the mountain) meant that the mountain was effectively closed Sad

Can any snowHead s comment on the likelihood of that happening if we go? Is KH known for storms that close the mountain?

Also, any comments on Revelstoke would be appreciated.

Or are there any other gems within striking distance of Calagary that we shouldn't miss?

Last year, for instance, we discovered Castle Mountain. It had fantastic steep terrain and was totally deserted (relatively speaking) on the Sunday that we visited.

Thanks in advance.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I've had windhold for a day at KH and another day that was so cold I wouldn't have wanted to ski (separate trips) although on the latter at least KH was open unlike all the Banff area resorts. If windhold looks like being an issue you can always divert to Panorama or LL for the day. Revy is $ if conditions are good and you hit it midweek though the base area is too low to be meaningful. Neither area great for the groomer crowd though both more touristy than Castle (very few places aren't).
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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?
Bergmeister,

Do you know your dates and whether these clash with ALberta's family day?


I'm not really your gal as have only been to KH once and never revelstoke (we were going to go this year, but then I hurt my back, then the weather was pants, we have been to Revelstoke and through it but not skied there)

I don't think KH as known for the gondala shutting. A guy I know goes there a lot and haven't really ever heard him winge too much.

Occasionally road between Revelstoke and golden can get shut, but usually only for a couple of hours and the road beyond revelstoke is shut more often.

Jasper an option?

Alternatively drive faster and do a Whitewater/Red combo? or a fernie/whitefish? Or don't drive- save the money and hop to kelowna internally and get bus to Silver star or Big White, or Kamloops and Sun Peaks

I think I would jsut stick with your first option though! Although Jasper may be a nice alternative.
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Revy to Vernon is only 90 mins drive IIRC so you could tack on Silver Star as well if you wanted but for a week 3 places is probably overkill unless you're really stormchasing.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Bergmeister, who are you flying with? Is that £460 each, return?
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Bergmeister, Would be in terested to know the flight details ? Luggage allowance etc. As that seems a good price

As for Revvy Its a great place if they have fresh snow. Have been a couple of times now - 1st and 2nd year of the development and would still go back. Place is still raw without any of the developments you usually associate with ski resorts. The town is really just a, well a town. Some nice places to stay and some not so nice places. Food is the same. Yuo probably wouldnt want more than 3 days there unless the snow is still falling. I have some pics in mediazone of the place.

Or as gryphea, suggests Red and Whitewater could be good but a longer drive for you in a week. Both great places offering a really excellent skiing experience.

Dont hessitate to ask anything about your decision. Smile Lucky people as we really enjoyed our roadtrip there Madeye-Smiley
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Bergmeister, As above if KH is closed head down the road to Panorama, not quite as hardcore but a nice resort for a day or two. Dont think the weather is a regular issue in Kicking Horse other than the normal Canadian Cold!!

If you can get down to Red mountain in BC it is well worth it but it is a bit of a trek. I was about to say Castle Mountain but you have obviously gotten there already Smile
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
If you want cheap flights to canada would recommend these guys, have always found them to be the cheapest
http://www.canadianaffair.com/
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Thanks for the advice so far. Please feel free to keep it coming.

Quote:

Do you know your dates and whether these clash with ALberta's family day?


We fly on 19th Feb, which is our half term. Never heard of Alberta's family day so not sure about the potential clash. No doubt we will encounter a school hol over there as well then, eh? Sad

We booked with Airtransat, on whose behalf the flight is operated by Thomas Cook Air. We then received a confirmation e-mail from canadianaffair.com Puzzled

The flight was actually £469 each, return but that included £14 each (a bit steep) to book a seat in a row of 2 on the way out (as we'll take our chance on the way home...) and a whopping £18 on the booking for the privilege of paying by credit card Shocked

The luggage allowance is 20kg each and the TCA website seems to suggest that skis are free provided you can accommodate them in your allowance. Hmmmm - will need to check.

Hand luggage is limited to a measly 5kg pp but it's hard to complain, at that price wink

I looked at internal flights to Kelowna and they are coming up at £266 each return Shocked So it looks like we'll be hiring a car. Any thoughts/advice on deals for 4WD rental from Calgary?

Must dash - only 36 weeks to go...
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Family day is 21st. This pretty much means you have to have your first 2 days of accomodation booked. Whatever you end up doing I would advise getting as far from Calgary as possible for the skiing on the sunday- ie try to avoid sunshine and LL. The ither resorts should be fine.

No advice on 4WD deals, but make sure you inspect the tyres before you leave (an preferably get winter tyres). A guy I worked with hired an AWD with virtually no tread- illegal in fact. Picked up in a dark car park, he didn't see the insides.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Seems cheap, shame I'll always need more than 20kg allowance Sad Always seem to end up with BA for my Canada flights, which is awkward given they might not be around by winter...
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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.
gryphea wrote:
Family day is 21st. This pretty much means you have to have your first 2 days of accomodation booked. Whatever you end up doing I would advise getting as far from Calgary as possible for the skiing on the sunday- ie try to avoid sunshine and LL. The ither resorts should be fine.


My experience last year in Banff for Family Day weekend (which coincided with St Valentine's Day) was that accommodation and eateries were busy, but queues at Sunshine were still not a patch on France in half term - I don't think we queued for more than a couple of minutes. People were being turned away from restaurants in the evening though, if they hadn't booked.
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 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
DaveC,

Don't air canada do better prices than BA for more allowance?

Also my boss is flying to UK and back this weekend (well out today and back wednesday) and his flights were all in $1300 (yeah sure that sounds expensive from your end with the exchange rate but I'm sure they price better in UK pounds) with KLM , so they might be worht a punt or a look? $1300 isn't too bad, flying into Leeds. (vai Schipol)

We flew back last summer and in the end got Air Canada cheaper than canadian affair flights. Ba never even came in same ball park.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
gryphea, I thought AC brought in some ridiculous charges for ski carriage , or was that KLM ?
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Quote:

save the money and hop to kelowna internally

Just had a quick look and it would cost £266 each (return) to fly from Calgary to Kelowna Shocked Seems a bit pricy in comparison with the cost of our Transatlantic flight!

4wd rental looks like approx £280 for a week but now my heads beginning to hurt with the number of ski options open to us Puzzled A nice problem to have, admittedly....

We went to Fernie last year and didn't see it at it's best so may be tempted to go there again for a couple of days - but then head off elsewhere.

Or we may forget about Fernie and head for Kicking Horse and Revelstoke - with a stop off at Banff en route.

Or maybe we'll not bother with Revelstoke but think about Jasper instead...

Then again, we had a fantastic 2 days' cat skiing with Fernie Wilderness Adventures, when we had incredible powder in an otherwise poor snow year (at least by Canadian standards. Admittedly, however, we did encounter rain and slush on the lower mountain at Fernie Mountain Resort.)

The one thing that concerns me slightly is the prospect of having to drive over a mountain pass to get to Kicking Horse and then another pass to reach Revelstoke. Can any snowHeads comment on the likelikood/history/probability of pass closures. We wouldn't be too impressed with being the wrong side of a pass - at either end of the holiday Sad

What a choice - Aaaaaaghhhh! Puzzled Puzzled


Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Sat 12-06-10 15:24; edited 1 time in total
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Quote:

The one thing that concerns me slightly is the prospect of having to drive over a mountain pass to get to Kicking Horse and then another pass to reach Revelstoke. Can any s comment on the likelikood/history/probability of pass closures. We wouldn't be too impressed with being the wrong side of a pass - at either end of the holiday


The pass from Calgary to Golden is fine. Revelstoke to Golden is prone to closures whilst they do avalanche control (Roger's pass area). We got stuck last year for just 2hrs, it can be closed for longer than that. I don't think it had been closed for at least 2 weeks when we went rhough. Its a very important road (nationally signficant) so they work as fast as they can...... Of course most of the time its open, but it snows a lot there. They tend to communicate fairly well when they close it and they do have reasonable idea of closure time. Once family day is over you needn't book your accomodation and could pay it by ear.

Of course the very considiotns you will want, eg awesome powder, are the ones that cause problems.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Thanks gryphea, That's helpful.

Can you comment on the merits of Kicking Horse versus Revelstoke versus Jasper?

Following the comments about flight prices I've just had a look at January (not that we can go then) and the same direct flight is available for under £380 return Shocked
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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?
Quote:

The pass from Calgary to Golden is fine.


Not when we went it wasn't (New Year 2007). The Trans Canada Highway turned into a lbig orry park - it was closed due to severe avalanche danger after a big storm. So bad that helicopters were used for blasting work to make the road safe. People were trapped in Golden for over 24 hours.

We had a couple of days skiing at Kicking Horse (gentle lower slopes only, gondola shut due to wind Sad ) but then heard of another big storm coming in that would probably close the road again. As that was a couple of days before our flight home we left KH early and went to Lake Louise instead (powder day Very Happy !!). The drive over the pass towards Calgary was all on snow-packed roads - but was fine with the snow tyres we had on the hire car. Not a good place to get stuck though, as at times you are a very long way from civilisation and help.

Locals told us that the pass/Trans Canada Highway do close periodically throughout the winter - I seem to recall them saying that it happens a few times each year. Not many - but unfortunate if you are the wrong side of it with a flight home to catch. However, I think I am right in saying that - if needs be - there is a very big detour available which avoids the pass.
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Quote:

Not when we went it wasn't (New Year 2007).


Yup- but since then the new road has opened and I beleive its much better.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Golden to Revelstoke road there is no reasonable alternative route- the other way round is very long and also crosses a pass suspectible to avalanches on a less nationally important route.

Golden to Banff- there is an alternative route out, probably only an hour longer

As i've mentioned winter tyres are really helpful. They are pretty good at clearing highway 1 , but there is always a little snow layer if its coming down and at -20 normal tyres are way to brittle to have good enough grip/stopping distance. The roads are quite remote and you would do well to pack an emergency kit capable of coping with a night out at -20 or so. OH did a winter driving course and was told to drive in all his jackets when driving remotely in case a relatively minor accident takes knocks you unconcious/ or traps you, in which case you could freeze to death pretty quickly , if you've been driving along with the heat blasting and in shirt sleeves.

Quote:

Can you comment on the merits of Kicking Horse versus Revelstoke versus Jasper?


Not really. Haven't been to Jasper for a 10 yrs to ski (although have been in summer), haven't skied Revelstoke and only skied kicking horse for 1 weekend!!!!

What kind of skiers are you- what are you looking for?
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Quote:

What kind of skiers are you- what are you looking for?

We are advanced skiers and enjoy steeps, powder (who doesn't?) and bumps.

We are also looking into the possibility of a couple of days cat skiing while we are there. As I mentioned above we had a great couple of days cat skiing in Fernie last year. I've just come across K3 Catskiing (just west of Revelstoke), which also sounds excellent, so we are looking into the feasibility of that.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I wouldn't sweat Roger's Pass - I've driven it in a whiteout and can vouch they'll try to keep it open if at all possible- besides if its snowing that hard why bother moving as the pow will be good wherever you are. Plenty fo Cat operators North and South of Revy IIRC.
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