 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi guys!
I'm looking for some pointers from visitors to Sun Peaks and Tremblant. We are thinking of visiting one in January 12, and have the following questions re these resorts. Thanks in advance to anyone who can help!
SM xx
Ski schools suitable for a 4 and 5 year old who have both skied two weeks.
Accommodation recommendations convenient for ski school.
Suitability of each resort for a family of four.
I know the flight has a major plus point for Tremblant but I'm concerned about poor snow and super cold temps there. Any tips here? We've had the last two holidays severely spoiled by poor conditions, hence wanting to cross the pond....
We are boarders and prefer to avoid places with lots of roads. I think Sun Peaks fills this criterion but what about Tremblant?
Any other thoughts good or bad on either mountain/resort?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Sun Peak.
If you're crossing the pond for more reliable condition, you need to go to where the snow is.
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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?
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Hmmm....my thoughts too! Just being swayed by a shorter flight! 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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They don't talk about Quebec Blue for nothing.. - as a boarder I can't imagine why you wouldn't want to go to BC.
Never been to either resort though for more precise info though.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Sweaman2, I love bc, but have done the big guys there and fancy a change.  . Isn't sun peaks bc though?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| snowboardingmum wrote: |
| Hmmm....my thoughts too! Just being swayed by a shorter flight! |
Short flight ==> Europe.
Reliable snow ==> west of the Rockies.
Tremblant is simply not worth the trek. A compromise that could potentially leave you with the worse of both (long flight + poor snow)
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Everyone is being to hard on Tremblant. The key point being it suits a family made up of your childrens ages very very well. Stay in the resort village (a little disney and plastic but this can be forgiven as its super convieniant. (Lift takes you from the hotels to the slopes where the nursery school meets. The hill is smallish with about 60k of slopes but something good for everyone I seem to remember. Wide open slopes too and the snow coverage was fine. we went very late season 2007... actually maybe 2008 and whilst a little slushy in the aftrenoons the resort worked really hard to keep every slope open and groomed to perfection. That said this assumes you want piste skiing. The offpiste is pretty much all crazy tree skiing smashing through sapplings etc. Probably not what you are looking for.
The temps could be an issue if you are going mid season. (Like i say we were there mid april and was delicious -10 in the morning and +3 in the afternoon) The single reason i would rule out Tremblant would be -40 temps, killer for the little ones motivation.
However for Snow sure family piste skiing ? Tremblant is worth a look. (Add in a flight to boston, a super child friendly city break in north amercias best city and tour up through the white mountains of new hampshire and you have an ace family adventure)
Take a look at link below for more sensible european options however
http://www.greatskiholidays.co.uk/search/resort-snow%20sure%20family%20piste%20skiing
cheers Lee C
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Have never been to Tremblant, but went to SP for a few days a few years ago and was pleasantly suprised - I don't think the skiing will disappoint you. It was a very family orientated, very friendly little place, restaurants were child-friendly and not too expensive. A bit dull for adults, lots of blue/red runs but pretty decent tree skiing and lots of snow. Accom is all right next to the skiing as the whole place is purpose built. Sounds ideal for a family I'd say.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I would recommend Sun Peaks as it will be more reliable for snow and will likely have less extreme temps.
To answer your other questions:
Ski Schools: The ski school at sun peaks is really good and they have great conditions for young children. They also do a special programm for 3 - 5 year olds called the Sun Tots Programme. The beginer slope is right next to the village and has a magic carpet and a button lift and they have longer green runs off the chair lifts once the kids are at that standard.
Accom: Depending what you want to do i.e. chalets or hotels. Due to the design of Sun Peaks the majority of hotels are in the village and are all walking distance from the slopes, Hotels to consider are:
Delta: The premium hotel on the resort and right next to the slopes. Have a kids menu and games room to keep the kids entertained, also have outdoor pool and hot tubs which is great after a days skiing.
Coast, Sun Peaks Lodge and Cahility Lodge are the cheaper hotels all within the village and walking distance from the slopes and will be cheaper than the delta
Suitability for a young family: Sun Peaks is very family orientated, they even have an event in Feb called the Family Games where families compete in
games accross 6 days and a Family Cup in early Jan. There are also numerous activities such as tubing, dog sleds, ice skating and snow shoeing that will keep the kids entertained. Maybe an intresting read nothing about a tourist ski holiday but Sun Peaks have just opened a school on the mountain for the local children and bbc have done an article on it (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12365507)
Flights: Yes they are longer than to Montreal but transfer is relativly easy, you just get a connecting flight from Calgary or Vancouver to Kamloops and there are plenty of these flights throughout the day. From Kamloops it is only a 45 min transfer to Sun Peaks. The transfer from Montreal to Tremblant is an hour and a half to 2 hours.
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If everything else is equal, then as just about everyone else has said, Sun Peaks would be far preferable to Tremblant.
But I'd say Big White and Silver Star would be better that either!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I would skip Big White for a few years with young kids.
Silver Star or Sun Peaks would be my choice, we have been skiing in Sun Peaks for 10 yrs now and have skied in Silver Star for about 6 yrs. We have been to Big White 4 times but the kids hate it - its too busy on some of the main runs for them.
Lots of family friendly condos in both resorts lots of kids activities. We have used ski school in both resort for the kids and both loved it. The first time we brought nephew and niece was 5 yrs ago they were non-skiers but after 3 weeks tuition they could ski all the blues and a few blacks.
Class size varied from 2 kids up to 5 in a class, they move the kids up to new classes as soon as they think they need more of a challenge that happened in both resorts.
Near to ski school: in Silver Star Snowbird Lodge you ski from the locker room across the end of "Main Street"and in to ski school. Snowbird Lodge also has a kids play room on the 3rd floor, all the units have hot tubs except the studios. Next would be the Chilcoot lodge and the Lord Aberdeen these are central. Pinnacles suite is on the slope behind the Chilcoot. Firelight is convenient for tubing and ice skating but is a walk for ski school or a ski to the silver queen chair then ski to town.
The town houses and suites are all served by a free bus service that runs all day and into the evening.
Sun Peaks: all the hotels and condo-hotels are on main street and are all ski out to the base area. The homes and condos are all a short walk or catch a bus (check the dates the bus runs) or we walk 3 mins to Morrisey ski lift and then ski to town. In the evening its a 5 min walk to the base area past the swiming pool (open air).
We are in Sun Peaks at the moment just arrived after a week in Silver Star.
Pm me if you need more info.
It is very cold here at the moment was -25 over night now -14.
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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.
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By the time you do the second flight to Kamaloops you may as well have stayed on the place and ended up in Vancouver. Whistler is then just over a 2hr bus with interesting views (if you can stay awake). Get Air Canada flights if you are going as they get in earlier and have time to sort your selves out before dark/bed. We find that the length of flight is not too much hassle especially nowadays with so much to do on the seat back entertainment systems. You loose a day going to east coast, it is still a day gong to west coast, just a long one.
There are loads of places to rent self-catering in either hotels or apartments. Use Alura.com for apartments.
Ski school is very good and will keep the kids happy all day during the week at quite reasonable rates for the longer periods. If you get accommodation in the village it is a short easy car free walk to the lifts. Store all your kit by the lifts so that there is nothing to carry after the first day.
There a few tracks that are green runs as links but you do not have to use them if you dont want to.
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For what it's worth - my husband and i went to Canada about 4 years ago and whilst in an outdoor's shop in Jasper got into a conversation with one of the guys who worked there - our children were only 2 and 9 months at the time but we were telling them we'd love to come to Canada sometime to ski - this guy said he was a ski instructer and highly recommended sun peaks and silver star as 'outstanding' family ski resorts, particularly for families with very small children etc
just a thought and good luck !
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You know it makes sense.
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We spent last New Year in Sun Peaks. A great family resort, nice although slightly cutsey village. Good activities for families and the usual little runs and jumps through the trees for the little ones. Small tubing there too and skating. My kids (then 7 and 5) loved Sun Peaks. WE even sat next to Nancy Greene one lunch time (both kids are in Nancy Greene programs, so that was cool).
One thing to check is that the BC resorts offer decent lessons for 4 and 5 yr olds. Some resorts only offer beginner type group programs for this age group and you need private lessons for better standard (think Sun PEaks may be one, in fact have just looked and it appears to offer only private for 3-5 yr olds; this can be pricey).
In which case you may be better off with Silver Star or Big White, which are great too.
Been to all 3. Silver Star may just have the edge. It has fab tubing and a great skating pond.
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