 Poster: A snowHead
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Just about to pull the pin and book this years trip with them in about an hour. Banff for 2 weeks.
Anyone any experience of them, good or bad?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Yes. Good++
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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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rogg, booked flights to Vancouver with them this summer for a big tour of BC and Alberta. Good pre- and post- sales customer service. Good prices. Only gripe I had was that they charged us to pre-book seats together in the premium cabin on a Thomas Cook flight which when we have travelled with TC before has always been one of the elements included in the 'premium' supplement. This was a Canadian Affair charter so they could apply their own rules and surcharges which they did. That said flights were good, on time, good service etc. No complaints. Will definitely use them again. We booked all our hotels and car etc independently as we could do better on price DIYing these bits of the holiday.
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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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Went to Vancouver/Whistler/Vancouver Island on a summer trip a few years back with them. Everything ran smoothly and we were kept well informed. Good company. Will probably use them to book a ski holiday. Worth comparing with Ski Independence as well 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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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used them last year, excellent. using them again on wednesday  see you in Banff.
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Bob, you about in late feb? Might hook up for a beer or a slide?
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rogg,
Its another La Nina year here; so far it rocks.
I'll be going to Sunshine every month and will start up a conditions post.............
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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.
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Fine in the past but this winter the flights are with Air Transat previously they used Thomas Cook.
So may not be quite so good this year we have flown with air transat in the past and the seats and leg room were not.... good.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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rogg, where are you thinking about staying? Used Canadian Affair a couple of times and never been charged under-occupation supplements 
Flights decent but be wary about two pairs of skis in the one bag...
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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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Flights decent but be wary about two pairs of skis in the one bag... 
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Why? We flew with them last year with a double ski bag containing 2 pairs of skis. We had no problems.
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Bergmeister, sometimes they get a bit upset at Calgary about it. I'm not saying don't but I've seen folk refused and been warned about it.
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You know it makes sense.
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Not just a two pairs problem....last there was IIRC a 11kg limit on the bag/contents at Calgary (but not going out). So if you stuff the bag with junk, you may have to pay.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Has anyone ever Catskied in the area - any recommendations gladly received.
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I may be wrong but think that the nearest catskiing may be hundreds of km away - ie about 300km westwards to Revelstoke or 400km southwards to Fernie.....
I know that you've booked a package, but as you are there a fortnight you could (conceivably) hire a car for a two centre (or more - see below) trip and go catskiing as well. Kimberley is on the way to Fernie and Kicking Horse is on the way to Revelstoke. Daily non-residential catskiing as part of your package would still be cheaper than staying up the mountain with operators like Chatter Creek or Island Lake - which can run to about CAD 700 to 800 a day. You really do pay a whopping supplement to stay in their wilderness lodges - non-residential catskiing is around CAD 350-450 a day.
We were so impressed by Fernie Wilderness Adventures' catskiing that we booked a second day for the following day - the guides (and whole set up) set up were excellent.
Failing that - and not on the catskiing front - when we stayed in Banff we didn't have a car but did tour operator day trips to Nakiska and Panorama. We thoroughly enjoyed both ski areas.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Alans deep bath, I've booked The Caribou Lodge.
Moutainaddict, thanks - that's what i was coming to the conclusion of from my googling. Chatter Creek came up on a search. Tried to get on a day booking when i was in fernie with the Island Lake outfit, but they were booked up. Will just keep the eyes and ears open.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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rogg, if there's reasonably soft snow at Kicking Horse it's well worth the trip...
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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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Cat Skiing available at Castle Mountain, approx 2 hours from Banff
Powder Cowboy - Near Fernie and Wilderness Adventures
Also heli Skiing avilable in Panorama with RK heli and Purcell
Kicking Horse is so worth a trip
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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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Kicking horse is definately on the list of possibles. I've booked a 10 out of 13 day lift pass, and i've a pot of about £600 for trips, so i'm hoping hire a 4x4 and one day cat one day at alternative resort will fall within that budget. Off to google Castle mountain Cat operator (thanks fattes).
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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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rogg, What dates are you there? Drop me a PM we are doing an extensive trip there this season. Might be able to help you out.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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There is no CAT skiing within a National Park- hence the issues with no cat skiing round Banff. In fact all businesses there pretty much (outside the towns) are grandfathered in
Castle is significantly more than 2 hrs from banff
We flew Thomas Cook in the summer and had no probelms with bags etc out of calgary, however I had heard they were all transat now which does mean even less leg room
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gryphea, I'm thinking Castle might be the go, might think about booking before I go - wouldn't mind seeing a deep base before i do.
The flight I'm on is Air Transat, the seat pitch is 32" which I think is ok, but we've booked extra legroom seats anyway.
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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.
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mountainaddict, Kimberley is only on the way to Fernie if you're driving a very odd way round. South thru Black Diamond to Highway 3 is the fastest route.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Used CA for flights to Vancouver a couple of years ago - no issues and would rate them / use them again (although not sure what Air Transat are like). Enjoy Banff!
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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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Just one thing with Air Transat / Canadian Affair. Friends did have an issue when they visited us. Air Transat changed the flight time to an earlier take off and informed our friends via e-mail about 4 days before the flight. Alas our friends weren't checking their e-mail and so arrived at the airport after the plane had already taken off to be met with a very unsympathetic response. They ended up having to buy two new tickets with BA. So.. a word of caution.. check your e-mail
Easiest "mechanical uplift" experience from Banff is with RK Heli-ski in Panorama.. I think they even run a shuttle sometimes from Banff collecting you early morning and dropping you back in the evening. Cat skiing at Castle is not a proper cat skiing operation - it is more like a side hill that they haven't put a lift on yet. I've been with RK a couple of times and really enjoyed it.
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You know it makes sense.
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sweaman2, thanks for thre tip, I'll make sure to keep up to date oin my emails when I'm over. Canadian Affair sent me some rates for RK Heli, £610 for 3 uplifts, £710 for 5 uplifts (1 day, transfer from Banff, lunch etc), which unfortunately puts it outside my budget really. 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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It's not cheap - that's for sure. There really isn't a need to book RK this far out though... I think they have a branch in Banff so if you were feeling more flush you could book it when you're over here. I think the day rate is about $950 including taxes which at todays exchange rate is 600GBP. I wouldn't bother with only 3 uplifts either as all it means is you sit in the helicopter while other people ski (they don't get you back to the resort earlier which I think is a bit sneaky). I would just caution about considering Castle a "proper" cat skiing operation. If you are lucky and you get cat skiing there after a big snow fall it would be brilliant but they don't have masses of terrain to mean that if you turn up a week after the last big snow fall you would still be getting fresh lines.
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Poster: A snowHead
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rogg, was in Panorama nine months ago and ate and drank at the RK lodge several times, and was given the lowdown on the operation, which seems quite slick, but again out of my price range too.
If the snows fresh KH is well worth the trip, if not forget it. Castle, and Red are on my 'to-do' list also.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I'll wait and see if anything else turns up, if not i might hire a car for a few days and go cruising - Kicking Horse seems to get the thumbs up if there's some fresh about.
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