Banff, Canada

Banff ski Resort

One of the most beautiful spots on earth.

Skiing in Canada really does offer an unforgettable experience. One of the most beautiful spots on earth, Banff and its fellow ski resorts are a magnificent blend of glaciers, jagged peaks, forests, and lakes combined with wide open slopes, expansive snow-laden bowls, unsurpassed dry (Rocky Mountain) powder and thrilling drop-offs. Banff is a small, attractive, frontier town famous for its railway history and wildlife. It is a genuinely unspoilt resort in the middle of the National Park. Lake Louise is a smaller village that also boasts spectacular scenery, earning recognition as the ‘Jewel of the Rockies’

Situated in the mighty Canadian Rockies and within the stunning Banff National Park, the ski resort of Banff is the centre of skiing in Alberta. This section of the Rockies has very reliable snow conditions, coupled with some of the best mountain scenery in the world.

The completion of the coast-to-coast railway in 1885 made one of the most picturesque and remote areas in the Rocky Mountains suddenly accessible. This virgin landscape, formerly known only to Canada's Aboriginal peoples, fur traders and explorers, was now open to everyday travellers and tourists.

That same year, Canada established its first national park at Banff.  Later, four other national parks were created nearby: Yoho, Jasper, Kootenay and Glacier, which explains why much of the region's rugged beauty remains essentially unspoiled. The scenery is still as magnificent as it was to the train travellers of the late 1800s with snow-capped mountain ridges, cliff faces pocked by glaciers, mountain lakes and hot springs. This makes skiing in Banff truly unique.

In 1883, attempts of CPR Railway workers to stake a claim to natural hot springs they had discovered bubbling from the base of Sulphur Mountain led to the establishment of Banff townsite. Today Banff National Park encompasses miles of spectacular Canadian Rocky Mountain landscape and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 'If we can't export the scenery, we'll import the tourists!'

Sunshine Village and Lake Louise are the two major ski areas located close to the ski resort of Banff. Both of these ski resorts offer true Canadian skiing.
The Lake Louise ski area has been rated the most scenic resort in North America. It offers more than 11 square miles of skiable terrain for all levels. Skiing in Banff gives you the opportunity to experience the many other activities on offer such as ice hiking, ice skating, snowshoeing, snow hiking, heli-skiing, and cross-country skiing. For those who would rather rely on someone else's legs, sleigh riding and dog sledding is possible.  Banff National Park is a heaven for photographers and offers scenic drives that provide endless subjects to be captured.

The three ski areas of Banff, Lake Louise and Sunshine Village, all linked by a free shuttle, are all covered by the excellent Tri-Area lift pass, which combined, has more than 200 runs on over 7500 acres.  25 percent of this is covered by snow canons.

It really is a snow lover's paradise with an annual snowfall of over 30 feet. Skiing in Banff offers you a variety of different terrain with glacier carved bowls, remote powder chutes and challenging mogul fields as well as a world-class ski and snowboard schools.
 

skiing and boarding in Banff

For those staying in the ski resort of Banff, the skiing is at Banff Mount Norquay which is a 10 -15 minute ride on the regular shuttle bus, and Sunshine Village (a magnificent 3,168 skiable acres) is 20 -25 minutes away. Lake Louise is approximately 45 minutes away.The skiing is on three mountain faces and, for skiers and snowboarders of any ability, the options are limitless. From wide, plunging bowls to great tree-line runs and beautifully groomed slopes, there is so much you will probably not be able to ski all of its stunning 4,200 acres.

Apres ski in Banff

The historic town of Banff bustles with bars, boutiques, restaurants and après-ski action. Familiar names such as The Rose and Crown and The Henry VIII will draw in the pub fans (although Canadian style), whilst not to be missed is the Country and Western experience of Wild Bill’s. Lake Louise, although not as lively as Banff, has a few bars and restaurants.