In European resorts I ski black runs (not always with total finese) and am trying to progress my off piste, my girlfriend is less confident but a good red run skier, people have said we should go to canada as the powder is amazing and worth the slog and extra money to get there. Looking around i’m unsure about when to go as was hoping for a christmas / new year trip but some posts say its too cold then and early in season for canada (really?), another option is april (can’t do between this year) but that appears late in season and I hear that Canadian snow doesn’t ebb away but goes in 1 week when some warm spring winds come in so april sounds risky, correct? Next, which resort? Have been looking at Lake Louise & Banff combined, whistler sounds more extensive but overcrowded (can get that close to home), but if Banff area is too small and Whistler is too crowded why do people rave about it? I assume you don’t have to be at heli-ski level to get the best out of canada? I don’t know much about other resorts like kicking horse and big white but if going all that way I want to get it right as i’m far from loaded and won’t be able to go there again for a few years at least. It doesn’t help that north american resorts measure in acres as opposed to European resorts in km, this makes a comparison impossible as it depends upon how wide the pistes are.

I’m sure the wtss website used to have a great resort ‘picker’ feature where you input your top 3 search criteria but it seems to have gone from the website?

Well I must have been to a different Whistler,I went this year and it wasn’t crowded.The place is very big and the areas you can ski are awesome in my opinion.You can ski great groomers and fantastic bowls of the back of Whistler mountain like you wouldn’t believe and all this is lift served the off piste skiing is great as you can go from the big wide open bowls and the steep chutes into tree skiing that is better than any I have ever seen.As for crowding when we were there during the Olympics there wasn’t a single lift queue in sight I too had heard stories but they may only happen at weekend after a big dump on some lifts but if you are there for longer at the weekends you can ski else where and on Monday when they have all gone back to Vancover you have the place to yourself again,I skied one day in Flute bowl and Piccolo bowl and did not see a single person all morning.The only negative that I had in March was the weather it can be rain in the town,smog mid mountain and clear high up so be prepared for wet conditions low down.The people in Canada are the friendliest people I have ever met they will do anything for you and all talk English which helps unless you go East then its French,but I think if you can it is worth the flight as I think the skiing is better than in Europe especially for easy access off piste.

Also as for skiing Black runs there are some very hard runs that will test you to your limit,and the size of the place is very big he price of food in Canada is cheaper than france so is the beer and it is all better and comes with a smile.

Thanks Newbie, Sounds like you had a great trip. Lots of people have been very positive hence my interest in going but when I started researching reading guides and forum posts it sounded less clear. People said the resorts around Banff would be great for me but then reviews seemed to contradict that saying small ski areas and inconvenient etc, I guess its a very subjective thing rating a resort. I want to make sure I get the resort thats right for me. When you say smog at mid level at Whistler do you mean mist or actual smog (pollution)?

Hello El Plunge

I think Banff / Lake Louise makes a very good introduction to Canadian skiing; the three ski areas (Norquay, Sunshine and Lake L) offer a lot of variety that I’m sure would cover your experience / requirements. With a car, you could tag on a visit to Kicking Horse too (only about 2-2.5hours away)

I took a mixed group to Banff some years ago, staying in Banff itself and skiing mostly Sunshine; though we spent a few days in Lake Louise. And we also enjoyed a blissfully quiet visit to Norquay, which is the nearest of the three to Banff.

It was mid-March and extremely cold at times - we experienced temperatures of minus 20 on a couple of days; add windchill and it was perishing. Snowfall was excellent, and Sunshine in particular offered good powder conditions. Everyone had a fantastic time. The bus transfers are a niggle because of the short day, but the scenery along the way is tremendous so we got used to our daily journey.

Problem with December is that often the heaviest snowfalls come a bit later in North America. There is usually sufficient mix of natural and artificial; and Lake Louise regularly holds FIS racing in December - but I’ve often noted from snow reports that it can seem a bit thin then. Whistler has a different climate, and as with this season can start incredibly well. I don’t see a problem with April really. Sunshine has a long season, and even if the other two areas go through a warm spell, there’s usually plenty of good snow there.  A relative of mine spent last season teaching in Norquay, and enjoyed good snow right into late April / early May.

Check resort closing dates if you plan to go during our Easter period - some places close earlier than expected. 

As Richard points out: why not consider the US too?

Wendy

PS: Yes, the resort chooser from the previous website is no longer available. But we are working on plans for a replacement. More on that in due course.

RSimpkinuk57 - 08 August 2010 10:26 AM

Saw not a single person all morning, Nicehaed? Were you in fog then? or, since the Olympics were on, was everyone else in Whistler busy watching them?

The time was during the morning mid week at the end of March during the Paralympics, wasnt really foggy and the only events on at the time were at Creekside for the downhill events not in Whistler.The people in resort told us that more people had stayed away during the olympics but the said you only get que`s during holiday`s and weekend`s and they are nothing more than a few miniutes.