Long gone is the time when Aussies wanting to ski Canadian slopes simply headed to Whistler or Lake Louise. These days, Big White, Silver Star and Sun Peaks, thanks to well-priced packages, take the lion’s share of families, while Revelstoke, Kicking Horse and the farther-flung resorts of Fernie and Red Mountain are poaching more adventurous customers from the big boys.
Reaching Canada’s interior resorts, such as Fernie and Red Mountain, requires more transit time – a connecting flight from Vancouver and a van transfer – but their beauty and the exhilarating terrain they offer make them well worth the effort.
A dramatic mountain range backs Fernie’s larger-than-expected array of slopes and, along with a small base village, there’s a funky former coal-mining town about five minutes’ drive away from the ski-field. Its serious steeps and remote location make Fernie a place that ‘real’ skiers boast about having visited. Make sure you ski with a trail map, though, or enrol in a two-day Steep and Deep camp that shows you the best local terrain – otherwise, Fernie’s true delights will remain a mystery to you. Getting the best out of Fernie depends on knowing which traverses and ridge lines to take, and at which tree or pylon to turn off.
The slopes, though, will reward your efforts. Venture into the Currie and Lizard bowls and to the flanks of Cedar Bowl for some of Fernie’s most exciting, visually arresting terrain. Don’t miss its famous steep runs – notably, Corner Pocket, entered by side-stepping over inner tubes planted in the slopes to hold the snow in place and give traction on the steep narrow entry. Or follow the map to get to the famous Skydive run that you can see from the base.
Fernie town goes a little more upmarket every year. Joining perennial favourite The Old Elevator is Picnic Restaurant + Social, the area’s latest high-end eatery, decked out in designer style with a menu to match. Then there’s the friendliest ski shop in Canada, Edge of the World, a store incorporating Mexican and Internet cafés.
Four hours’ drive east of Fernie lies Red Mountain – and, for uncrowded slopes, superb snow, long, consistently steep runs and swooshy cruisers, it’s hard to beat. It may be on the smaller side but its terrain will test your skills. The mountain unfolds like Pandora’s box: initially, it appears that the milder terrain you see on Granite Mountain is what you’re going to get, but take the chairlifts on adjoining Red Mountain and you can access cruisers as well as terrain so steep and wooded that at times it feels like a wilderness experience, despite the lifts nearby.
Red’s owners are getting serious about attracting more skiers and recently built a five-star condominium complex called Slalom Creek at the mountain’s base. It sits alongside older, more basic lodges including the charming, A-framed Red Shutter Inn, where we stayed.
The newest kid on the block is Revelstoke, a two-to-three-hour drive from Kelowna airport. The area opened under this name in December 2007, adding a high-speed gondola to afford access to the longest vertical drop in North America. The descent here is noticeably longer than others I’ve experienced in this part of the world.
Two smaller lifts allow you to access the higher reaches of the mountain. The views from here are fabulous – you feel very high in the sky. Meanwhile, down below, a modern base village is under construction.
Families and intermediate-level skiers tend to gravitate towards the Big White and Silver Star areas, which are closer to Kelowna than Revelstoke and offer slick, seamless service, from their perfectly groomed ski slopes to their modern condominiums. Both areas offer extras such as dog-sledding, skating and tubing, ski-in/ski-out lodging and lots of options for casual dining. I know people who spend several weeks on end at these ski fields, holed up in condos with their families.
Sun Peaks, accessed from Kelowna, Kamloops or via a resort shuttle, is another family-friendly area ideal for intermediates. Three mountains surround the purpose-built faux-Tyrolean town, which packs in no less than nine pubs and several eateries, many with sunny patios attached. The runs are mostly long cruisers, though you can also find powder, trees and a few steeps here.
Kicking Horse is similar to Revelstoke in that it, too, is a fairly new kid on the block, having been transformed from a smaller field into an internationally recognised destination; however, it’s further along the development road than Revelstoke and there are plenty of modern condos at its base, and in the town of Golden – which, while it’s hardly a hive of activity, also has a smattering of restaurants and a couple of pubs.
This ski area is a two-and-a-half-hour drive or shuttle trip from Calgary. Once you get there, you’ll find an array of cruisers on the bottom half of the field, steeper terrain up top, and plenty to test anyone who thinks they’re an expert. There’s a rather spectacular modern restaurant at the top of the gondola, too: sitting at its bar looking out over the Dogtooth Range is a fine way to while away the time.
Renowned Lake Louise ski field, the largest in the Canadian Rockies, is about 40 minutes’ drive from the lively tourist town of Banff and is skiable on the same tri-area ticket as Sunshine and Norquay. Most people shuttle in to Lake Louise from Banff. Lake Louise’s size and its scenery are its star qualities: you’ll get jaw-dropping views of Canada’s craggiest mountains from its slopes and, when the snow here is good, it’s a fabulous place to ski, especially if you hit the back bowls.
Sunshine, less than half an hour’s drive from Banff, sits just to the east of the Continental Divide and has some of the widest, most open slopes of any of the Canadian resorts. It adjoins a rather challenging hill known as Goats Eye and incorporates an extreme terrain park, Delirium Dive. Mount Norquay is known as Banff’s locals’ resort, but don’t be fooled: along with the intermediate terrain that draws families on weekends, there are some very steep runs to skiers’ right of the lifts. Norquay is a satisfying place to ski for a day or two.
Marmot Basin is another Alberta resort that’s been struggling to get more notice lately. When I visited a few years ago, I was surprised to find that this area was not as it had been portrayed: as a beginners’ resort covered in green runs. For advanced skiers, Marmot has some seriously steep and beautiful terrain in the trees, similar to that at Red Mountain, offering an experience not unlike lift-accessed heli-skiing.
Last but not least is Whistler. The largest ski resort in North America, it offers a full-service pedestrian village that has benefitted hugely from the 2010 Olympics, now incorporating everything from designer and chain stores to some of the finest dining in the country.
Whistler can get crowded in high seasons. Other than that, there are few drawbacks – and enough terrain to satisfy any skier for years. One of the best ways to get to know the mountain if you’re an intermediate-level skier or above is to sign up for an Extremely Canadian ski clinic: it takes you to all the best spots on the field, with instruction if you wish... •
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