When I arrived at my Airbnb at 2 AM, I had no idea what the next few days had in store for me. From the distance, the mountains looked like modest foothills, giving little hint of the sheer length and volume of the trails. Even from the chairlift in the morning, I thought to myself, "This mountain looks pretty small—I imagine these runs will be short." I couldn't have been more wrong.
If you’re looking for a truly Canadian yet luxury ski experience with fewer crowds and world class resorts – look no further than Banff, Alberta. Banff is a small, vibrant Canadian mountain town that combines the rugged feel of the Canadian Rockies with upscale accommodations and entertainment. Not only that, but you can enjoy three world-class ski resorts within minutes of your castle. Did I say castle? Yes, you can actually stay at a castle hidden in the mountains.
Kicking Horse: A resort that lives up to its name.
No helicopters are needed to ski over 30,000 vertical feet a day by any social skier whose nerves hold firm. as he or she will enjoy of the most challenging skiing they will probably ever experience. There are some 85 ‘chutes’ in Kicking Horse, I would use the more appropriate word ‘drops’ for most runs. Most of these runs are largely accessed by a single summit gondola lift, a shorter chair ‘Stairway to Heaven’ opens up further breathtaking runs, lift queues are rare.
Whistler sets a standard that many other ski resorts have to match; right up there with Aspen and some European resorts but for very different reasons. The main concern for many is the flight; eleven hours but you do not lose skiing time as it is overnight and you are chasing the sun outbound. Passing through Vancouver airport is quick and the transfer is less than two hours to Whistler, the roads are good and it’s worth keeping awake for the stunning scenery.
