Skiing at Banff in the Canadian Rockies

Posted by Rachel in Canada on 11 1st, 2010 | No comments yet - be the first one!

For fans of skiing, you can’t get a much better location to ski in than Banff in Canada, which is set in the amazing Canadian Rockies. With the 2010 Banff ski season about to kick off, now is a great time to start planning your skiing trip.

Located in the western Canadian province of Alberta, west of Calgary, the town of Banff is one of the most popular ski resorts in Canada. It’s a great place to be based for a Canadian ski holiday and the town has all the essential shops, restaurants and bars that you’d expect to help you enjoy all aspects of your holiday. Even if you’re a non-skier, you can still enjoy the winter atmosphere in Banff and there are lots of other outdoor activities to try.

The main ski resorts in Banff are Sunshine Village, located about 15 minutes drive from the centre of Banff,  Ski Norquay, on the edge of town and Ski Louise, which is a bit further away (about 45 minutes from Banff) but is included in the tri-area lift ticket pass.

Between them, there are a wide variety of ski slopes to try and something for all levels of skiing ability. For example, Sunshine Village alone has over 3,300 acres of slopes, an average annual snowfall of over 30 feet and is one of the biggest ski resorts in the Rockies.

If you’re new to skiing, then you can rest assured that ski lessons are available (and snowboarding ones too, if you fancy giving that a go), and all the equipment you need can be hired or bought in Banff too.

The 2010 ski season in Banff kicks off on 19th November 2010, when the slopes open at weekends, then it’s full pelt from December. Depending on which slopes you’re skiing on and the snowfall, the season runs until mid April or late May. Between January and March there are even opportunities to have a go at night skiing, which is quite an experience!

If you are heading to the Canadian ski slopes, remember to wrap up warm! It may sound obvious, but if you’re used to skiing in Europe, the temperature in Canada is rather cooler.