| After skiing the Canadian Rockies and the European | | | | days. The cold dry air of the Canadian Rockies |
| Alps, you will see immediate differences. The first | | | | means that the snow is light and fluffy. This light, dry |
| being that some of the ski resorts in North America | | | | snow means you will find it hard to make snowballs |
| are actually situated away from the nearby towns | | | | out of it. You can be in up to your waste in powder |
| you would stay in. Banff, for example, is situated | | | | and still move freely. |
| near three main ski areas; Banff Norquay, Sunshine | | | | In the Alps, the snow can be a little wetter and |
| Village and Lake Louise at about 15, 20 and 40 | | | | heavier on powder days. The resorts too, with some |
| minutes respectively. Your Tri-Area lift pass covers all | | | | exceptions, are usually lower and milder. The higher |
| three ski resorts as well as the ski shuttles to and | | | | resorts in the Canadian Rockies resorts tend to get |
| from these ski resorts. | | | | quite cold particularly in January and February. |
| Jasper Marmot Basin is also situated about 20 | | | | In the resorts in the Canadian Rockies, you do not |
| minutes away from Jasper townsite where you | | | | get the Alpine Charm and history you get in the Alps. |
| would stay. Fernie, Kimberley and Panorama all have | | | | The best way to describe Canadian Rocky ski |
| newer ski-in/ski-out developments not constrained by | | | | resorts are that they are designed to be easy. |
| National Park rules. Banff is located in Banff National | | | | They're built so that you can always get back to one |
| Park and Jasper in Jasper National Park making ski | | | | central point, the base, so it is hard to get lost. In the |
| resort expansion a challenge but at the same time | | | | Alps, there is more opportunity to go exploring, |
| maintaing the natural beauty. | | | | visiting other countries, but your timing is everything, |
| The most well known of the ski hills in Canada is of | | | | you miss the last lift up and you are looking at taxis |
| course, Whistler (Whistler and Blackcomb). This resort | | | | or buses to get back to your starting point over in |
| has huge expanses of terrain for you to explore | | | | the other valley. |
| across two mountains - Whistler and Blackcomb, | | | | Ski resorts in the Canadian Rockies have wide valleys |
| which are now connected by the new PEAK2PEAK | | | | and plenty of steep and deep, terrain to challenge |
| gondola and there are plenty of ski-in/ski-out | | | | most. We have green, blue, black diamond and black |
| properties to choose from. Whistler Blackcomb has | | | | double diamond runs. In the Alps, they have the |
| the greatest ski vertical in North America. However, | | | | additional red rated runs, which are between our blue |
| due to its great vertical, often their may be rain at | | | | and black runs. This means a blue run in the Canadian |
| the base, but head through the clouds to the powder | | | | Rockies can be the equivalent of an easy blue or |
| at the top. One thing to note too is that Whistler is | | | | challenging red in the Alps. Resorts in the Canadian |
| NOT in the Canadian Rockies, which is assumed by | | | | Rockies are a lot more open with wide open pistes. |
| many. It is actually located in the Coastal Mountains in | | | | The weather in the Canadian Rockies in Alberta is |
| the west and so receives wetter, heavier snow | | | | mainly sunshine. Based on weather records this has |
| compared to the resorts located further inland. | | | | been proved, due to us being located on the east |
| Although there are no ski-in/ski-out properties in | | | | side of the Continental Divide. The Continental Divide |
| Banff, Sunshine Village does have a ski-in/ski out | | | | acts as a barrier for the weather. To the west, |
| hotel at the top of the gondola. The Sunshine Lodge | | | | Whistler receives a lot of warm moist air from the |
| (formally known as the Sunshine Inn), is great for | | | | Pacific ocean, whereas east of the continental divide, |
| getting those first tracks and had an additional wing | | | | the clouds have much less moisture creating the dry |
| added in 2009. In the Banff area, the Sunshine Lodge | | | | "champagne powder" we mentioned earlier. |
| is the only ski-in, ski-out accommodation. | | | | So, to conclude, there is no better place to ski, the |
| Kicking Horse, Canada, the second newest resort in | | | | Alps give you the chance to explore and visit other |
| Canada (Revelstoke being the first), has the greatest | | | | countries in a day, and experience a wide variety of |
| vertical in the Canadian Rockies at 4,133 feet. These | | | | terrain. The resorts in the Canadian Rockies offer |
| runs are steep and if you are lucky, you can | | | | blue skies, dry air, fluffy snow and a less likely |
| experience one of their famed "champagne powder" | | | | chance to get lost! |