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Ski Accommodation Canada
Book Canada ski accommodation direct with owners chalet apartment or hotel.
Banff Lake Louise >> : Whistler >>
Canada offers the service and courtesy that is so striking when you first visit the US - mountain hosts to show you around the slopes, immaculately groomed runs, civilised lift queues, lots of high-speed quad chair-lifts, piste maps available at the bottom of most lifts, and lift operators who seem happy in their job and appear to want you to have a good time. But what distinguishes Canadian from American skiing is that the mountains resemble those of the Alps. You get spectacular scenery of the kind that is very rare in the US.
Whistler-Blackcomb has the biggest vertical drop and highest piste mileage in North America, and a lot of exciting skiing above the tree-line as well as woodland runs. Banff-Lake Louise has another big plus-point. It is surrounded by Canadian National Park land and an amazing variety of wildlife that you'd never come across in Europe.
Herds of elk and big-horn sheep roam the streets and roadsides. You might even see a moose or bear. Winter is Banff's low season - hotel prices are half their summer levels and the resort offers excellent value for money. There are downsides to both these resorts though. Whistler suffers from a lot of bad weather coming in from the Pacific Ocean - it is practically on the coast. While this normally means a lot of snow up top, it can also mean a lot of rain at resort level, and days on end without sight of the sun. Banff and nearby Lake Louise have a different problem -especially in early season, temperatures can be bitterly cold (-20°C is not uncommon; -30°C not unknown).
Riding a high-speed chair in very low temperatures isn't much fun. Banff also suffers from the fact that there are no villages at the bases of the ski areas - you have to stay a bus- or car-ride away. Canada is also home to the world's most famous heli-skiing operations, where you can stay for a week in a luxurious lodge and be whirled up to virgin powder for several runs a day. Or you can try heli-skiing for a day from most resorts - a much more affordable option. There are numerous smaller resorts in Canada's Rockies that are now appearing on the British market, mainly through specialist Canadian and North American operators. Jasper in Alberta has its own small ski area 30 minutes' drive away in the National Park, abundant wildlife, stunning scenery and a charming luxury hotel. Panorama is a small, ski-in ski-out resort two hours south-west of Banff with the second biggest vertical.
