# Where to go in Canada?? Or the Alps?



## Justin (Jun 2, 2010)

The best tree runs are at revelstoke (that i have been to). top to bottom trees. Lots of good terrain in the banff area, sunshine village, lake louise, kicking horse, and 2 other resorts if they get dumped on. Castle and fernie are good to but they are a bit more isolated from the rest. They are south.

Some other guys who have more experience will let you know more options (ie, white water and red mountain).

I have only ridden one hill in the vancouver area and it was when i was first starting so i can't really compare interior bc/alberta to the whistler area.


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## aubzobot (Feb 19, 2011)

From my experience the alps seemed to have way more mellow groomers, but not enough fun terrain. In the rockies there's so many resorts, with great snow and amazing diversity. My person favourite is Lake Louise, but Revelstoke is great too.


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## TorpedoVegas (Dec 25, 2011)

Revelstoke and Kicking Horse, forget everything else for what you're looking for


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## Bones (Feb 24, 2008)

TorpedoVegas said:


> Revelstoke and Kicking Horse, forget everything else for what you're looking for


What he said. For trees, I'd say Revy. For bowls and chutes, then KH


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## roremc (Oct 25, 2009)

What time of year and for how long?

From a flight perspective you can fly cheaply into Calgary with Canadian Affair.


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## nscullion001 (Dec 26, 2010)

Thanks guys.

Good point about the time of year and how long roremc, forgot to add that. There are 2 possible times. One is from the 5th - 12th January 2013 and the other is from 23rd-31st March 2013. These are the only 2 times I can get a full week away from work during the season, aside from this I have to make do with weekends in the 'mountains' here in Scandanavia.

Which time of year would be better to maximise my chance of getting some major powder at Revelstoke? I realise that the March week is the week before Easter next year so I could run into some horrible crowds that week. What you think?

We have had a seriously short winter here in Sweden with nowhere near as much powder as the last 2 winters I have lived here. Has been seriously frustrating.


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

I was sitting in the sauna this weekend with a helicopter pilot from England. He's skied the French alps a bunch, and Fernie and the Rockies one two separate trips. He said there's no comparison, he loves it here.

My personal favorite is Fernie, but I haven't been to revelstoke or kicking horse. Fernie is a really relaxed town, and the mountain has great bowl boarding with lots of powder and lots of trees. Unfortunately it also gets slightly warmer weather so that could be a crapshoot. The rockies create really weird weather patterns so one resort could get dumped on, while another 30 minutes away could be getting rain or nothing.

If there's any way you could book the time off, book your flights, and then do the rest on the fly my guess is you'll be able to find great snow at the last minute. I'd fly into Calgary and any of the resorts we've been talking about so far are within a 4.5 hour drive from Calgary airport.

I'd strongly suggest hitting up multiple resorts. Lake Louise is two hours from Calgary, Kicking Horse another hour or so, and Revelstoke another 1.5 past that. You could do a couple days at each resort without having massive drive between each date.

And yeah, let us know where you choose to go you might get a local to show you where the stashes are on each mountain. I've found some places on fernie where you can have almost an entire run in pretty much untouched snow several days after a big storm. Lake Louise gets used and abused far quicker than Fernie. Again, not sure about KH or Revelstoke (I refuse to call it Revy! lol)

Have fun!


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## roremc (Oct 25, 2009)

You would be unlucky to hit pow in Mid Jan in Revi. If coming in March I would go Banff over revi as that is more like mid winter to us. Warmer with powder. Revi could be getting to warm by then. 

I was in Revi 2 years ago in Early Jan and it was crazy!


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## Klang180 (Feb 8, 2012)

Bit late to this thread but you have one week and you want to fly all the way to Canada? It isn't worth it. Forgetting the 8-11hour flight and the killer transfer you will have jet lag and you are putting way too much pressure on there being good snow in that one week you are there.

I spent 4 months in Fernie and i loved it but it didn't snow once in the whole of January and it rained as much as it snowed. If you'd come over for one week you would have had a 50/50 chance at best that you'd get good snow. I am not trying to be down on Fernie as it is a great resort and town but no resort is worth that trek for just one week!

I also went to Lake Louise and Kimberly. The latter is pretty small and tame and the former is cool but i wouldn't go for a week even if the runs are better than the European equivalents.

I'd go to Austria if i were you, been to loads of resorts and they have a solid offering.


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## kraemouse (Apr 19, 2012)

I live in Canada, near Whistler...
But I went to the Alps this year (Scuol, Switzerland) and I found the snow there nicer, and the conditions more consistent (for the 2 weeks I was there anyway..) Perhaps because it's so much colder there (again.. as far as what I experienced!)
Jetlag is awful, I wouldn't pay to come out here unless you're staying a few months..


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