Banff Vacations
Home Banff Accommodations Lake Louise Accommodations Summer Activities Winter Activities About Banff Links Traveller's Check List
Banff Vacations
Google

Banffvacations.net Winter Activities

No matter what your winter activity interests are, Banffvacations.net has something for everyone. Please follow the links below to discover the varied outdoor activities for winter in the Banff/Lake Louise areas.

Alpine Skiing Nordic Skiing Heli-Skiing Snowboarding Ice Skating Snowmobiling Dog Sledding Snowshoeing Sleigh Riding

Alpine (Downhill) Skiing

Downhill Skiing Banff/Lake Louise
Downhill Skiing Banff/Lake Louise
Located in the heart of the Canadian Rockies and yet only 90 highway minutes away from the Calgary International Airport, Banff/Lake Louise offers you a choice of — or combination of — three ski resorts. The alpine town of Banff and the charming village of Lake Louise tempt you with exceptional accommodations, dining, shopping and nightlife. Of course, there are aprés-ski and instead-of-ski things to do like sleigh rides, ice-skating, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and dog sledding.

Choose From Three Great Resorts!

SUNSHINE VILLAGE

Snow Matters: Sunshine gets an astonishing 30 feet of it every year! Ski Sunshine and you'll float on a deep, soft blanket of 100 percent natural snow from November to May. Ride a Euro-style gondola up to the bottom of 11 lifts. Ski the wide-open spaces above the treeline and be awed by the spectacular view of surrounding mountain peaks. Cruise the glades and gentle slopes. Do the bumps and moguls and if you're an accomplished skier, take the challenge of Sunshine's advanced and expert runs. Boarders are welcome on all runs, at all three Banff/Lake Louise resorts. Boarder parks include pipes, ramps, jumps and siderails.

Sunshine Village Facts

Serviced Area: 3,168 acres (1,282 hectares) on 3 mountains
Average Annual Snowfall: 360 inches (914 cm)
Lifts: 1 gondola, 3 quads, 1 triple, 3 doubles, 2 T-bars, 2 beginner surface tows
Vertical Drop: 3,514 ft. (1,071 m)
Longest Run: 5 miles (8 km)
Number of Runs: 91
Expert/Extreme: 10%
Advanced: 20%
Intermediate: 50%
Novice: 20%

LAKE LOUISE

So big you probably can't ski it all in a day. Lake Louise has more skiable terrain than any other single resort in Canada. You can run down four different mountain faces and get as much powder, moguls, groomes slopes, glades and open bowls as you could want. Take on the steep, above-the-treeline runs. Cruise through wide-open bowls on the backside. Dash along the tree-lined trails of Larch. The variety is spectacular. The facing mountains and local peaks are so magnificent to look at, the owners have spread three day lodges throughout the resort to help you pause and enjoy the view. And refresh yourself by the fire.

Lake Louise Facts

Serviced Area: 4,200 acres (1,700 hectares)
Average Annual Snowfall: 140 inches (256 cm) mid-mountain, 200 inches (508 cm) back bowls
Lifts: 4 high-speed, express quad chairlifts, 1 fixed-grip, quad chairlift, 1 triple chair, 2 double chairs, 1 platter, 1 T-bar and 2 magic carpet lifts.
Vertical Drop: 3,365 ft. (1,026 m)
Longest Run: 5 miles (8 km)
Number of Runs: 50
Expert: 30%
Intermediate: 45%
Novice: 25%

MOUNT NORQUAY

As near as you can get — plus night skiing, too. Norquay has also carved a delightful selection of Blue and Black cruisers off their fast Quad lifts along Mystic Ridge. The resort tends to have such short lift lines, the locals suggest you see how many runs you can make in a day. You'll be surprised, and very, very tired. Norquay has an excellent ski school and, like the other two resorts, lessons for kids, beginners and other levels too.

Mount Norquay Facts

Serviced Area: 162 acres (65.6 hectares)
Average Annual Snowfall: 120 inches (305 cm)
Lifts: 3 quads, 1 double, 1 magic carpet surface tow
Vertical Drop: 0.73 miles (1.17 m)
Longest Run: 3,828 ft. (1,167 m)
Number of Runs: 25
Expert/Extreme: 16%
Advanced: 28%
Intermediate: 45%
Novice: 11%

Banff/Lake Louise Skiing and Tourist Information

Banff Lake Louise Tourism
P.O. Box 1298
Banff, Alberta, T1L 1B3
Canada
Phone:403.762.8421
Fax: 403.762.8163
Web: BanffLakeLouise.com

Snow Report: Ski Big3 Snow Report