Banff - Introduction
With some of the finest mountain scenery and skiing for all abilities, Banff continues to be one of the top North American resorts. Accommodation is great value because winter is classed as low season and you will find a fantastic choice to suit all tastes and budgets! Banff is made up of two ski areas, Norquay which is approximately 10 minutes drive from the centre of town, and Sunshine Village about 20 minutes away. The bus service is free when you buy the tri-area Lift Pass. Banff's main street has plenty of shops, bars and restaurants. Après ski can be found either at the top of the SunshineVillage Gondola or downtown with its live country and western music. Sunshine is great for all levels of skier whilst, Norquay is great for intermediate and advanced but does not have a beginner area. Getting there: Banff is approximately 2 hours away from Calgary Airport.
Skiing
The Banff ski area, within the Banff National Park, consists of three friendly rival resorts and is a world-class ski destination. Based in Banff you can access skiing in Lake Louise, Norquay and Sunshine Village, all have something for every level of skiier. There are over a million skier visitors each year attracted by the snow record and terrain. Lake Louise has the largest and most varied terrain of the three resorts, with four mountain faces, thousands of acres of wide-open bowls and a beginner trail off every chairlift. The lake at the centre is the 1.5-mile (2.5-km) long lake fed by springs from the Victoria Glacier. Banff is today consistently voted North America’s Most Scenic Ski Area. Sunshine Village, the highest resort, typically offers a blanket of superb powder snow on its wild and wide-open terrain. Not to be outshone, Banff Mount Norquay is within easy access of Banff and is the locals’ favorite with a family-friendly reputation. It’s also the only resort in the Canadian Rockies to offer night skiing.
Snowboarding
Both areas have good free-riding terrain with only a little walking required on the mountain. Mount Norquay has a half-pipe, terrain park and some floodlit boarding action, whilst Sunshine Village has loads of natural gullies plus a designated half-pipe and terrain park. Freeriders should head for the Mystic Ridge lift on Mount Norquay.
Ski Schools
The Club Ski and Club Snowboard Program is developed to incorporate Mount Norquay, Sunshine and Lake Louise, giving maximum benefits from a tri-area pass. The same instructor will look after you for the week. Special clinics cover everything from basics to telemarking or bumps. In Sunshine, you can leave little ones at the Tiny Tigers daycare, which takes children from 19 months up to six years. There is also a daycare centre at Norquay, parents are supplied with pagers throughout there child’s daycare.
Eating Out
At Norquay, the Cascade Lodge is at the foot of the mountain with fine views and hearty food. At Sunshine, we would recommend The Sunshine Village Inn at mid-mountain for the best shepherd’s pie in Alberta, the Western-style Mad Trapper’s Saloon, and the Chimney Corner Lounge. In Banff, we like Coyote’s, which serves deli-style food and has a decent wine list. For fine dining, the Beaujolais and Classico restaurants in the Rimrock Hotel are hard to beat, but the opulent Banffshire Club restaurant has to take top honors, not least in terms of price, try Giorgio’s (Italian) and The Maple Leaf (Canadian).Excellent choice of 45 varied restaurants.
Bars and clubs
There is little après-ski in Sunshine or Mount Norquay, but Banff is lively. For a little grandeur, a visit to the Banff Springs Hotel can ease aching limbs. The large bar serves an impressive whisky list, and when weddings are on in the Baronial Hall, it can turn into quite a party. The Rose ‘n’ Crown in town pours a decent pint of Guinness for its young party crowd, whilst other recommendations include the Barbary Coast bar and grill, the St James Gate Irish pub, Wild Bill’s, and the Loose Moose Bar and Grill, at the top of the village and a third of the way up the main ski run! For those who fancy some wildlife, the “Outabounds” nightclub has plenty, but the sophisticated clubber may prefer the Aurora’s cigar lounge.
Off the slopes
A massive choice includes arranged canyon walks, snowmobiling, ice-skating and tobogganing. There are many shops and stores selling everything from trappers’ furs and local Indian crafts to state-of-the-art ski gear.