Following a superb recce to Revelstoke, Whitefish and Castle early this winter, we are delighted to be able to include these fantastic resorts in a Rockies Loop Safari.  Details will be added to our website shortly - in the meantime, please call Rupert on 01273 224 060 if you'd like further information.

Day 1 - 4:

Land in Calgary, pick up your 4x4 car and the adventure begins….

My preferred starting point is Banff Sunshine Village as it is only a 1 ½ hr drive from Calgary. It is possible to do the loop the other way round and start with Fernie but this is a 4 hr drive which, after a long haul flight can be challenging, although you can overnight at Calgary airport and get on the road early the next morning.

The Sunshine Inn is an excellent place to spend a few days to recover and get lots of skiing in. It is the only on-mountain accommodation in The Banff National Park and, as such, offers true ski-in ski-out accessibility - the nearest lift is steps away from the front door (after the 5th January you get early bird access to the Standish Express). The hotel has undergone a complete refurbishment and now is able to offer a 5* on-mountain product that matches the 5* location. The hotel has excellent facilities – 2 restaurants, a bar, huge outdoor hot tub, fitness room, and café. If you fancy a night out in Banff town then this is possible – you either ski or take the gondola to the base station and then the bus into town. On the return you get a taxi to the base station and from there the hotel’s 4 wheel drive taxi (Sunshine Suzy) will transport you back to the Inn.

The skiing at Sunshine caters well for all standards. For advanced skiers there is some amazing skiing to be had – they claim to have the ‘best out of bounds skiing’ but it is actually in bounds. Delirium Dive is my favourite, the pitch is great and the runs long – in order to ski it you have to have a buddy, an avalanche transceiver and a probe. It’s best to hire a guide for the day as they will show you the best lines.

Day 4 -6:

After skiing on day 4, pick up your car and head to Lake Louise about a 45 min drive away. There are several accommodation options depending on your budget and preference. The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise with its impressive views of the Victoria glacier is worth saving the pennies for. Other choices would be the Deer Lodge or the Post Hotel. Lake Louise is a big ski area and again caters well for skiers of all standards. There is a lot of superb skiing for advanced skiers and I would recommend hiring a guide for the day to get the most out of this huge ski area – some of the terrain is particularly challenging and the runs long.

Day 6 -9:

Finish skiing on day 6 and it’s back to the car for a short 1 ½ hr drive to the town of Golden and Kicking Horse ski resort. The skiing here is absolutely fantastic – the majority of the terrain is ex-heli-skiing terrain that is now lift accessible. Look on the lift map and you will only see 2 main lifts - don’t be fooled, the ski area is big and most of the runs aren’t marked. A circuit of these lifts will take around 1 hr and you have to ski top to bottom - this is a lot of vertical, over 4000ft! I have had some of the most amazing skiing ever at Kicking Horse and can’t wait to go back. There is limited terrain for beginners and intermediate… but learn here and you will learn fast because you have no choice!

Places to stay increase each year as the resort grows – the first choice to make is between Golden or the resort village. The accommodation in Golden is much better value for money – there are several hotel chains including The Ramada and Prestige Inn that offer standard 3* accommodation. My choice in Golden would be the Auberge Kicking Horse, a small 3 bedroom bed and breakfast. The owners Marie-France and Bruce are incredible skiers and their knowledge of the mountain is impressive – if you are lucky enough, Bruce may share some of his secret trails with you. If staying up at the new mountain village, the choice is between the 2 new luxury suite complexes or The Copper Horse Lodge - this is a high-end adult-only bed and breakfast property and has the popular Corks restaurant underneath. From Golden it is possible to heli-ski with Purcell.

Day 9 -11:

With tired legs and a big cheesy grin, get into your car at the end of skiing on day 9 and head off to Panorama (1 ½ hrs). Panorama is a very pretty self-contained ski-in ski-out village. The runs here are long and they all eventually funnel back to the village. The skiing in the majority is aimed at the intermediate skier and you will feel like a pro skiing down the perfectly groomed runs. But, like Kicking Horse, there is an area that is ex heli-skiing terrain – The Taynton Bowl. Here you have to hike up the ridge to the different drop-ins – the further you hike the less people you will see and the more fresh lines you will get.

The other main attraction of Panorama is RK heli-skiing. At RK they have a huge ski-able area and cater from intermediate skiers upwards – if you can do a parallel turn and are confident on blue runs then you can go heli-skiing. The accommodation in Panorama spans from the fairly basic Pine Inn to the Gold premium condo units. My choice in these condos would be either The Taynton Lodge or the Panorama Springs.

Day 11 -14:

The penultimate drive is to Fernie (2 hrs). Fernie is another great resort – you have the choice between staying in Fernie town or the resort area. I would always choose the resort area and there’s a large choice of accommodation here including The Lizard Creek Lodge, Snow Creek Lodge, Timberline Lodges and The Fernie Alpine Lodge. You’ll find a good selection of restaurants in the resort and even more downtown (including a fabulous sushi restaurant) – there’s even a free shuttle bus that runs into town.

Skiing in Fernie is varied and excellent for intermediates and advanced alike – 40% of the terrain is intermediate and 30% advanced. Hit Fernie on a fresh powder day and you will be in for a treat – the term ‘no friends on a powder day’ will come into play! While in Fernie you can go cat-skiing with Fernie Alpine Adventure – this is a more affordable adventure option than heli-skiing.

Day 14:

The final leg is the 4 hour drive back to Calgary – drop the car off – get on a flight home and sleep……