Doing a season in Banff

Hi guys,

I'm weighing up taking some unpaid leave from my full time job and doing a season in Banff.

I have two ways of going with it.

A. Get a job and stay in staff accomodation or in an apartment in town. or
B. Get an apartment in town and live off my savings and ride every day!

so here are my questions...

1. What is a reasonable budget per week? lets say renting a unit with others and eating in most of the time (not counting lift passes)

2. Do you actually have to have a job to stay in a lot of the cheaper dorm style accommodations? are there any or are they ran by resorts for staff?

3. Does a tri-area season pass cover the buses to Sunshine, louise and norquay or do you buy a season pass for that as well? or should i just buy a car?

4. Is the accomodation scene better or particularly good anywhere else like fernie or kicking horse? (avoiding whistler because of olympics)?

Thanks for your help

and btw, i know some of you may think it a bit arrogant or something to do a season and not work like this but i'm 25 went straight from school to uni to a full time job and have so far missed out on thins kind of thing. i have been doing the math and can't really justify working at entry level wages when i have the cash to not work. But maybe the working is part of the fun?

cheers

Trav

Hi Trav

I have to say that I don't think its a bit arrogant to do a season and not work but then again I was in the same position as you having gone straight through school to uni to work it just took me longer to realise i wanted some time out (I'm 31!) an I'm currently spending the season in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada. The powder is great and on Wednesday night it snowed 26cm so loads of fun on the mountain yesterday!!

I'm afraid I can't help you out with info on Banff however wanted to let you know that there are loads of options available to you out there for doing a season and it really depends on what you want to do and what you want to get out of i. I decided to go down the road of becoming an instructor on the basis that it helped me meet people whilst out here and also helps prevent a large gap in my cv!!

Soooo Banff, eh?

First off: good choice!

I can't work out your budget for you, depending on what you eat/drink/ski it can be very cheap or you can live comfortably! Food is pretty cheap, cheaper than the UK (depending on exchange). Didn't cook dinner for myself once so can't really help you. You can get a steak and onion rings in Tommy's for ten bucks.

A big 3 season pass (including buses) sets you back about nineteen hundred dollars with no blackout periods. Keeping in mind that is skiing from the start of November till the end of May at Sunshine.

The YWCA is a place where folks stay for a long time and a job is not required. Look it up, fairly comfy, pretty reasonable really. (Wouldn't want to be in a dorm there). Maybe try and get a season let of an apartment or a house in Banff and rent out a couple rooms or even rent one in someone elses. You would probably need to rent the place from October but there is always plenty going on in town (winter is 'off season')

I would buy a car, would allow trips to Golden/Revvy to be made pretty easily and you would avoid the shitfest which can be the busses. Kicking Horse (Golden is the own about 20 minutes away, no actual accommodation on the hill) creeps me out so I wouldn't be happy staying there plus the lift system at Kicking Horse would get on your tits despite the AWESOME terrain!

I haven't heard much good about Fernie but Banff is a seriously cool place to live with an awesome vibe.

If I was doing a season again with savings I would get a job in a rental shop in the evenings, you would earn some money, meet some cool people and it would probably make settling in a whole bunch easier.

You can join the gym at the pool on the hill for about $100?! can't really remember but it is more than worth it. This includes Gyming/Swimming/Classes like Yoga (seriously, try it).

If you need more details just post and I will get back to the thread.

are you sure you are going to want to come home?

Awesome thanks for the help everyone. Answers though it seems have just given me more questions. I'll just go for it and ask everything i can think of. hopefully other people can find it helpful.

I don't think i will want to come home Karen but unfortunately like everyone i have to balance professional responsibilities and leisure. I wish we could all just live like rockstars and forget about work but it ain't gonna happen.

As always good feedback ross, we're lucky to have you around thanks!

I agree with you, banff seems like a cool place to go, i dont think there would be too many other options this close in a holiday sort of town unless i was in staff accom.

i was thinking of renting a place with some people, with a kitchen and stuff. i have backpacked south america and got sick of eating out all the time. from what i can tell this seems realistic? what do you think? i will try rope some friends up at hotham this year to coming across to banff instead of big white as well.

i would work an evening job just to get to know people but experience tells me it shouldn't be too hard to sort this out. do you think i could find this kind of evening job?

With the car i kind of expected that answer. whats with the buses? slow? late? crowded? infrequent? is it a different pass that includes buses (ie pass + bus) or is it just the standard one?

what is your tip on a car? in oz we just take a 4WD because we don't have snow tires and they always make you fit chains to 2WD's but in another thread i saw someone recommend just getting a small front wheel drive with snow tires? is parking free at the resorts? what is with cars freezing? do you need a garage at night? how does it work?

i like the gym idea ross, never thought of that. i love the gym at home but take 3 months off every winter cos i'm too knackered to go, but maybe i will just use the pool!

cheers

Trav

Trav wrote:Awesome thanks for the help everyone. Answers though it seems have just given me more questions. I'll just go for it and ask everything i can think of. hopefully other people can find it helpful.

I don't think i will want to come home Karen but unfortunately like everyone i have to balance professional responsibilities and leisure. I wish we could all just live like rockstars and forget about work but it ain't gonna happen.

As always good feedback ross, we're lucky to have you around thanks!

I agree with you, banff seems like a cool place to go, i dont think there would be too many other options this close in a holiday sort of town unless i was in staff accom.

i was thinking of renting a place with some people, with a kitchen and stuff. i have backpacked south america and got sick of eating out all the time. from what i can tell this seems realistic? what do you think? i will try rope some friends up at hotham this year to coming across to banff instead of big white as well.

i would work an evening job just to get to know people but experience tells me it shouldn't be too hard to sort this out. do you think i could find this kind of evening job?

With the car i kind of expected that answer. whats with the buses? slow? late? crowded? infrequent? is it a different pass that includes buses (ie pass + bus) or is it just the standard one?

what is your tip on a car? in oz we just take a 4WD because we don't have snow tires and they always make you fit chains to 2WD's but in another thread i saw someone recommend just getting a small front wheel drive with snow tires? is parking free at the resorts? what is with cars freezing? do you need a garage at night? how does it work?

i like the gym idea ross, never thought of that. i love the gym at home but take 3 months off every winter cos i'm too knackered to go, but maybe i will just use the pool!

cheers

Trav

Banff is still a working town and not a ski resort which is something to keep in mind.. obviously it has been developed as such in recent times but summer is still the no.1 season and the town was there long before the ski hills.

You need to get in really early in Banff accommo wise, keep that in mind! THe sooner you can go the better. Banff is probably a better shout for a season than Big White in terms of nightlife/'livability' (more of a town and not a ski hill).

For sure you can find that sort of job, if you can get in before the hoards arrive that helps. Get in and get talking to people-offer up to help out for free if you are struggling to get a paid position-this will make you contacts.

Honestly? The buses are excellent just a PITA, if youhave a car you can come and go as you please, ski a half day, an hour. Parking is free. Your car will freeze unless it is is plugged in.. depends what you go for but I rode the buses so don't have much of an idea on this.

The yoga classes are excellent and the instructor is hot.. seriously bendy (a Taxi driver tried to convince us she was a dyke, though).

So they have powerpoints everywhere at the resorts so you can park your car?

Actually I never thought about that, they don't. Lots of people run old bangers around so I guess it is doable!