What are the current conditions in Banff?!

Hi a bit worried :( as it is going to be my first expeience skiing in Canada and it does not look like there has been much snow.
Decided to go to Canada this year as last year the conditions in France were BAD, rocks every where!
Can anyone reasure me PLEASE?! :roll:

Current conditions in Banff-bloody excellent lol. When are you going? Are you staying in Banff and skiing the "big3"?

GREAT THANKS, just what I wanted to hear :D

Going over Christmas and yes going to try, just hoping the runs are not too difficult as my partner has only been skiing a couple of times and last year you could not really call it a weeks skiing! :shock:

Which area would you recomend to suit our mixed ability?

i would reccomend sunshine as you can all meet at centre and there are runs from their to suit all,and all chairlifts great place.

Then again at Lake Louise you can cruise from nearly top to bottom on an easy run. and theres also ptarmigan/larch etc where easy runs can be skiied by your partner and you can skip down through the trees on a gladed double black! You'll love it im going back for the 5th time on Jan the 9th this time for 3 months:D

Also Norquay is great fun if a little short..

Great Ill look forward to checking them out, not sure about the black through the trees not that good yet :!:

Thinking of highering a car would this be advisable or is the free ski transport quite good?

I know that each trip I take to Europe is chock full of adventure and part of that adventure has included a car rental.

Transportation in Banff is not so great. There are buses but they are limited as to schedules and comfort. They are what we commonly use as school busses with vinyl bench seats and cramped accommodations. On the other side of that coin I have enjoyed the Post buses of Austria - so who's to say you won't enjoy our quaint buses.

I would absolutely suggest a car rental. The rental shops in Calgary where you will probably fly into, are set up to rent you a snow ready car and the driving is easy and relaxed compared to Europe. There is little traffic and the roads are in good shape. The distances are greater than you might be used to in Europe. For example, the ride from Calgary to Banff is about 1.5 hours to Lake Louise 2.0 hrs on four lane expressway (no tolls) with limited access. The speeds are 100 -110 kph so the distance is 150 kms or so with no towns in between. You will need to buy a Canada Parks pass to drive your car in Banff and this will cost $85 for the week - actually a year long pass is cheaper than a five day pass)

The freedom a car affords is essential to experience the Canadian Rockies. The driving is relatively stress free and the cost for a week reasonable.

With your own car you will be able to drive to the hills at your leisure and get about town without having to rely on buses that don't even exist after the ski day is over. Banff is a town of about 7000 and has no public transit system to speak of - Canmore just down the road is in the same situation - no public transit to speak of. Lake louise has no buses either. Taxis are expensive and a car would surely pay for itself.

To get to Sunshine and Lake Louise will necessitate a car. Norquay is the most bus serviced area being just a few minutes above the town of banff - but that's still a bus ride, the walk is about 10 kms up the switch backs of the access road.

If you can try to drive one day as far a Golden and Kicking Horse Mountain - Google it- another hour past Lake Louise. The skiing there is fantastic... see the car can get you to the hills and that's why you are coming isn't it. :lol:

Allow me to please extend a warm invitation to you from Canada. Ski and enjoy yourself it will be a holiday of memories to have for a lifetime or until you return.