Stayed in Banff with the intention of skiing all 3 resorts but there was no new snow and I prefer the terrain which is easily accessible at LL. Meant a 40 minute bus ride each way which isn't so bad with the views and it is pretty much the same as Sunshine (25 minute bus ride + 15 gondola).
TO: Canadian Affair
Cost: £600 inc return flights from Glasgow via Gatwick to Calgary
Accommodation: Caribou Lodge
Carrier: British Airways for GLA to Gatwick and Thomas Cook onwards to YYC (1 hour 30 minutes + 3 hour wait + 8 hours)
Flights: BA were good, unusually hot cabin crew on the way back. Usually their internal flights are staffed by those too old for the long haul ;) Charged £35 for my skis (about 25kg) on the way out but the guy didn't bother on the return which was good.
Thomas Cook were great and we had no issues. New(ish) planes and comfortable seats with plenty legroom which is weird because usually there isn't quite enough for me on planes. When the plane gets narrower at the back the outside seats get a little smaller so be warned if you are pre-booking. The premium economy isn't worth it when the flight is quiet and we had a whole row to ourselves which was requested at check in. Cabin crew friendly and helpful. Entertainment was poor. The food wasn't great and you had to pay for drinks. Gordons and Bombay Sapphire available :)
Note: Whilst they were fine with my skis on the way back Thomas Cook told check in they were 'doing it wrong' and the allowance for skis was now 10kg each, in separate bags, for people travelling. They let us away with it on the promise that we 'remember next time'. Had an extra ski bag in the double just incase they enforced it.
Hotel:
The Caribou isn't so bad but is getting fairly dated. Beds weren't hugely comfortable and the room was kind of small. Didn't eat in the Keg because I don't think it is worth the hype but they have a half decent bar that shows the hockey/NFL/whateverelseison. Free ski lockers in basement. I had a brand new pair of skis sitting in the room and housekeeping grassed me up to the front desk. They were reasonable about it and requested I put them in the locker but I just put them under the dresser and nothing more was said. They had us checked out before we even came down to the desk so we handed over the keys and off we went.
The Town:
Banff is cool. More restaurants, shops and bars than you can shake a stick at. My understanding is that it was a town before it became a ski town so there is a good vibe and loads going on.
Eating and drinking:
Elk and Oarsman - great food. Try and get a seat in the bar as the other side of the restaurant can be fairly busy. Good mix of locals and tourists. Atmosphere is excellent and they show lots of sports.
Coyotes - a must do. Book for breakfast lunch and dinner, especially at weekends.
Aardvark - take away pizza. Fairly average.
Magpie and Stump - choose how hot you want it. Definitely visit.
St. James' Gate - my favourite. Big selection of single malts.
Rose and Crown - for the pool tables and the food isn't bad at all.
Pump and Tap - shows UK sports in the evening. Worth it to see the Arsenal fan close to tears. Pool tables slope to one side.
A take away menu is available that will bring you food from any restaurant in town. If you don't ask for it they won't bring you materials to eat it with so plan on sourcing your own knives and forks.
Shopping:
Plenty tacky gift shops. Loads of gear to look at. Monods, Patagonia, Banff Mountain Wear and Mountain Magic are the best to look around (IMV). Had skis mounted at short notice in Monods and they did a great job. There is even a Louis Vuitton if that is your thing.
Ski Hire:
Not for me. Used Ultimate Ski and Ride with a 10% discount available from the discount booklet you can pick up locally or any kind of membership (CSIA etc). Salomon Aero something or other. Very well maintained with a fresh tune.
Skiing:
As far as terrain is concerned Lake Louise is one of my favourite hills. As there wasn't much in the way of fresh snow we spent all of our days but one here. The snow was well groomed on the home runs and still soft/chalky on the steeps. I think I had about 10 completely fresh turns all week which were knee deep but apart from that it was wind effected and crunchy. The accessible backcountry around Lake Louise is extensive and wasn't seeing a huge amount of traffic considering the 'low' avalanche risk all the way to the Alpine.
