where in Canada!!

You don't give dates of trip.

I would consider giving Banff a miss (at least check forecasts) if the 10 days is over Christmas/NY or Jan. Fantastic town but truly miserable temperatures. Below -10degC is just not that much fun to ski in.

If is late season would consider the opposite and drop Whistler. Snow sure but prone to late season rain 1/2 way down mountain. Which is fine but your enjoyable vertical becomes significantly reduced.

Still definitely some good skiing to be had at both and if you are lucky with powder some very decent offpiste.

MattSki_score wrote:all booked and can't wait now.

Flying into Vancouver then off to Whistler for 4 days then driving to Banff for 4 days then catching an NHL game in Calgary before flying home.

So if anybody body has any tips for ether resort please pass them on.

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Consider shortening your time in Whistler. It's a wonderful resort but it's extremely busy at the weekends and very expensive.

Banff has 3 resorts, Sunshine, Lake Louise and Norquay. All three are a drive out of town. Norquay is the closest and is more of a local hill although it has some fun steep terrain when the snow is good. Sunshine is 20 mins and LL is 45 min drive from the town of Banff where you will likely stay. Being in the Banff national park, not so much as a sign gets built without massive amount of scrutiny. The whole area is uniquely untouched UNESCO world heritage site. You will find amazing scenery at both Sunshine and LL.

The Banff resorts can still be quite busy at the weekends although not on the same scale as Whistler. You will get great conditions no matter what in Jan. Just be prepared for the possibility of some sub -10. Contrary to what many say, skiing in these temperatures can be quite pleasant and -20 is the exception, not the rule. The key to keeping your feet warm is to keep your torso and legs warm. Also make sure you remove your boot liners overnight and in no circumstances leave your boots in the car or you will regret it the following day. You can occasionally get very cold temps at WB too.

You should definitely check out one of the quieter resorts. My favorite is Kicking Horse which is located in Golden, a little over half way in your journey from Vancouver to Banff. You have 4,100 feet of skiable vertical with every type of skiing you might want from steep technical through open powder bowels to immaculately groomed runs. Mid-week (and after lunch if it's a powder day) you might find that you are the only skier on a run or sometimes have a whole bowl to yourself. There are many hikable in-bounds areas in which you will find powder days after a snowfall. There are many other great interior resorts such as Sun Peaks, Big White, Silver Star, Red, Whitewater, Fernie. Realisticaly, you are going to find those too far from your route from Vancouver in the limited time you have. Revelstoke and Kicking Horse are on the way.

Consider the following pass http://mountaincollective.com/ it gives you 2 days at Whistler Blackcomb and 2 days in the Banff resorts and 50% of the ticket price thereafter. It might save you a bit.

Hope this is helpful. You will have a great time.

Agreed on all the above. The drive should be exceptional but if its snowing can be quite extreme by European standards with closures if there are avalanches on to the highway so be prepared for unexpected stops if those are the conditions when you visit. Again (as mentioned in Steverandomno's excellent post above) I love Kicking Horse and Revelstoke you'll pass as mentioned, both have 'quirky' resort towns by the highway (Kicking Horse one is called Golden) that are worth making a stop in, if you have time, even if you don't bother to ski. Quite jealous! enjoy :)