J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by lilywhite

1, Are, Sweden
2, Banff
3, Maria Alm
Top 3 only :D
Desperate to get out on my skis again too.

I'm not phobic but I avoid them when I can as they exacerbate an injury of mine. Ski in scandinavia! It's more usual to find t-bars than chairs. -)

Can't comment on the jacket but Banff in January is really cold. Last time we visited minus 30something was average.
Do avoid cotton like the plague, do layer with wicking materials that are not so tight they make you look like an overstuffed sausage, you need air between the fabrics to keep you warm and to allow wicking to take place.
When you buy your base layers make sure the top is long enough to stuff in your trousers, sounds obvious but a lot of people forget how much they move their arms for pole plants etc, you don't want a draught!
Invest in glove liners but wear mitts on top, I carry a spare pair of liners to swap at lunchtime if they get a bit sweaty (nice!)
Neck gaiter is a must,not just to stop the cold but to stop the metal of the jacket zip giving you a really nasty rash. I hate facemasks as they make me feel claustrophobic but a lot of people wear them and swear by them.
Take plenty of lip balm or vaseline, not just for your lips, tip of your nose exposed by goggles will also appreciate it.
I never got uncomfortably cold even on lifts, I wore a set of baselayers, a long sleeved cycle shirt, thin fleece sweater, down gilet, trousers/jacket (mine were cheap airwalk from sports direct!) ski socks, neck gaiter, glove liners, mittens, helmet.

I've mainly been skiing in scandinavia where probably 90% of people wear helmets, probably due to the vast amount of drag lifts which seem hell bent on removing your head from your shoulders, I had never previously felt the need for a helmet being a sunday driver on the slopes, I now am a convert. I had no idea it would be possible to forget about it nor how warm my ears would be. Having since had someone throw themselves off the roof of a tunnel on top of my head as I exited said tunnel I won't be going back to my beanie. Whether it saved my life is debatable but it certainly saved that days skiing.

Done!

Welcome Steve. I've been to Banff Canada in January and the temps were between -20 and -38c in other word fookin cold! No cotton and lots of layers! -)
Ski in/out is not that common in Canada you deffo can on Sunshine but there is literally nothing there other than a couple of hotels/skiing/1 pub There might be more in other Canadian resorts I have no experience of.
Banff is nice though, 3 ski areas on one pass, Lake Louise which has some nice bowls and narrower tree skiing as well as some decent runs your wife will enjoy, the larch area if memory serves correctly.
Sunshine which is wide open, lovely in the sun but damn nippy when its windy, probably the best area for you to ski together though as you could be doing reds next to your wife on blues and be able to see each other throughout. The run out is a nice long run (pica?)green/blue, bet your wife would enjoy it. Goat eye area has more challenging runs which she would probably not enjoy!!!
Norquay is the smallest area, bit steeper and you could do it all in a day but nice and small mountain friendly, as a result it is usually pretty quiet though January is pretty quiet anyway because its so cold.
We stayed in the Ptarmigan in Banff itself, clean, friendly, jacuzzi, sauna, bar, decent food, and ready to do deals on longer stays etc..
Plenty of places to drink/eat/shop for souvenirs. Irish pub served great stews and stuffed yorkies. Magpie and stump for mexican food and beer served in jam jars, steak available everywhere, huge portions, I mean HUGE, either share or take a doggy bag!
It is quite possible to do an ice hockey match, ice climbing and all sorts off mountain if you wanted a day off the slopes. It's about an hour and a half from Calgary airport by car. Have fun x

Great thread and tough question.
I love the views of the frozen lake you get in Are Sweden but love the choc box prettiness of Maria Alm Austria.
Seems to me if it has snow on it it's a decent view, right?

My partners son is 13yrs, already 5'8". His age makes him a child in most resorts, we pay a childs rental but because he is tall and not super skinny the shop always loans him adult equipment at no extra cost.