Banff

Yes yes I know it isn't Europe, but seeking fellow Europeans opinions !

Some good deals for Jan, but wondered if going all that way is worth it for
1 week - thoughts? is it unbearably cold in Jan? other
considerations....thanks in advance.

On Tue, 16 Dec 2003 08:18:40 -0000, "no-one"
wrote:

Yes yes I know it isn't Europe, but seeking fellow Europeans opinions !

Some good deals for Jan, but wondered if going all that way is worth it for
1 week - thoughts? is it unbearably cold in Jan? other
considerations....thanks in advance.

1 week doesn't give you much time to recover from jetlag, but it's not
normally too bad going in that direction. Skiing in Banff, and
particularly Lake Louise, cam be superb - powder is the norm at that
time of year. Be aware of the stretched-out nature of the ski hills.
Neither of the two areas around Banff itself are close to the village
and Lake Louise is 40km away, IIRC. There are buses, but I'd
definitely recommend getting a hire car package to make the most of
it.

Which reminds me - when you pick up the car they may not mention that
it is fitted with a block heater. All car parks have power hookups and
you _must_ plug the car in overnight otherwise you've no chance of
starting it in the morning.

Cold? Yes, it can be very very cold. First time I went there, before
christmas, it got above -10c one day, which meant I could walk between
buildings at the hotel without putting hat and gloves on. The rest of
the time you wouldn't want to be outside for more than ten seconds
without. Take all the ski wear you own and plan to wear it.
Temperatures below minus 20 are not uncommon.

Our second trip over there also took in Jasper, where we skiied at
-35c one day...

--
Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
Ski Club of Great Britain - http://www.skiclub.co.uk
All opinions expressed are personal and in no way represent those of the Ski Club.

Some good deals for Jan, but wondered if going all that way is worth it
for
1 week - thoughts? is it unbearably cold in Jan? other
considerations....thanks in advance.

I love Banff and Canada having spend a few months there a few years ago.
Personally, 7 days is a little too short with 10 days being ideal. There are
three main areas within an hour of Banff:

1. Mount Norquay - small but full, close to Banff
2. Sunshine - smashing area, my fav. About 30 mins I think
3. Lake Louise - great area as well just not as well laid out as Sunshine
IMHO. About 45 mins transfer

Another area worth a trip is Nakiska which is where they held the Olympics.
It's a wide open motorway piste kinda place that makes you feel really good
about your skiing :-)

If in Banff, check out the Grizzly Bear restaurant. Pricey but different -
fondue's snake!

Cheers, Rob.

definitely recommend getting a hire car package to make the most of

Hmm, I'd say this is debatable if you're going to be doing the 3 main ski
areas. Okay, so the coaches are a bit like cattle runs sometimes but coach
fair is included in the ski ticket price.

But if you're wanting to wander a bit up to somewhere like Jasper (lovely
area) or into the deep mountains, then a car is worthwhile. Be warned -
Canada is a *big* place and driving to this remote hills takes quite a
while.

Cheers, Rob.

On Tue, 16 Dec 2003 09:28:53 -0000, "Rob Nicholson"
wrote:

definitely recommend getting a hire car package to make the most of

Hmm, I'd say this is debatable if you're going to be doing the 3 main ski
areas. Okay, so the coaches are a bit like cattle runs sometimes but coach
fair is included in the ski ticket price.

Thing is, getting a coach transfer from Calgary costs about the same
as a hire car anyway, so unless you have a phobia of driving I'd say
it's a no-brainer. The road from Calgary to Banff is wide and mainly
straight - just stick it on cruise and go to sleep :-)

But if you're wanting to wander a bit up to somewhere like Jasper (lovely
area) or into the deep mountains, then a car is worthwhile. Be warned -
Canada is a *big* place and driving to this remote hills takes quite a
while.

You're not wrong. Seeing as the OP is only thinking about a week, it's
really not worth considering. Jasper is a whole-day drive, through
some amazing scenery (the ? Glacier Parkway, or something like that),
but quite scary when it snows, as it can be a _long_ way to
civilisation and there's not much traffic...

--
Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
Ski Club of Great Britain - http://www.skiclub.co.uk
All opinions expressed are personal and in no way represent those of the Ski Club.

Ace wrote:
On Tue, 16 Dec 2003 08:18:40 -0000, "no-one"
wrote:


Yes yes I know it isn't Europe, but seeking fellow Europeans opinions !

Some good deals for Jan, but wondered if going all that way is worth it for
1 week - thoughts? is it unbearably cold in Jan? other
considerations....thanks in advance.
Well worth it, in my opinion. Yes, it can be rather chilly.

1 week doesn't give you much time to recover from jetlag, but it's not
normally too bad going in that direction. Skiing in Banff, and
particularly Lake Louise, cam be superb - powder is the norm at that
time of year. Be aware of the stretched-out nature of the ski hills.
Neither of the two areas around Banff itself are close to the village
and Lake Louise is 40km away, IIRC. There are buses, but I'd
definitely recommend getting a hire car package to make the most of
it.
I'd agree, I wouldn't worry about the jetlag. It tends to send you to
bed early. Although I do feel rough for a few days I find I'm OK in the
day and fade away in the evenings.

Which reminds me - when you pick up the car they may not mention that
it is fitted with a block heater. All car parks have power hookups and
you _must_ plug the car in overnight otherwise you've no chance of
starting it in the morning.
I survived fine with a 15 year old car with no block heater. If there is
one I would use it and I expect every hire car has one as standard.

Cold? Yes, it can be very very cold. First time I went there, before
christmas, it got above -10c one day, which meant I could walk between
buildings at the hotel without putting hat and gloves on. The rest of
the time you wouldn't want to be outside for more than ten seconds
without. Take all the ski wear you own and plan to wear it.
Temperatures below minus 20 are not uncommon.
I found it colder in the valleys than on the hills, temp inversion is
quite common. I wouldn't contemplate going outside without a hat and
gloves, even if it's just for 2 minutes. The locals will regale you with
urban myths about people getting frostbite in their ears just crossing
the car park. I can believe it.

If you stay in Banff try and get in a day at Kicking Horse (but not at
the weekend), it's a fantastic place.

My thought was that car hire may be a waste of time, as only there for a
week and also additional costs of insurance on car, which I assume will be
on the American scale - i.e. huge!

As only planning to go for a week, guess would stick to Banff and possibly
Lake Louise, so bus should not be too bad?

There is a great catered chalet offer at the moment, sum £400, alternate is
to do room only and dine out, expensive?

"Ace" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 16 Dec 2003 09:28:53 -0000, "Rob Nicholson"
wrote:

definitely recommend getting a hire car package to make the most of

Hmm, I'd say this is debatable if you're going to be doing the 3 main ski
areas. Okay, so the coaches are a bit like cattle runs sometimes but
coach
fair is included in the ski ticket price.

Thing is, getting a coach transfer from Calgary costs about the same
as a hire car anyway, so unless you have a phobia of driving I'd say
it's a no-brainer. The road from Calgary to Banff is wide and mainly
straight - just stick it on cruise and go to sleep :-)

But if you're wanting to wander a bit up to somewhere like Jasper (lovely
area) or into the deep mountains, then a car is worthwhile. Be warned -
Canada is a *big* place and driving to this remote hills takes quite a
while.

You're not wrong. Seeing as the OP is only thinking about a week, it's
really not worth considering. Jasper is a whole-day drive, through
some amazing scenery (the ? Glacier Parkway, or something like that),
but quite scary when it snows, as it can be a _long_ way to
civilisation and there's not much traffic...

--
Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
Ski Club of Great Britain - http://www.skiclub.co.uk
All opinions expressed are personal and in no way represent those of the
Ski Club.

Thanks for all the help, got a week 17 Jan for under £450 catered chalet
including transfers, cant wait to get there and see some real snow, not the
few inch's Europe is getting, typical yanks (ok Canadians) always do it
bigger LOL

"Rob Nicholson" wrote in message
...
Some good deals for Jan, but wondered if going all that way is worth it
for
1 week - thoughts? is it unbearably cold in Jan? other
considerations....thanks in advance.

I love Banff and Canada having spend a few months there a few years ago.
Personally, 7 days is a little too short with 10 days being ideal. There
are
three main areas within an hour of Banff:

1. Mount Norquay - small but full, close to Banff
2. Sunshine - smashing area, my fav. About 30 mins I think
3. Lake Louise - great area as well just not as well laid out as Sunshine
IMHO. About 45 mins transfer

Another area worth a trip is Nakiska which is where they held the
Olympics.
It's a wide open motorway piste kinda place that makes you feel really
good
about your skiing :-)

If in Banff, check out the Grizzly Bear restaurant. Pricey but different -
fondue's snake!

Cheers, Rob.

Just pack for any possible type of weather. I was just up in Calgary
and Banff the end of November. Went from wearing everything I had to
just fleece.

If you want another nice dining spot in Banff, I recommend The Maple
Leaf. It's right on the main drag. It's "Canadian cuisine" - bison,
Canadian salmon and seafood, Alberta beef and lamb. The icewine sorbet
for dessert was divine!

Just watch out for deer, elk and bighorn sheep on the road and in town!

Great place. I would think of going in March or April. Otherwise, bundle
up tight! If you can spurge on a hotel. I recommend the Banff springs
hotel. Absolutely spectacular and an experience of a lifetime. Chateau
Lake Louise is very nice also. Stunning setting on a mountain lake
across from the Victoria Glacier.

no-one wrote:

Yes yes I know it isn't Europe, but seeking fellow Europeans opinions !

Some good deals for Jan, but wondered if going all that way is worth it for
1 week - thoughts? is it unbearably cold in Jan? other
considerations....thanks in advance.