With thousands of hectares of powder and new snowfall almost every day, the Canadian Rockies ski resorts are beyond compare. Lake Louise, Sunshine, Norquay, Marmot, Castle Mountain, Nakiska - the names of Alberta’s major ski destinations speak for themselves.

Maybe it's the draw of the dry champagne powder snow, or the non-existent lift queues, or the friendly expert tuition; whatever the magic, it is tempting more Brits to head for the Rockies and experience the thrill of skiing in one of the world’s most pristine and beautiful mountain environments. Last year’s awesome snow conditions ensured that British skiers and winter sports fans enjoyed one of the longest seasons ever in the Rockies. And with resorts open from November 2007 to May 2008, families, couples and individuals have loads of opportunity to visit Alberta’s world-class resorts. With expectations of a great 2007/2008 season, Alberta’s resorts are gearing up for more great snow and an influx of visitors.

Marmot Basin

Estimated opening time for 2007/2008 season: November 16, 2007

Marmot Basin resort is located in Jasper National Park, only 20 minutes from the town of Jasper. The resort offers 84 marked trails that appeal to a range of skill and level and is known for its quiet laid-back atmosphere with little to no wait times.

Sunshine Village

Estimated opening time for 2007/2008 season: November 16, 2007

Located in Banff, Sunshine village Sunshine enjoys a long season, with skiers and boarders tearing through its terrain well into late May. New last year, Sunshine opened the Rogers Terrain Park, an eight acre park featuring a variety of boxes, rails and jumps geared toward the skier and rider in search of the ultimate ski and ride experience.

Lake Louise

Estimated opening time for 2007/2008 season: November 19, 2007

Lake Louise Mountain Resort is the largest ski resort in the area and one of the largest in North America with over 4,200 skiable acres and 139 named runs. The ski hill is known for providing more back bowl terrain available for off-piste and backcountry thrills. For anyone looking to improve their skills on the hill, there’s the Winter Sports School, while young children can have a ball in the Minute Maid Wilderness Adventure Park.

Castle Mountain

Estimated opening time for 2007/2008 season: December 8, 2007 (on weekends only); December 22, 2007 (full opening)

Located near Pincher Creek in Southern Alberta, Castle Mountain opens on Dec. 15, 2007. Recently, Castle Mountain opened runs on the eastern face of Mount Haig providing excellent extreme and backcountry touring terrain; this addition also saw the inclusion of nine new novice and intermediate runs, making it the ideal winter playground for the whole family. The first decent of Mount Haig was documented in the Willie Vogel film title “The Secret Castle”, produced by Ski the World Productions, the Canadian distributor of Warren Miller Films.

Norquay

Estimated opening time for 2007/2008 season: December 7, 2007

Ski Norquay is well-known for its family-friendly atmosphere and abundance of runs suitable for the beginner and intermediate skier. Advanced skiers are also kept happy with a great selection of black diamond and double black diamond runs.

Nakiska

Estimated opening time for 2007/2008 season: December 8, 2007

Located in Kananaskis Country, only 45 minutes west of Calgary, Nakiska played host to Calgary’s 88 Olympic Alpine events. Today it is a family-friendly resort that offers a mix of runs and the Telus Terrain Park, for novices and experts alike.

Resources:

Marmot Basin 
Sunshine Village 
Lake Louise
Castle Mountain 
Nakiska 
Norquay