Resort check: Panorama, CanadaGood for experts looking for lots of vertical
Panorama Mountain Village is purpose built resort next to the town of Invermere in British Columbia. It's about 3 and half hours drive from the nearest international airport, Calgary, but the drive takes you through the epic Banff and Kootenay National Parks.
The riding
The resort is relatively quiet, probably due to its remoteness – by European standards anyway. It does offer some decent vertical descent, the stats rack it up as one of the biggest in North America.
The slopes follow three ridges, all of which are connected at the top and bring you back to the same base station at the bottom.
From the upper village a four-person chair goes over the gentle slopes to the mid-mountain, and above it another four-person chair takes you to the intermediate and expert slopes.
The summit is accessed by yet another four-person chair. From the summit you have access to a plethora of long blue and black runs, plus some ridges and bowls. Experts are in for a treat as there are black runs all over the mountain.
Panorama offers good early season skiing and snowboarding thanks to some excellent snow-making facilities and the bountiful powder the Rockies are famous for. If it is a powder-fix that you're after the Taynton Bowl is avast area filled with backcountry-style terrain.
The sun shines a lot here, more than any other resort in western Canada (apparently!) and they cater well for families with lots of family-friendly events and parties. Heliskiing is a huge draw to the Bugaboos area which boasts more than 2000 square kilometres to ride.
Fall-Line's favourite runs
Horseshoe
Good for the less experienced skier, it's located near the base area, and it's an ultra wide cruiser with gentle rolling features giving newbies space and opportunity to link many turns before returning to the bottom of the MIle 1 Quad.
Old Timer
Here's your chance to ski a World Cup racetrack. With twists, turns and rollers, Old Timer makes for an exciting run close to the base area.
Rollercoaster
As the name suggests, if you are of the more adventurous type, look out for this run. Exit the Champagne Express Chair and follow the signs to a run filled with steep pitches and twisting terrain.
Millennium
If it's steep you're after, then head for this. Located mid-mountain, Millennium has loads of really steep pitches to cruise, but really remember to stop every so often as the view of Mt Nelson with its peak soaring high above the valley below is amazing.
Heli-High
Experts only! One of the first runs open in Taynton Bowl after a big snowfall, Heli-High, a former heli-ski run, is an adventure seeker's dream. It has open tree skiing down a spine from the summit, which leads into more technical skiing once you start getting close to the valley.
Where to eat
If upscale dining is your thing then Greys Restaurant at Earl Grey Lodge is where you need to go to dine in style. If you are on a budget, order up a piping hot pizza from Mile High Pizza.
Nightlife
We'd suggest the T-Bar and Grill is the place you want to go with your friends after a day of skiing. Leave your helmets at the door and share highlights of your mountain adventure over a cold one, Canuck-style.
Freeriding
The Taynton Bowl area offers expansive terrain for freeride skiers and snowboarders. If you are up for a challenge, take on Taynton – acres of chutes, valleys, ridges and glades all just a short distance off the Summitt Quad. Know for having powder stashes long after a snowfall, Taynton Bowl is somewhere you can go back to over and over again.
Freestyle
The mile long Showoff Terrain Park is located adjacent to Mile 1 Quad and is the biggest and one of the best terrain parks in the Rockies.
Accomodation
The new Panorama Mountain Village, is a ski-in/ski-out hostel located right at the base of Mile 1 Quad. Beds from £16 per night.
Liftpasses
Your pass fives you access to almost 4000 acres of terrain, two terrain parks, backcountry-style skiing (inbounds but still gnarly), night skiing, and complimentary Mountain Friends guided tours. And, if you buy your liftpass in advance with your lodgings, you'll save 10%. And adult's liftpass costs about $400 Canadian dollars for six days, although the price gets progressively cheaper for youth, seniors and children.
Check the resort website to find out more.
Resort stats:
Getting to Alberta and BC, Canada
Vancouver and Calgary are the two main airports for most Canadian resorts. Air Canada, British Airways and Canadian Affair serve them.
Big White (1)
This resort is easily accessible via Vancouver or Calgary on connecting flights to Kelowna BC. Connecting flights are 40 minutes or an hour respectively, and regular airport shuttles connect to the resort a further
hour away. It’s roughly a five-and-a-half-hour drive from Vancouver.
Fernie (2)
Fernie Alpine Resort is located in the southeast corner of the BC Rockies on Highway 3, approximately 60km from the Alberta and US borders. The transfer time from Calgary is just over three hours.
Panorama (3)
Although Panorama Mountain Village is located in BC; most international guests arrive via Calgary International airport. Regular transfers are available between Calgary and Panorama Mountain Village. A great
alternative is to grab a car and hit the road giving you the other Rockies destinations on route. Transfer time will take up to four hours.
Whistler | Blackcomb (4)
Pacific Coach's YVR-Whistler SkyLynx is a scheduled bus service between Vancouver International airport (YVR) and Whistler Village. They have ticket counters at the Domestic and International Arrivals
areas of YVR (www.pacificcoach.com/whistler). The coach costs about £30 and takes about two-and-a-half hours.
Public Transport
Canada’s rail service is quite pricey, but it is a great way to see the country, and there are cheaper options for those who book in advance. Go to www.viarail.ca for more information. If you really want to keep costs down, you could try Greyhound – purveyors of cheap but grueling coach journeys. And you’re never too sure who you’ll be traveling with. Fall-Line’s Rachel spent her Greyhound journey with a comatose drunk using her shoulder as a pillow (www.greyhound.ca).
Posted by Online Editor - Fri, 07/01/2011 - 5:56pm
Good for experts looking for lots of vertical
Panorama Mountain Village is purpose built resort next to the town of Invermere in British Columbia. It's about 3 and half hours drive from the nearest international airport, Calgary, but the drive takes you through the epic Banff and Kootenay National Parks.
The riding
The resort is relatively quiet, probably due to its remoteness – by European standards anyway. It does offer some decent vertical descent, the stats rack it up as one of the biggest in North America.
The slopes follow three ridges, all of which are connected at the top and bring you back to the same base station at the bottom.
From the upper village a four-person chair goes over the gentle slopes to the mid-mountain, and above it another four-person chair takes you to the intermediate and expert slopes.
The summit is accessed by yet another four-person chair. From the summit you have access to a plethora of long blue and black runs, plus some ridges and bowls. Experts are in for a treat as there are black runs all over the mountain.
Panorama offers good early season skiing and snowboarding thanks to some excellent snow-making facilities and the bountiful powder the Rockies are famous for. If it is a powder-fix that you're after the Taynton Bowl is avast area filled with backcountry-style terrain.
The sun shines a lot here, more than any other resort in western Canada (apparently!) and they cater well for families with lots of family-friendly events and parties. Heliskiing is a huge draw to the Bugaboos area which boasts more than 2000 square kilometres to ride.
Fall-Line's favourite runs
Horseshoe
Good for the less experienced skier, it's located near the base area, and it's an ultra wide cruiser with gentle rolling features giving newbies space and opportunity to link many turns before returning to the bottom of the MIle 1 Quad.
Old Timer
Here's your chance to ski a World Cup racetrack. With twists, turns and rollers, Old Timer makes for an exciting run close to the base area.
Rollercoaster
As the name suggests, if you are of the more adventurous type, look out for this run. Exit the Champagne Express Chair and follow the signs to a run filled with steep pitches and twisting terrain.
Millennium
If it's steep you're after, then head for this. Located mid-mountain, Millennium has loads of really steep pitches to cruise, but really remember to stop every so often as the view of Mt Nelson with its peak soaring high above the valley below is amazing.
Heli-High
Experts only! One of the first runs open in Taynton Bowl after a big snowfall, Heli-High, a former heli-ski run, is an adventure seeker's dream. It has open tree skiing down a spine from the summit, which leads into more technical skiing once you start getting close to the valley.
Where to eat
If upscale dining is your thing then Greys Restaurant at Earl Grey Lodge is where you need to go to dine in style. If you are on a budget, order up a piping hot pizza from Mile High Pizza.
Nightlife
We'd suggest the T-Bar and Grill is the place you want to go with your friends after a day of skiing. Leave your helmets at the door and share highlights of your mountain adventure over a cold one, Canuck-style.
Freeriding
The Taynton Bowl area offers expansive terrain for freeride skiers and snowboarders. If you are up for a challenge, take on Taynton – acres of chutes, valleys, ridges and glades all just a short distance off the Summitt Quad. Know for having powder stashes long after a snowfall, Taynton Bowl is somewhere you can go back to over and over again.
Freestyle
The mile long Showoff Terrain Park is located adjacent to Mile 1 Quad and is the biggest and one of the best terrain parks in the Rockies.
Accomodation
The new Panorama Mountain Village, is a ski-in/ski-out hostel located right at the base of Mile 1 Quad. Beds from £16 per night.
Liftpasses
Your pass fives you access to almost 4000 acres of terrain, two terrain parks, backcountry-style skiing (inbounds but still gnarly), night skiing, and complimentary Mountain Friends guided tours. And, if you buy your liftpass in advance with your lodgings, you'll save 10%. And adult's liftpass costs about $400 Canadian dollars for six days, although the price gets progressively cheaper for youth, seniors and children.
Check the resort website to find out more.
Resort stats:
Getting to Alberta and BC, Canada
Vancouver and Calgary are the two main airports for most Canadian resorts. Air Canada, British Airways and Canadian Affair serve them.
Big White (1)
This resort is easily accessible via Vancouver or Calgary on connecting flights to Kelowna BC. Connecting flights are 40 minutes or an hour respectively, and regular airport shuttles connect to the resort a further
hour away. It’s roughly a five-and-a-half-hour drive from Vancouver.
Fernie (2)
Fernie Alpine Resort is located in the southeast corner of the BC Rockies on Highway 3, approximately 60km from the Alberta and US borders. The transfer time from Calgary is just over three hours.
Panorama (3)
Although Panorama Mountain Village is located in BC; most international guests arrive via Calgary International airport. Regular transfers are available between Calgary and Panorama Mountain Village. A great
alternative is to grab a car and hit the road giving you the other Rockies destinations on route. Transfer time will take up to four hours.
Whistler | Blackcomb (4)
Pacific Coach's YVR-Whistler SkyLynx is a scheduled bus service between Vancouver International airport (YVR) and Whistler Village. They have ticket counters at the Domestic and International Arrivals
areas of YVR (www.pacificcoach.com/whistler). The coach costs about £30 and takes about two-and-a-half hours.
Public Transport
Canada’s rail service is quite pricey, but it is a great way to see the country, and there are cheaper options for those who book in advance. Go to www.viarail.ca for more information. If you really want to keep costs down, you could try Greyhound – purveyors of cheap but grueling coach journeys. And you’re never too sure who you’ll be traveling with. Fall-Line’s Rachel spent her Greyhound journey with a comatose drunk using her shoulder as a pillow (www.greyhound.ca).