canada: alberta
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and the ever-changing views of the lake and surrounding mountains from the window seat in our room. The hotel is one of Canada’s renowned old Canadian Pacifi c properties from 1892 and has a style and grandeur befi tting its size and ambience. We ate in the Glacier Saloon sports bar.
After a night of snowfall and then breakfast overlooking the lake we headed for Lake Louise Ski Resort, just a short drive away. This is the biggest of the three resorts and more self- contained than Mt Norquay and Sunshine Village. There’s a fabulous mix of skiing for all abilities with beginner, intermediate and expert runs down from every chair in what is one of the largest ski resorts in North America with 4200 skiable acres. Beginners and intermediate skiers have loads of gentle slopes and long cruising runs through the trees while experts can show off on some of the Rockies’ most challenging terrain.
Lunch was halfway up the mountain and then an afternoon of more skiing before driving back to the Fairmont for dinner in the Walliser Stube, famous for its fondues.
Next morning we kitted up for a morning’s cross-country skiing with an excellent teacher. It’s a more diffi cult than it looks but at least the tumbles were cushioned by deep snow. With a brief stop for lunch en route we drove to Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary where an expert host who clearly loves her charges tells the group all there is to know about these mixed wolf/dogs. Visitors get to feed and pet the animals. An overnight in the Holiday Inn Canmore and dinner in the Iron Goat restaurant set us up well for the next morning’s Howling Dog Tours’ husky dog sled ride and cross-country ski lesson at the Canmore Nordic Centre.
A winter holiday in Banff is a great sell. The sheer quantity of things to do, for skiers and non-skiers, makes it hugely appealing. We crammed in lots and can’t wait to go back! •
Who needs a car when there’s Howling Dog Tours
A rare moment of being upright at Fairmont Lake Louise
sellingtravel.co.uk
Frosted hair and toasted toes in
Banff Upper Hot Springs
Expect to see elk in Banff
Ready to head down a beautifully-prepared Lake Louise piste
Cute or what
in the Yamnuska Dog Sanctuary?
THE ITINERARY
DAY 1 Arrived in Calgary on Air Transat and picked up a Budget Cherokee Jeep. Checked in at the Fox Hotel & Suites, Banff. Evening Johnston Canyon Icewalk.
DAY 2 Ski gear from Banff Ski Hub; Mt. Norquay for a day’s skiing and tubing followed by the open-air Banff Upper Hot Springs.
DAY 3 Drove to Sunshine Village and took the gondola for a day’s skiing. Checked into Sunshine Mountain Lodge half-way up the mountain.
DAY 4 Skied in Sunshine Village and then snowshoeed in the resort’s pristine wilderness with White Mountain Adventures.
Skied to the foot of the mountain where our luggage was waiting. Drove through the snow to Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.
DAY 5 Skied all day on the fabulous slopes of Lake Louise with a great Kiwi guide.
DAY 6 Cross-country ski lesson with Mountain Heritage at Fairmont Lake Louise and then visited Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary. Overnight at Holiday Inn Canmore.
DAY 7 Dog sledding with Howling Dog Tours; cross-country skiing at Canmore Nordic Centre
DAY 8 Calgary International Airport for the Air Transat fl ight home.
WHERE TO BOOK IT SKIWORLD
A week’s holiday at the three-star Banff Aspen Lodge in Banff, Alberta, Canada is from £755pp (based on 2 sharing) including fl ights from London Gatwick, transfers and daily continental breakfast. The Banff Aspen Lodge is centrally located on the edge of the shopping quarter, just a three-minute stroll to downtown Banff. Two hot tubs, a steam room and sauna await those with tired legs at the end of the day along with an outdoor fi re to relax by.
Skiworld.co.uk - 08444 930431
Fairmont Hotel
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