Banff is a National Park in Canada and lies in Sunshine Valley near Sunshine Village, located just 150 km west of Calgary –a mere one and a half hour drive. Sunshine Valley is one of very few resorts relying only on natural snow and offers a preview of skiing related adventure thrills that Banff is famous for. Its skiing area is 3,168 acres big and is situated on three mountainsides. One of them is Goat's Eye, a mountain where the runs are steep expert-only black diamonds or double black diamonds.
There are essentially three skiing area around Banff: Norquay, Sunshine Village and Lake Louise – all scenic gems in their own right. If one has the option of being able to visit all three skiing areas on one trip, the results are magical and make for splendid skiing moments captured on camera and in spirit. The Ski Banff experience in Canadian climes offer World Cup downhill runs, beautifully misted wooded slopes and a new gondola for Sunshine offers speedy and secure access while giving unique mountain view on each trip.
Ski Banff is an unforgettable experience for the new and seasoned skiers alike. This offers beginners with three ski areas, which all have great nursery slopes, while many green runs throughout the area are designated 'slow-zone.’ This makes the progress from one level to another safer and easier.The Intermediates have at their disposal almost half the terrain in this area so there are wide, open slopes and narrow, winding runs, all for the taking at Norquay, Lake Louise and Sunshine Village.
For the advanced skiers, Banff offers unmatched thrills with some serious double-blacks to test you and on Mount Standish a run called 'Waterfall', where you ski over a snow-covered, frozen waterfall. One needs the level of expertise to try out the thrills here, as the spills really will chill you to the bone.
Lake Louise also has many steep runs and beautiful double-black runs through the trees plus loads of wide open bowl skiing on offer and a host of other adventure activities that promise many hours of fun and adventure in the snow. These include Nordic Skiing, Heli-Skiing, Ice-Skating, Snowmobiling, Dog sledding, Snowshoeing, Sleigh Riding and visiting the Hot Springs.
Ski Banff is an unforgettable holiday as there is great skiing for all levels, especially for the lower intermediate skiers. It is a busy tourist town around the gateway of the National Park so that all three towns are included in the entry pass. Easy accessibility is available thanks to the numerous Free shuttle buses moving from one ski area to another that pick you up from your lodgings in Banff and Lake Louise. Banff is very lively and offers its skiers loads of snow-frolic with the Après-ski starting on the mountain and continuing in Banff town, which has around 80 bars, 10 nightclubs and 40 restaurants. Clearly, celebrations are not ignored at Ski Banff- the ultimate skiing destination in Canada.