The Big 3 Ski Area is situated in the majestic Banff National Park and is surrounded by a panorama of breath taking peaks. It includes: Lake Louise Mountain Resort, Sunshine Village and Mount Norquay.
Download The Big 3 Ski Trail Maps: Banff; Lake Louise and Norquay Piste Maps.
The Big 3 Banff – Lake Louise, Sunshine Village, and Mount Norquay.
skiing the Big 3: Banff; Sunshine Village, Lake Louise and Norquay ski resorts.
Lake Louise: Canada’s largest single ski area, with four mountain faces, 4200 skiable acres, 139 named trails and the newly installed 6-person Grizzly Express Gondola.
Mount Norquay: Offers a variety of terrain and is 10 mins from Banff.
Sunshine Village: Is not a village but the name of the third ski area, 16km from Banff and 24 km from Lake Louise. Its skiing rivals that of Lake Louise, but the only place to stay is in a hotel at the mid-mountain base, reached by gondola. Sunshine village has three separate mountains. Mount Standish with a mixture of terrain for all standards. Look Out Mountain suits strong intermediates and more advanced skiers, while Goat’s Eye Mountain is for the hardcore.
Ski buses to Sunshine Village and Mount Norquay are included in the ‘Tri Area Pass’.
Banff Ski Resort Town.
Banff is a bustling, friendly little town set in the Banff National Park. Downtown Banff offers traditional Canadian hospitality with an variety of bars and restaurants.
Lake Louise Ski Resort Review.
So small that ‘village’ is an exaggeration, just a handful of hotels and a few shops form the small village of Lake Louise. Lake Louise has its own substantial ski area situated a five minute bus ride away from the ‘village’ and hotels.
This is a resort of quite extraordinary natural beauty half an hour from the small town of Banff in the Alberta National Park. It is dominated by the grandiose edifice of Château Lake Louise, the hotel built in 1890 on the edge of the lake with a backdrop of soaring peaks and tumbling glaciers.
The ski area, three miles away by free shuttle bus, has sufficient variety to suit all standards. The most challenging runs are to be found here and on Goat’s Eye Mountain at Sunshine Village.
Mount Norquay, the closest ski area to Banff, is best suited to beginners and lower intermediates. Most visitors to the region stay in Banff and commute to the different ski areas. Lake Louise makes a quieter and much more scenic base from which to do the same.
Banff town is good for anyone wanting to sample five-star living at three-star prices, and skiers of all standards. However, it is not a ski resort for night owls, or families in midwinter when temperatures fall to as low as -40oC. Nightlife après-ski is the Canadian Club on-the-rocks in front of a roaring fire.
Where to Stay to ski The Big 3.
Apart from the Château, there is a choice of less cavernous and more homely hostelries, including the five-star Post Hotel and three-star Deer Lodge.
Tour Operators with operations in The Big 3.
Ski the American Dream is the dominant player. Others include: Elegant Resorts, Airtours, First Choice, Thomson, Inghams, Crystal, Neilson, Ski Safari.
The Post Hotel comes recommended for best value in this part of Canada, an extremely comfortable and informal hotel with an atmosphere of understated European elegance.
Château Lake Louise is enormous – 497 bedrooms. Although it functions efficiently and is more of a separate resort than a hotel, one regular criticism is that its size can make a stay here impersonal.
The Big 3 in Brief.
Getting There:
Calgary: 185km (115 miles);
Daily rail and bus services from Banff and Calgary.
Free and frequent shuttle services to ski areas offered by some hotels in Lake Louise.
Altitude:
1,636 – 2,730m (5,350 – 8,954ft).
Skiable Terrain:
Tri Area: 7,700 acres.
Lake Louise: 4,200 acres.
Norquay: 190 acres.
No of Lifts:
26 in the ‘Ski Big 3’ region.
Lake louise: 9.
Norquay: 5.
Sunshine: 12.
Types of Pistes: 248 total.
Lake Louise: 139 + back bowls – 25% beginner, 45% intermediate, 30% advanced.
Norquay: 28 – 20% beginner, 36% intermediate, 28% advanced, 16% expert.
Sunshine Village: 107 – 22% beginner, 55% intermediate, 25% advanced.
Main Advantages:
Tree skiing; stunning scenery; easy runs from top of the mountain.
Drawbacks:
Lift queues during peak holidays.
