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sktr4lf 
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Post subject: Canada...
 Posted: Nov 15, 2011 - 01:17 PM
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First post: Feb 05, 2005
Total posts: 665
Location: St Albans
Status: Offline
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Ever since i started snowboarding i've always ended up going to the alps, but it's been a long time dream to do a 10-14 trip to BC.
Gf and I have agreed to do it in the 12/13 season (i need time to save up and this seasons la clusaz trip is booked).
What would be the approx cost of doing a 10/14 day trip to BC? is it better to book a package or do all the bits seperately?
Not 100% on which resort (or mixture thereof) but it'd be nice to know what to shoot for price-wise.
Any input? |
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Local to Hemel...finally!
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rob_vet69
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Post subject: RE: Canada...
Posted: Nov 15, 2011 - 01:53 PM
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First post: Jan 06, 2011
Total posts: 473
Location: Teeside
Status: Offline
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Just like most other things, it all depends on the when, where and what.
Were you looking at doing a bit of travelling around BC, doing a couple of resorts and maybe a city visit (Vancouver is awesome....) or just looking for one resort? Bear in mind when you answer this that BC is a pretty massive place so travelling around takes out a sizeable chunk of time.
Also what sort of accomodation are you after - do you want swanky hotel, mid range comfort or just cheap and cheerful? And what do you want to do riding-wise - just bash some pistes or are you looking for some backcountry pow (again bear in mind that BC is arguably the no.1 destination in the world for backcountry.)
Whistler is the most practical to get to and could easily be combined with a Vancouver trip. Price-wise if you book a package, I think Crystal prices start at around £1100 (not inc food) from what I remember off the top of my head. If you got a deal on a flight (BA do a Xmas sale for example - I got a flight in 2010 for £529) you could probably undercut this a bit.
The other resorts in inner BC are a bit more of a faff to get to - need an internal transfer from Vancouver (6-8 hoursish) or take internal flight to kelowna which bumps up cost. I think Crystal were offering packages to Fernie for example starting from £1300.
The wife and I went last year and did a road trip around BC and Alberta in spring 2010, we booked everything seperately and stayed with some friends in Vancouver for some of it - total cost was around £2000 per person not inc spending money once there but we did push the boat out on accomodation and hired a Mustang for the driving side.
If you were looking for cheaper - Banff in Alberta is well worth a look - I know someone who got a week there last minute half board for £699.
Hope this helps a little ! |
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sktr4lf
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Post subject:
Posted: Nov 15, 2011 - 05:03 PM
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First post: Feb 05, 2005
Total posts: 665
Location: St Albans
Status: Offline
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I think it would hinge on cost, but just doing banff or whistler would be brilliant tbh.
I have family on van island so have been to the area on non-snowboarding trips a few times...its a shame they don't live on the mainland or crashing there would be a distinct advantage.
I am very much a park/piste jibbing kinda fella, and the OH is a very experienced piste skier, not over fussed on full-on back country riding but we will ride any easy access non-sketchy pow fields if the opportunity arises.
What are the resort towns like? for the OH sake i think it'd be better to stay somewhere on the larger/buzzier side of things.. |
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Local to Hemel...finally!
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rob_vet69
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Post subject:
Posted: Nov 15, 2011 - 06:28 PM
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First post: Jan 06, 2011
Total posts: 473
Location: Teeside
Status: Offline
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From what you've said, I'd probably opt for Whistler then. I'm not a park rider, but our mates in Vancouver are and they say good things about the park there. Also has plenty of good pistes to keep your OH interested. Whistler is also probably the best of the resort towns.
For Alberta Banff town is ok, but Lake Louise has no town at all as such just a couple of hotels. Another option would be do a week in Whistler, take a few days in Vancouver and do Cypress/Grouse/Seymour.
That's pretty sweet having family on Vancouver Island - it was the one bit we missed on our trip last year and I'd love to go back and take a week there. |
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jacks
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Post subject: Re: RE: Canada...
Posted: Nov 15, 2011 - 08:12 PM
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First post: Jul 06, 2006
Total posts: 725
Location: LONDON
Status: Offline
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rob_vet69 wrote:
Whistler is the most practical to get to
I disagree with most practical. Whistler you have to fly to Vancouver - if you can get a direct flight thats not so bad but is a long ass flight. If you cant go direct you have to go via Calgary or Edmonton.
whereas if you go to banff you can go straight to Calgary - so shorter flight with no potential transfer flight cost. Plus the transfer to banff resort from Calgary is shorter than from Vancouver to Whistler.
Whistler all in all is the most expensive resort in BC as far as I am aware. At best, Whistler usually costs us a minimum of £500 pp more for a 2 week trip than when we go to Banff with the same standard of hotel/flight - and that additional cost doesnt take into consideration spending money.
Banff is more laid back and chilled out, whereas Whistler is party town, so it depends what you are after. |
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philw
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Post subject: RE: Re: RE: Canada...
Posted: Nov 15, 2011 - 09:05 PM
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First post: Nov 30, 2004
Total posts: 519
Location: uk
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These days (post Olympics) I don't find the transfers, airports or flights much different.
If you had to live somewhere you'd probably pick Whistler.
For a one-off visit, I'd pick who has the best snow that year.
Whistler's a circus full of vomiting Brits and speed cops where it rains. On the other hand it's way bigger than anything else in North America and it does snow a lot, you just have to ride in the storms.
Banff... very cold, excellent snow quality when there is any, but not quite a ski town and yet not quite BC either.
Visit them both, but don't forget that it'll take you a long day to travel between them on the bus. |
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powder mountain CoC snowboarding safety
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rob_vet69
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Post subject: Re: RE: Canada...
Posted: Nov 15, 2011 - 09:58 PM
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First post: Jan 06, 2011
Total posts: 473
Location: Teeside
Status: Offline
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jacks wrote:
rob_vet69 wrote:
Whistler is the most practical to get to
I disagree with most practical. Whistler you have to fly to Vancouver - if you can get a direct flight thats not so bad but is a long ass flight. If you cant go direct you have to go via Calgary or Edmonton.
whereas if you go to banff you can go straight to Calgary - so shorter flight with no potential transfer flight cost. Plus the transfer to banff resort from Calgary is shorter than from Vancouver to Whistler.
Whistler all in all is the most expensive resort in BC as far as I am aware. At best, Whistler usually costs us a minimum of £500 pp more for a 2 week trip than when we go to Banff with the same standard of hotel/flight - and that additional cost doesnt take into consideration spending money.
Banff is more laid back and chilled out, whereas Whistler is party town, so it depends what you are after.
Sorry if I'm sounding a bit pedantic dude, but the OP was initially asking advice about BC resorts, hence I why I have suggested Whistler as being the most practical resort in BC to get to. Banff is in Alberta. I only mentioned it in passing as a potentially cheaper alternative to going to BC, I did not compare the practicality of getting to Alberta resorts vs BC resorts.
When comparing Whistler to Banff, you use the arguement about Vancouver being difficult to get to - it's as easy to get a direct flight to Vancouver from the UK as it is to get a direct flight to Calgary so firstly I don't see that being an issue.
Secondly you say it's a long-ass flight to Vancouver but there's actually not that much difference to flying to Calgary - if you've flown for nearly 9 hours whats another 45 minutes on top? Also the transfer from Vancouver to Whistler may be longer, but if you are fortunate enough to do some of it in daytime, the Sea-Sky highway is one of the most epic roads you'll ever go on so the journey flies by.
Sure Whistler is more expensive in resort but you get the benefits of not having to take a bus to get the actual ski areas and a truly epic town when you are there - I would argue Whistler to be a far more entertaining place than Banff and the OP does ask for some in resort entertainment for his OH.
Now don't get me wrong, Banff is still a fantastic resort no question. I just feel in this case, Whistler is the more suitable option and if I had the choice between the 2 I'd personally pick Whistler over Banff every time. |
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ColdComfort
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Post subject: RE: Re: RE: Canada...
Posted: Nov 15, 2011 - 10:28 PM
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First post: Dec 03, 2009
Total posts: 1310
Location: Vancity
Status: Offline
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Comparing Whistler to Banff is like comparing Scotch to Vodka, sure they both taste a bit different but they still get u royally feck up ! In conclusion book a trip to either and you won't be dissapointed, price wise, and logistics wise there is really not much to differentiate.
So back to the original point : I would budget at least 2.5K pp - Canada aint cheap now if your paying in GBP - 8 to 11 dollar pints, and about 15 bucks for a burger. Flights are about 750, and accomodation about 600-1K depending on the resort and where u stay in it.
I don't find there is much between DIY and package approaches - if your looking at Whistler you can often get cheap accomodation deals with lifts passes in their sale events from their own websites.
If you want more advice on which resort to choose you need to be more specific on what your looking for with the whole experience. |
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jacks
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Post subject:
Posted: Nov 16, 2011 - 09:29 AM
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First post: Jul 06, 2006
Total posts: 725
Location: LONDON
Status: Offline
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rob_vet69 wrote:
When comparing Whistler to Banff, you use the arguement about Vancouver being difficult to get to
Oh no, I don't think Whistler is difficult to get to at all, very easy in fact, but I have always found my travel time significantly less going to Banff (yes thanks aware not in BC but commenting as it was brought up). Maybe its just me but Im exhausted after the Whistler journey! Banff I not so bad. But then carrying my own gear is not so easy for little me. And if you were to compare the two with an agent such as Canadian Affair or Crystal there is a big difference in price.
If money is not an option, then go for Whistler if you want the "buzz", its the size of a small city, compared to a small town like banff. It has extensive parks, whereas Banff does have pretty awesome parks but not to the same scale. But Whistler is quite significantly more expensive and the slopes are rammed with potentially huge ques at the lifts. Where as Banff is totally chilled, no ques and plenty of space on the mountain.
Im back to Whistler this year, but only because I havent been in a while. Personally I find the density of people on the mountain spoils it, but it is a place you should experience if you havent before. If you only ever get the chance to go to one then pick Whistler if you can afford it. |
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ace_mcgraw
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Post subject:
Posted: Nov 16, 2011 - 10:11 AM
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First post: Feb 20, 2007
Total posts: 4912
Location: That snowboarding hotbed, Norfolk
Status: Offline
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Hmmm, I'm really not sure about Whistler having massive queues. It very much depends on when you go. Obviously holiday periods such as new year and holiday weekends (Both Canada and the US) the mountain fills up. Normally you will experience big queues on these days at the base lifts from Whistler. On big powder days, you will get a queue for first lift from either of the major access lifts from Whistler village, or at Harmony / Symphony / Peak / Seventh Heaven - ie the access points to the alpine areas.
BUT, you can make a big dent in your waiting time if you head up the Wizard chair from Blackcomb or the Creekside gondy instead.
Also, these queues form about 5% of the time. I was in Whistler from Jan to August (Working on lifts from March) and saw the ebb and flow of people, and didn't wait in queues more than 5 or so people / groups deep other than at the times listed above. Whistler being queue city is a bit of a myth in my opinion.
I really liked Banff when I was there, and I can understand the transfer feeling shorter - Calgary is out of the mountains in the plains of Canada, so the first hour of the journey consists of straight motorways heading to the Rockies, rather than the twisty turny journey firstly through Vancouver, then up Howe Sound and past Squamish up to Whistler. It is one of the most stunning drives you can imagine though.
Another problem with Banff is that it doesn't actually have any slopes in town. Norquay is a fun resort and is only about 10-15mins drive out of town, but it is small. Sunshine is an awesome mountain, but you have to sit on a bus for 45 mins or an hour before you get there, Lake Louise even more, and that's the thing that turned me off Banff a little. I was there for a week, but didn't get out to the slopes that much cos it was such a hassle!
I could also recommend a few of the other BC resorts, but they're always gonna be more hassle to get to cos they're a bit more off the beaten tracks, but I really liked Big White and Whitewater, and I hear Revelstoke is an awesome place, although you really wanna have a car if you want to visit them. |
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Nice Photos  http://www.flickr.com/photos/ace_mcgraw/
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Richard_Sideways
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Post subject:
Posted: Nov 16, 2011 - 11:31 AM
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First post: Sep 28, 2009
Total posts: 23
Status: Offline
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| If you're going to consider the BC side of things, you may want to consider dipping south of the border. I did a trip to Whistler and Mt Baker back in '05 (the year of no snow - El Nino is a fickle mistress) and loved it. Flew into Seattle, drove up to Whistler from there for a week, back down to Vancouver for a day then on to Baker. You'd probably be hard pressed to find 2 mountains with such different vibes to them. I saw them both is about a bad a condition as they'll be in and I'd go back to either tomorrow... |
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CAUTION: The above post may contain small pieces of humour and irony which may choke small children and the serious
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metal_snapper
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Post subject:
Posted: Nov 17, 2011 - 11:23 PM
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First post: Dec 07, 2006
Total posts: 52
Location: Reading
Status: Offline
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Hi guys and girls!!
On the same subject here about BC and Whistler, just after some info really as not done such a long trip to tear up the slopes.....just Europe and Scandinavia. I'm after going mid here for two weeks in Feb and have been told by a few people that have 'aparantly' been that the snow is really hard and icy on all the slopes because in Feb is effing freezing cold!!....funny that eh??..lol.
I was hoping for more powder like conditions there as this is what I've been seen to believe the snow condtions are like in Whistler and Blackcomb.
So any input from people who have actually been there mid Feb would be great.....and of course I know the weather and snow isn't that predictable!!
Huge thanks and apologies for rubbish question and thread hi-jack  |
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nickmotture
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Post subject:
Posted: Nov 18, 2011 - 01:23 AM
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First post: Jan 09, 2006
Total posts: 10415
Location: Washington DC USA
Status: Offline
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studers
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Post subject:
Posted: Nov 28, 2011 - 05:05 PM
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First post: Nov 11, 2007
Total posts: 21
Status: Offline
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Hey Metal_snapper
Last year here in Whistler in feb it snowed all the time and I enjoyed the best conditions I've ever ridden either here in Whistler, Europe and New Zealand. It tends to be a dryer month and colder but not "icy". Last year was effected by a weather cycle called La Nina which brings lots of snow and we are expected to have the same system this year.
So if you are here while it snows because of the cold it will be quality pow. |
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BlueAnimal
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Post subject:
Posted: Nov 29, 2011 - 07:45 PM
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First post: Nov 24, 2011
Total posts: 54
Location: Hampshire
Status: Offline
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I went to Banff in January this year. Was Awesome
Cant comment on the other places as ive only been to Banff. We are going back again in Jan '11.
We never made it to Norquay but Sunshine Village (30min bus) and also Lake Louise (40-45min bus) were very good. We prefered Lake Louise out of the two. The next trip in Jan we will venture to Norquay |
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K2 Raygun 156 | K2 Formula | Vans Aura
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