WINTER SPORTS GUIDE > CANADA
LAKE LOUISE
Do it yourself Hy to Calgary (Zoom, BMI. American Airlines. Air Canada and United Airlines lty liom Glasgowz'Continental. United Airlines. BMI. Air Canada. Lufthansa and British Airways fly from Edinburgh). then take a shuttle bus to Lake Louise twww.rockyniountainskyshuttle.com) which takes aDOut two hours and costs 899 (£53 approxLLet them do it for you AirtOurs lairtours.co.ukl. Crystal (crystalskicoukl. Thomson Ski and Snowboard (thomson- skittoukl. Ski Independence (ski-icom). Lift pass price tone dayl: £96 aprox. Tourist info 001 877 3:33 2339. www.skilouisecom
FERNIE
Do it yourself Fly to Calgary then take a shuttle bus to Fernie twww.rockniountainskyshuttle.Coml which takes about four hours and costs 8124 lLGT aproxl. Let them do it for you Crystal (crystalskicoukt. Ski Independence tski-icom). Frontier Ski ttrontier-travel.co.uk ski). Ski Freshtracks t‘.\’W\-\’.SklireShtl’aCkSCO.UK). Lift pass tsrx daysl E t 51. Tourist Info 001 250 423 .1655. www.skiferniecom
26 THE LIST »'- ‘s
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Northern exposure
With too many European resorts having lift queues that look more like rugby scrums, Morag Bruce advises you to check out the super— organised systems to be found in Canada.
histler is prohahly the hest knoyyn
('altadian resort to Us Scots. but due to
its coastal location the temperature doesn‘t usually lall heloyy ll) degrees (‘elsius .’\nd the rain that comes sweeping in l'rom the l’acilic ol'tcn stays as rain rather than changing to the loyely \yhite stul‘l‘ so ci'aycd hy \\‘llttel'spot'ts loyct's.
ll. you're going to go all the \say across the \yater lot' a ski holiday. you might as well \‘isit resorts that hayc recciyed ayyat'ds lor their legendary powder and Value l‘or money. Lake Louise in .'\lherta is llul‘l‘y snoyy heayen. Situated in the Banl‘l‘ National Park. its tendency to he totally lree/ing means that there is poyydel‘ aplenty to he l‘ound all oyer the jagged peaks. With 4200 skiahle acres. there is too much to ski in one week. limitless ol‘l—trail ady‘entures and a six-month season. Plus this little heauty was last year \‘oted numher one l'or scenery in North America by Skiing .nguflne. Fans ol' l'air \yeatlter will he pleased to hear that the Lake Louise ski area has l‘our laces. so it the sun makes an appearance you can he guaranteed sunny sport all day.
.\luch ol’ the acctimmodation is ayyay from the ski area. htit there are generally lree shuttle huses to and from resorts so you don‘t haye to he
clunking along the street in ski hoots. .-\l| hudgets are catered l'or. l‘ront the grand l‘airniont ('hateati Lake Louise to little hudget hostels. \Vhile Lake Louise is \\ ell deycloped and husy \\llil day trippcrs lrotn Calgary. l‘ernic in British ('olumhia loytned hy the same people as Lake Louise) is more remote and tricky to get to htit is one ol North America‘s hest kept secrets. 'l‘lie area remains largely unspoilt. although the deyelopers are sloyy ly lttt)\ ing in.
The terrain is slightly reminiscent ol' the l’rcnch .-\lps. \yith its the alpine hoyy Is. There are truckloads oi ski and hoard-li'iendly oll-pistc areas and seyeral companies in resort that can arrange tours. All this super-dry poytder comes at a cost. as the temperatures in tnid-yyinter can reach ridiculous loyy s. And \yhile homhing around the mountains 250-1 skiahle acres \yill keep you warm. the lact that none ol' the chairlil‘ts has protectiye coyers means that you may l'ree/e your thingies oil‘ it not properly kitted ottt.
You can either stay in resort or three miles do\\ n the hill in the old Village ol l‘ernie. which is unpretentious and oll'ers a wee hit more nightlil‘e. ln resort there are pretty little ski in/ski out chalets and hostels to suit a range (it budgets hut ey en cheaper options doyy n in the Village itsell'.