Every British Columbia ski resort has its own secrets and surprises—even the locals may not know them all. Here’s what’s new this winter:
Big White is a family-friendly winter playground in the Monashee Mountain near Kelowna, five hours from Vancouver, boasting a wide range of activities, including snowshoeing, tubing, skating, snowmobiling, dogsledding and Nordic skiing.
- Masters’ Week is a new and specially designed program for passionate skiers and snowboarders aged 50+. An evolution from Big White Ski & Board School’s well-established Master’s Monday program that’s been running for the past 40 years. The program combines the best skiing and riding Big White has to offer with a series of exclusive après events including wine tastings, dining at Big White’s best restaurants, evening sleigh rides, and more. This season will offer two sessions: 29 Jan – 2 Feb and 26 Feb – 3 Mar 2018.
Whistler is just 1.5 hours’ drive from Vancouver and spans two mountains, connected by the record-breaking PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola, with more than 200 marked runs, 16 alpine bowls, and three glaciers.
- Aiming to make the area more beginner-friendly and accessible to novice skiers and riders, Whistler Mountain’s Olympic Station has added new terrain, two new covered magic carpet lifts and 25 new energy efficient snow guns ensuring prime conditions all season.
- The Roundhouse Lodge Terrace and Viewing is now also open for visitors.
SilverStar, celebrating its 60th anniversary this winter season and offers the most extensive cross-country skiing in the world, downhill skiing, snowboarding, plus a host of activities including snowshoeing, tubing, skating and horse-drawn sleigh rides.
- SilverStar has expanded its My1Pass, Canada’s first all-inclusive season’s pass and lift ticket, to now include ‘fat biking’. The resort has added more than 15 kilometres (nine miles) of trails for guests to enjoy the hot new sport of cycling through the snow on bikes.
- The resort has partnered with the HitchPlanet ride-sharing cooperative to provide transportation between SilverStar and 70 destinations in BC and Alberta, making it even easier to reach.
Kicking Horse Mountain Resort is surrounded by six national parks, with an average annual snowfall of 800 cm and is the Champagne Powder Capital of Canada boasting with 4 alpine bowls, 127 runs, & 85 inbound chutes.
- Kicking Horse will strengthen their partnership with the locally owned Purcell Heli-Skiing. This year they will jointly offer an exclusive on-mountain experience, combined with a heli-skiing trip and accommodation.
- Getting to Kicking Horse just got easier with a new shuttle service connecting Calgary International Airport to the resort which will run twice a week, via the Banff Brewster Airport Express. Service runs Wednesday and Saturday from December to March.
Revelstoke Mountain Resort offers North America’s greatest vertical at 1,713 meters (5,620 ft), this resort boasts 1,263 hectares (3,121 acres) of fall line skiing, high alpine bowls, and 13 areas of gladed terrain and phenomenal groomed terrain. Enjoy cat, heli and backcountry skiing from one village base as well as the only resort to offer tandem paragliding flights on skis right from the mountain.
- This season there is any extra 20 hectares (50 acres) of additional glading to enjoy.
- A direct air service, Revelstoke Air, began flights from Vancouver to Revelstoke this season. Departing Vancouver every Thursday and returning on Sunday. The total flight time is one hour, getting you to the slopes of Revelstoke with no hassle. Charters are also available.
Fernie Alpine Resort is minutes from the mountain town of Fernie, and offers exquisite downhill ski and snowboarding opportunities, cat-skiing packages and snowmobiling through the beautiful Elk Valley.
- Fernie Alpine Resort has teamed up with Fernie Wilderness Adventures to combine cat-skiing and resort skiing for one epic trip. Ride over 1,011 hectares (2,500 acres) of steep and deep terrain on-resort and follow up with a cat-skiing adventure.
- Fernie has teamed up with Cape Productions to capture the moment as skiers carve their way down resort slopes. A professional drone will film skiers on a designated run, and the footage will be reviewed by a film editor, who creates a professional ski video.
- Fernie’s new sub-zero Ice Bar at Lizard Creek Lodge is the perfect complement to a day on the slopes. The Vodka Bar’s expert staff guides visitors through a tasting of vodkas and champagne.
For more information on Destination British Columbia, visit: www.hellobc.com