Located to the west of Calgary in Banff National Park, Banff Mount Norquay ski resort is known for its incredible views and uncongested pistes, and is one of the premier spots for Canadian Rockies skiing and snowboarding. Mount Norquay also boasts some of the best grooming in western Canada.

Services at the resort include a ski shop with rentals and repair, a day lodge, and childcare facilities for ages 19 months to six years. Surrounded by spectacular scenery, with majestic Mount Cascade and Mount Rundle to the north and south respectively, Banff, with its trendy boutique-loaded streets providing the backbone of the facilities, is the epitome of a ski resort town.

Banff also provides the accommodation with 4,500 rooms in 40 lodges, including the historic Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel (built in 1888); nearby Canmore offers alternative lodging. Ice-skating is among Mount Norquay’s other activities, while après-ski is fairly lively with over 140 bars and restaurants to choose from.

Banff Mount Norquay offers 31 runs down immaculate and sheltered pistes, with steep and challenging expert slopes, as well as plenty of choice for beginners and intermediates. Five lift systems, with an hourly capacity for 7,000 people, run over a 500m vertical to supply the trails, the longest of which is just over one kilometre.

For alternative skiing and snowboarding, head for the nearby resorts of Lake Louise and Sunshine Village which, together with Mount Norquay, make up the Tri-Area Mountain ski pass. Away from the slopes and not far to the northwest is Jasper National Park and Athabaska Glacier (with access on foot to the glacier’s edge).

The ski season at Banff Mount Norquay ski resort runs from mid-December to mid-April and there are cheaper weeks on offer at the beginning of the season. The most convenient travel option is to fly to Calgary International Airport and transfer by shuttle bus.