Skiing the Canadian Rockies: Sunshine & Lake Louise VS the Alps

last updated: October 2023

During my trip to the Canadian Rockies, I visited two of the ‘Big 3’ ski resorts in Banff National Park: Sunshine Village and Lake Louise. On this trip, a few friends joined my boyfriend and I. Amongst ourselves, we had 3 excellent skiers, a somewhat beginner (myself at the time) and a complete beginner (another adult). With the exception of our expat friends, everyone else had only previously skied in the French, Austrian and Swiss Alps. So, comparing the Canadian ski resorts to their European counterparts was inevitably part of our daily discussions! Given the variety of our group, I think we did a really good job in pinpointing all the aspects that make a good skiing trip. We, thus, rounded up a Canadian Rockies comparison to the Alps. Let’s get into it.

GENERAL IMPRESSIONS FROM SKIING IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES

Judging from our days spent in Sunshine Village and Lake Louise ski resorts, I will have to confirm what everyone probably knows already. Skiing in the Canadian Rockies is a fantastic experience. The quality of the snow is excellent, the landscape is beautiful and the variety and scale of terrain along with the resort facilities guarantee perfect skiing and snowboarding days. Even though Banff National Park receives more visitors in the summer, I cannot recommend enough to also visit in winter or early spring and get a couple of days of skiing in-between exploring Banff’s incredible sights and experiences. 

So, without further ado, here are the main points of a Canadian Rockies comparison to the Alps and our thoughts on each.

CANADIAN ROCKIES VS ALPS: SKI RESORT ACCESS & ACCOMMODATION

In the majority of European ski resorts, there are gondolas, bubbles or even chairlifts connecting the skiable area to the village where most people spend the night. Accommodation areas sometimes naturally extend all the way to the ski resort base. On the contrary, visiting Sunshine Village and Lake Louise ski resorts feels more like a day trip because, apart from one hotel in Sunshine Village, there are no other ski-in, ski-out or on-mountain accommodation options. Once the pistes are shut, skiers / snowboarders from either resort drive or take shuttle buses to the village of Lake Louise, the town of Banff, the community of Canmore, hotels scattered around the National Park or even Calgary. Hence, along with driving distances (from 10mins to more than an hour), lodging options vary a lot, and with that the overall vibe and character of your holiday.

All of this is not surprising considering that communities and lodgings in the Rockies were not created just to cater for the ski resorts as they usually do in Europe (i.e. the purpose-built villages in the Alps). There are so many sights in Banff National Park that ski resorts, despite their world class reputation, are not the main attraction. As I mentioned previously, Banff gets the highest number of visitors during the summer! 

Therefore, if you usually ski in Europe and always go for accommodation with quick and hassle-free access to the slopes (ski-in, ski-out or walking distance) then driving to the resort will certainly be a novelty to you and potentially a disadvantage. Nevertheless, we did find this to be excellent for acclimatising to the high altitude of both ski resorts. We spent the night at elevations far lower than the pistes and, thus, recovered. 

TOP TIP -DRIVING IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES: 

The roads are wider and smoother than the ones one typically comes across in the Alps! Not only that but, Canadians are, unsurprisingly, very efficient when it comes to clearing snow from the roads.

READ MORE:

Banff National Park in winter & early spring: 7 things you need to know

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CANADIAN ROCKIES VS ALPS: SKI RUNS

Another point in a Canadian Rockies comparison to the Alps relates to ski runs. In Sunshine and Lake Louise, unlike European resorts, all of the terrain in the area boundary is safe to ski, not just the marked pistes. I am not sure if that is generally the case in Canada / North America -let me know in the comments. In Sunshine and Lake Louise, each ski area covers thousands of acres and everything within the boundary is patrolled. You don’t just have to stick to the marked runs. You can head off-piste and make first tracks on the untouched power among the trees! 

That is the reason why the resorts’ official websites only state total resort area rather than length of runs. Obviously, when it comes to resort size, this makes a Canadian Rockies comparison to the Alps hard. Websites such as skiresort.info (which I often look at to understand how large a resort is) do note pistes length. However, I fear that they may understate the size of the Canadian resorts as there is so much more skiable area that does not constitute a marked run (and most of it is beautifully tree-lined!). So, bear that in mind when comparing stats and make sure that you check the pistes map to get a sense of the scale.  

TOP TIP -PISTES COLOUR CODING: 

In Sunshine and Lake Louise, intermediate runs are marked with blue colour rather than red. Green highlights the easy runs. Lake Louise ski resort provides a very useful online mountain guide explaining the system. There is also commentary on which run to opt for according to your experience and weather conditions. 

READ MORE:

Skiing the Canadian Rockies: Sunshine & Lake Louise ski resort guides

CANADIAN ROCKIES VS ALPS: CHAIRLIFTS 

As I explained above, direct size comparisons are not straightforward between Canadian and European ski resorts. However, it seemed to us that European resorts of a comparable size have a lot more chairlifts and bubbles that their Canadian counterparts. This is not necessarily an advantage for the European resorts. In Lake Louise and even more so in Sunshine, skiers / snowboarders can access many different runs just with one lift; and there is almost always an easy way down the mountain. I would hazard a guess that it is the natural topography that made this possible.

On the contrary, in large European resorts, it seems that each chairlift serves fewer options down the mountain. Hence, more lifts are needed to cover similar area. In many a European resort, strategic planning is indeed required when you select your route up the mountain. This is especially true when you are not confident to ski down any run! 

TOP TIP -CHAIR LIFT QUEUE ETIQUETTE: 

Interestingly, one would expect that the small number of lifts in Canada would mean longer queues. In my experience, it didn’t. Also, Canadians were so polite and considerate in their queuing that they put us to shame.

CANADIAN ROCKIES VS ALPS: PARTY ON THE SLOPES & APRÈS SKIING 

If partying on the slopes is a priority for you, then you will probably have more fun in Val d’ Isere, the 3 valleys or St Anton in the Alps. Contrary to the weekly (or daily) parties in quite a few European resorts, events are less frequently organised in Sunshine and Lake Louise. During our time in Banff, we did not come across any DJ parties despite weather conditions being great and our stay coinciding with Easter. Furthermore, you might be disappointed to know that there was no Folie Douce equivalent on sight! 

Nevertheless, there are some great local bands playing live in both resorts. Naturally, there are also cosy establishments to enjoy a drink or two by the fire. Overall, there is a calm and relaxed atmosphere which is centred towards the thrill of winter sports rather than the glitz, glamour and booze of some notorious European resorts.

And how about the evening and the actual après ski? As I explained earlier, distances between ski resorts and hotels / living communities vary and driving is always required. Your accommodation can be in a quiet countryside setting, the town of Banff or even bustling Calgary. So, it goes without saying that your après skiing may be a lot different to the European well-loved formula. Nonetheless, the possibilities seem endless. A quiet dinner in a scenic hotel, spa and fine dining in Fairmont Chateau, shopping and drinks in Banff town… the list goes on. 

TOP TIP -APRÈS SKI IN BANFF TOWN: 

During our trip to the Rockies, we stayed in a rental home in Banff. We ended a day of skiing with drinks in one of the bars and home cooked dinner or a meal in one of the many restaurants in town (tasting local or international cuisine). Banff is a proper North American mountain town with a true western vibe. Even though it does not make for what we consider ‘classic après’, it certainly provides truly unique moments.

READ MORE:

Best things to do in the town of Banff, Canada

An unforgettable winter’s day in Lake Louise, Canada

CANADIAN ROCKIES VS ALPS: WEATHER & SNOW CONDITIONS 

The official Sunshine village website states that the seven-month ski season stretches from early November until late May. This is the longest non-glacial ski season in Canada. Lake Louise ski resort season seems only marginally shorter than that. 

My trip to Banff stretched over the last week of March and first week of April. Snow conditions were excellent. Temperatures were significantly lower than the ones one would typically encounter in the Alps even in high winter. I will never forget the snowy slopes sparkling like they have been encrusted with diamonds during my first run of the day in -10^OC. And there was fresh powder most days! I dare say that spring skiing has a different meaning in Canada…

Having said that, skiing in late December, January and February might not be for everyone! The average temperature is usually well below freezing and super cold snaps of around -20^OC (!) are not unheard of. Most people, though, who do visit during that time say that it works out ok once you have mastered the art of layering. The extreme cold does create some spectacular natural phenomena, so, in my opinion, this is another one for the bucket list! 

TOP TIP -DEALING WITH ULTRA LOW TEMPERATURES: 

When the temperature dropped to -10 ^OC, I added a merino wool thermal and glove liners; have a look at my ski packing list.

READ MORE:

Travelling to Banff, Canada in March: Why go & what to expect

FINAL THOUGHTS 

As you may have guessed by now, I did not intend to come up with a winner for the Canadian Rockies comparison to the Alps. We become better skiers and travellers when we get to experience as much of our diverse world as possible. Living in London, I am fortunate to get to the Alps via a short flight; my trip to Banff was my first chance to ski on the other side of the pond. I had high expectations from the beginning and the experience only got better and better.

So, for all of my European ski resort die-hards out there. Don’t miss out on a winter trip to the Canadian Rockies. It will be well worth the long flight and more expensive ticket. And for those of you who have never skied in Europe, well… start planning your ski trip to the Alps now (Scandinavia is currently on the bucket list!).