What's Banff like this winter (2001 - 2002) ? Read on... (Banff)

Member Name: patsysmith

Product:	Banff
Date:	01/01/02 (412 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good ski/board conditions, Lots of other activities, Good food

Disadvantages: Long journey, Cold! Cold! Cold!, Expensive journey

First the accommodation:
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I stayed in the Crystal Club Hotel: Banff Avenue Inn. I wanted to book a basic room but noticed the Premier Suite prices were the same, so grabbed the chance. This gave:

More spacious room;

Two Queen "sleigh" beds (never tried a Queen size before - did not notice any size difference from my own King size);

Comfy sofa and armchairs;

Telephone (local calls are free from public phones, so I didn't use the hotel one.);

TV - all those channels... there's always something on. Mondays offer "dinner and a movie" feature, with two classic films on a theme (e.g., Tom Hanks) and humourous repartee between cooking hosts;

Fantastic gas fireplace (switched on by flicking what I initially thought was a light switch! - I want one!);

Jacuzzi bath in main room (you can just about see the TV, but the room is large, and it's a long way away!).

Separate shower room with WC and sink.

I was slightly disappointed in the amount and range of food provided in Crystal's Club Hotel (not as good as in Europe, in my experience).

Next Banff town and Calgary:
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Banff town is very commercialized, with many gift shops all selling the same type of thing. Prices are reasonable if you are used to UK prices, but I want to buy a stetson style hat, and noticed that the quality/price/choice combination was vastly better in Calgary.

Took a greyhound to Calgary (about £20 per person, about 2 hours journey, with stops, so you can see non-touristy towns). Then I took the free bus from the bus station to the city's rail line, which is also free as long as you stay in the Downtown zone (luckily this is where the shopping malls are). Got off a few stops down at TD's mall - huge! Lots of interconnected buildings with enclosed interconnecting walkways. After the intense
cold outside, it is at first a relief to be in the warmth, but a couple of hours shopping makes it a relief to cool off outside (strangely, because I like being warm).

Lammle's western outfitter is a good place to stop for your souvenirs - a lady originally from Edinburgh can fill you in on hat facts, lore, etiquette, and maintenance, and the hat prices were half those in Banff, for better quality. After my first substantial purchase, I was given a Canadian dollar $25 (about £12) discount voucher for my next $100 (about £50) purchase.

One thing that grabbed my attention is the politeness, friendliness and eagerness to help of the people, even in Calgary. The way the locals speak is pleasant, and I was not the only person to be reminded by them of the film Fargo.

There are also lots of foreign workers, especially Oz/NZ, there for the season or longer.

For sightseeing in Banff town, just take a stroll off the main drag around town, or go up the Sulphur mountain gondola (beware when walking around here: there are cougars around!). The Bow Falls are beautiful, and you can cut through the forest from there, up the hill, along a trail, to get to the stunning Banff Springs Hotel - their cafe/shop serves welcome hot drinks!


Next, the ski areas!
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Well, before I skied here I called myself an intermediate intermediate. However, after being viciously wiped out by a snowboarder, and encountering a couple of cliff-steep green runs, I would say I was set back a little!

Superlatives abound, as I expected. It is large, varied, pretty, cold. The first week I was there, the slopes were deep in powder, more than I have ever experienced - like a feather bed! In Sunshine Village resort, it was impossible to make a snowball, as the snow remained powdery in the cold. These cold exposed conditions made Sunshine difficult, despite the beautiful terrain, and wide "pistes" (if they can
be called that, because pisting machines were rarely seen - the slopes were usually left "au naturel").

As the snow started to pack down, conditions became a bit more like Trois Vallees in France, at its best!

Lake Louise is suposed to be more distant than Sunshine, but I skied most there - the ski passes included bus travel, and the buses were comfy, warm, spacious enough, and assistants helped with loading ski/board gear into the luggage hold. Once you get there, the conditions seem slightly milder than Sunshine, and the "backside" is a great favourite in the morning - a big safe playground generally, with opportunities to rev things up a bit if you want, by taking shortcuts down the fall line...

Sadly I left Norquay (pronounced "NOR KWAY" ) until my last ski day - compares well with many European resorts, in terms of snow conditions, variety, range, lift-type. Being only ten minutes drive from the town and you're on the slopes, it's bound to be popular, but it deserves greater respect.


The food!
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Never had a disappointing experience while dining out. I was very impressed - prices compared well to UK, better in some cases, and it always pays to take local advice, which I did.

Try the diner on Banff Avenue for fast & friendly, cheap large portions, and go for the endless coffee at $1.50 (ish).

Coyote Cafe on a side street is full of knowing locals, and a stream of surprised "Mmmm" noises - "how can chicken taste this good?" More to the point, "what is that crap I've been eating all these years?" Try anything! Smoked chicken pizza, and the burger are excellent.

Giorgio's was also highly recommended, and the minestrone soup starter was more like a beautiful vegetarian stew. The spinach cannelloni main meal was perfect, and I left fit to burst. For maximum pleasure, order two different start
ers and two main meals, then share everything with a friend, because the portions are so large you probably won't finish everything, and you'll want to try it all!

I also took the obligatory sightseeing trip to Chateau Lake Louise, walked on the frozen lake, and admired the carved ice castle on the lake (wish I could return Jan/Feb to see the fruits of the ice carving competition).

The Chateau hotel is mainly recently built, but incorporates a much older building, and its historic feel. It is worth a visit, I feel, on a rest day from the slopes. They serve good takeaway coffee and hot chocolate inside, near an exit door that leads onto the lake, much in demand when you return inside after admiring the scenic location. There are a few seating areas to sit and sip while defrosting!

There are a few places to get food, but I tried and recommend the "pub" in the chateau for huge burger and fries - about $15. They offer a limited menu of finely prepared food, which was priced quite reasonably considering the surroundings.

Finally:
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The constant theme is the cold - wearing enough layers of clothes and a good jacket, plus covering up extremities is top priority in temperatures from -7 degrees to -30 degrees and lower. A full face mask or balaclava might be a good idea, even if you are used to skiing with just a headband in Europe!

Sleigh rides on the frozen Bow river in Banff are not boring! They can be quite exciting when you see the water flowing beneath eighteen inches of ice, and see cracks in the ice. Even better when you are in a ten-person sleigh pulled by two cart horses, and HEAR the ice crack from one side of the sleigh to the other...

Ski-mobiling (I took a day trip to Golden in YoHo National Park) may be fairly costly ($200 per person approx, including coach transfer from Banff) but worth it for the experience - in untainted forest, climbing an icy/snowy mountain on a
powerful vehicle, iced trees, sheer drops, feeding wild birds perched on your hand. They prepared a barbie for our group of 15 or so in the middle on nowhere, up a mountain, and set us off on various ski-mobile circuits, telling us to go faster - a really good laugh!

There's lots for the non-skier in Banff, which is more than can be said for some European resorts, and considering the price, I'd say that you're getting equal or better value for money (I paid about £1700 for two people for two weeks).

The journey from UK is hell, despite the larger legroom on Air Canada than Monarch (etc) charters, and the best efforts of the "no-nonsense" Air Canada cabin staff. I think that is the main reason I won't be making this an annual trip.

However, I'm glad I did it - at least once in my lifetime!

Postscript:
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Sadly, on the return journey I was forced to eat at a Road Chef or something like that - what a disappointment compared to even a Canadian diner! People, we need to complain more! How else will standards compete in UK?

No, I didn't complain to Road Chef - 30 hours - no sleep - too tired! Sorry!

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