Terence

I had originally planned to ski in Banff/Lake Louise/Sunshine Village, but am now considering skiing in the Canada Olympic Park. I am beginner skier, and this is also my first visit to Canada. The more I looked at it, Banff seemed to be a lot more involved due to the commuting time to get to the ski resorts, the extreme cold, and the low presence of an active nightlife. <BR><BR>Can anyone comment on this and give me some insights into skiing at Canada Olympic Park. As I said, I'm a beginner and definitely will be taking lessons. I really want to improve my skiing.<BR><BR>Thanks!<BR><BR>T

Tim

Skip COP - go to Banff. You will get instruction there, and they have trails for all levels of experience. Depending on how fast you learn &amp; how long you are visiting, you may get bored very quickly with COP - it is not a very big hill.<BR><BR>As for temperatures, there is not that big a difference between Banff &amp; Calgary in the winter; as for a commute, it wouldn't be a much different drive from Banff to the hills there than commuting from your Calgary hotel to COP; and I actually prefer the nightlife in Banff over that of Calgary - its a resort town and folks are there to enjoy themselves.<BR><BR>Enjoy your visit to Canada!<BR>Tim

Heather

My children are now beginner skiiers and I think the drive to Sunshine or Lake Louise is well worth it. There is nothing better for a beginner than the long gentle slopes with real snow that you can find in the mountains. COP is often crowded and icey.<BR><BR>COP is OK for someone who can't get to the mountains for some reason but I sure wouldn't make it a first choice.

Terence

Thanks for the helpful replies!

joe

Very little snow today at COP today...mostly man made. DEFI NATELY go to Banff.<BR><BR>Calgarian

MDaniels

I see it's 15C (60F?) in Calgary today. The snow should be warm to the touch...<BR><BR>The best place for beginner skiers is Sunshine, with it's nice rolling meadows. The Strawberry chair gives you a gully to practice coming down. So, if you start to run away wiuth your turns, you just go up the side and slow down. To get into Sunshine, you start with a 10-minute gondola ride up the mountain. Really neat!<BR><BR>Banff is the best place to stay. See http://www.skibanfflakelouise.com you can get a 3-area pass including bus transfer from your Banff hotel for either ski hill. There is pretty good night life and shopping in Banff. (a lot of the snowboard dudes who work at the resorts stay there...)<BR><BR>Yes it can be cold; but that's where snow comes from. It's been as low as -20C (0F) when I've been there, so do pack warm clothes. Weather is quite variable. (The Calgary Dairy Queen was open and serving ice cream to people in shirt sleeves during the Winter Olympics in 88).