Lifts & Terrain

Skiing at Banff Norquay provides terrain to suit all levels, but it’s certainly not paradise for powderhounds. There is not a lot of variety considering that there is only 77 hectares of skiable terrain. The highlights of Norquay include the grooming, the spectacular views across Banff and the surrounding mountains, and the steep bumps (if that’s what you’re into).

There is one high speed quad lift, otherwise the chairs are fairly slow. Lift tickets are much cheaper than at neighbouring resorts, so you’re really paying for what you get in terms of lift infrastructure. Tickets are also sold by the hour if you just want to go for a quick hoon. Another bonus is that the resort does not suffer from crowded slopes or lift queues, but the top area gets a bit of traffic and can become quite gnarly in the afternoon when the slopes become icy.
Beginner Ski Terrain A magic carpet provides access to gentle beginner runs, and another chairlift provides further green runs, but these are relatively challenging for novices.

Intermediate SkiingThe grooming at Norquay is of high quality, and the resort offers long cruising runs. Some of the black groomed runs have got some decent pitch, and are good for those wanting to practise on steeper slopes.

For the Family/Kids This is a lovely resort for families, and considering it is quite small, family members are never far away from each other. There is night skiing on Fridays with the terrain park also being illuminated. Child care is available for 19 months to 6 year olds.

Parks and Pipes There is a terrain park, half pipe and quarter pipes, which are lit as part of the night skiing.

Advanced/Expert Ski Terrain The North American double chair is slow, but offers some challenging skiing. There is no snowmaking or grooming here, and the terrain is characterised by steeps and big bumps. Many hard-core regulars come here especially for the bumps, but possibly they’re a little crazy because the moguls are not only big, but often icy. Of course, everyone’s into different things!

Some of the runs are single black diamonds, whilst a couple earn the double black diamond status. The North American run is probably the easiest of the runs in this area. Off the other chairs there are a couple of tight tree runs to challenge the expert skier or snowboarder.

For the Powderhound Norquay is not Powderhound territory. With only an annual average snowfall of 3 metres, the powder days are fairly infrequent.

Snow and Weather Conditions Snow-making is used to make up for the lack of natural snowfall. Norquay has a reputation for having icy slopes, and this was certainly the first thing we noticed about the place. This is great place if you want to practise your edging and racing.

On bad weather days, the terrain at Norquay provides substantial protection, and is a better choice than Lake Louise or Sunshine Village.