Jasper Ski Holidays

Tucked away in the inner reaches of the Canadian Rockies, Jasper town and the Marmot Basin ski area take first prize in any natural beauty contest. Elk, deer, lynx, and even the odd wolf roam free in the 11,000 surrounding sq km of the National Park (bigger than Banff, Yoho and Kootenay, the other Rocky mountain parks combined), and can often be spied early in the morning and late at night taking tours of the town.

Officially starting life as a railway outpost in 1907, Jasper town doesn’t seem to have changed all that much since. There’s an earthy, frontier feel about the place, with rustic inns and lodges of yore that fit naturally with scenery so stunning it’s been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status. The 60's saw the settlement joined with the Marmot Basin slopes (a 25 minute drive away) since which time both town and trails have grown exponentially. It’s true, you won’t find much ski-in/ski-out accommodation - but that’s a small price to pay for all that this remote part of the world has going for it. Miraculously, increased size hasn’t resulted in hugely increased traffic, meaning lift lines are all but non-existent and pistes peaceful enough for skiers and boarders to carve turns with wild abandon.

It isn’t hard to see where they came up with the nickname “The Big Friendly” for little Jasper. In true Canadian style, everything’s so darned accommodating here. Like locals, who can’t be stopped from offering insider tips on an extensive range of après and must-try off slope activities (ever heard of Canyon Crawling?). Even the runs, welcoming to all, range evenly from easy to exhilarating.

The 3 to 4 hour car or coach journey from Edmonton airport may be a little longer than you’d want to sit through for a weekend ski jaunt, but families shouldn’t be put off. It’s the extra drive that’s to thank for Jasper’s tranquility, and the snow train provides a wondrous alternative route on which you can gaze out of glass carriage ceilings at all the National Park’s natural splendor. For those wanting to experience a North American road trip, there’s the option of travelling from the Calgary airfield down the Icefields Parkway, unquestionably one of the most spectacular drives in the world.

Dotted with mule deer and mountain goats, there’s a tastily wild, unchartered feel to the skiing in Marmot Basin, where four mountain faces of dry Canadian powder combine to a respectable 200km of pistes and 86 runs. Whatever your level, this area has it all: long, winding groomers, alpine bowls, steep chutes and picturesque glade runs, split evenly between greens, blues and blacks (note: our friends across the pond don’t do reds, just black diamonds and double diamonds).

The names are pretty indicative of what you’ll find on Easy Street, Sleepy Hollow and Bunny Hop, just 3 of several confidence boosters. Almost every lift’s linked to a green rated glade run, so there’s plenty of scope for you to test your new parallel turns in several settings that coax you higher up the mountain. If you’ve long since learned to plough, cruises like Paradise and Knob Traverse higher up offer space in spades for you to hone your technique, while tree-lined runs like Tranquilizer and Upper Access on the opposite side of the mountain have you covered on flat light days.

The upper regions are home to the steeper slopes, including some nerve-jangling narrow chutes like the Dupres or technical stretches like Milk Run. These won’t keep an expert busy for a week, but combine them with numerous back-country options and your schedule soon fills. An average 400cm of light, dry snowfall every season makes for excellent powder skiing through the trees just off the groomed runs and high up in the in the alpine bowls. The area under the Eagle Ridge chair has some of the best, while trips out on snowcats to untracked powder are usually covered on your lift pass. Heliskiing out to the Monashee and Caribou Mountains is also an option to add even more wow to your week.

Boarders are usually bowled over by Marmot’s wide open expanses and a lift network where seven of the nine lines are a comfortable chair ride. The Eagle Express leads to the boxes, jumps, jibs and rails of the Rogers Terrain Park, while if you’re new to freestyle hit up the mini rail park at the bottom of the Eagle Ridge chairlift, to get the hang of jibbing, jumping and general showboating.

On top of all this, Jasper’s the Cross Country capital of Canada, with 300km of local trails if you feel like trying out some Nordic.

A good deal of your time will be spent stopping and staring at this area’s ridiculously dreamy views, which will have you hooked in minutes. Fortunately, many of the non-skiing highlights here involve striking out to find your next visual fix, like the Malign Canyon Ice Walk, taking you Canyon Crawling through deep natural limestone gorges, and past towering frozen waterfalls before venturing into glacial caves. Snowmobiling and husky sledding let you get stuck into all those trees, while excursions further afield to the Athabasca Glacier take you down the Icefields Parkway (one of the planet’s most spectacular roads, in case you missed it on the way in) and up to vistas that could make you forget your mother tongue.

You don’t come to Jasper for all night raves, but those looking for a more European après experience won’t come up empty handed. Marmot’s Caribou Lounge gets the après flowing at the end of the skiing day, before you’re brought back to town. Most of the drinking spots here, like the Jasper Brewing Co., are slow burners, where you settle down in front of an open fire, order some pub grub in front of a big screen TV and sip your way through a menu of craft beers. Slightly more spirited, the Downstream Lounge’s an underground bar where wine and dinner turn to whisky and dancing. Things heat up most in the Athabasca Hotel, home to the one and only Ath-B nightclub, where live local talent would get even the biggest dance-phobe up on their feet.

Food’s another local forte, with indulgences like the Emerald Lounge’s hearty après-ski snacks and the legendary Patricia Street Deli sandwiches in the day to replenish your hard-burned calories. For dinner, the classic North American fare at the De’d Dog Bar and Grill has long been a favourite with townsfolk, while Tekarra has gourmet Canadian cuisine well worth making the trip out of town for. If you only dine out once, the formal Raven Bistro’s menu ranges from cheese spätzle to a huevos rancheros fillet mignon that will blow your mind...

Once you’re fed and watered, the town’s aquatic centre, with pools, saunas, steam rooms and water slides is the answer to all your aches after a day on the slopes, and right next door the Jasper Activity Centre contains indoor tennis courts and an indoor ice skating rink for more family or group fun.

It's worth going beyond Jasper, towards the Icefields Parkway and into Lake Louise to view some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. The Parkway winds past sparkling mountain lakes and alpine forests to give way to massive icefields, the largest of which is the Columbia Icefield covering 325 square kilometres. At the Athabasca Glacier, within the Columbia Icefields, you can get on a specially designed bus, a Snocoach, drive up the glacier and stand on a thousands of years old tongue of ice.

The more adventurous can ice-skate on frozen lakes or try some extreme ice climbing. For a more relaxed pace, snowshoeing is a natural choice here, Pyramid Lake, Maligne Lake and Jasper Park Lodge golf course are just a few of the best places to go. Its worth visiting the Jasper Yellowhead Museum to explore the area's history and find out more about David Thompson, the explorer who mapped out Canada's fur trade route.