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Voted 5th out of 6 reviewed ski resorts in Canada
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Quiet, ski focused, fantastic!
Reviewed 28 Apr 2014
I’ve been back to Panorama a number of times and would definitely go again. If you want to go skiing all the time, Panorama is very good – it’s not good if you want to party (which is what makes it great!) it’s somewhere you go primarily for skiing and to have a comfortable bunch to socialise with after skiing.
My wife injured herself a couple of days in and ended up getting cabin fever because one minus of Panorama is that if you’re not skiing, there really isn’t much to do. It’s not like you're in the middle of Banff with plenty of shops and attractions. They do have day drips to the springs and just up from the condo’s, there’s a really nice group of big communal hot tubs which are free to use with the accommodation.
There aren’t a vast number of restaurants and bars; you’ve got one main bar at the top and another down at the bottom. The restaurants are quite good but there isn’t a massive variety and it’s the same thing on the mountains. If you wanted to eat out at a different luxury restaurant each night, you’d be pushed to find enough places, but if you want to get to know the locals and feel at home it’s ideal. There is a bus that goes into Invermere in the evenings that’s tied with restaurant timings if you want a change of scenery. Unlike Brits, they eat quite early here, so if you turned up for a meal at 8-9pm, they’d be at the point of cleaning up and kicking you out... The bars are the complete opposite, you get there at 11 and things don’t get going until 1!
The village shop used to be quite expensive, but it now does a price match with the shops lower down the hill which is great. The rental place is very good and has a great range of equipment and the actual gear shop has lots of stuff on offer – I’ve bought boots and a helmet here for a really reasonable price.
I’m quite advanced but the area isn’t totally wild, extreme skiing in bowls. One or two of the runs have quite intimidating first steps but you can go to the top and go all the way down without doing anything difficult if you take it slowly (or you can ski blacks as nasty as you like!). There’s some good tree skiing and little off piste niches that you can cut across to – the good thing about skiing in North America is that unless you go past an area that says “don’t ski here”, you’re covered and still in the ski area.
Mountain Friends is one of the best free guiding services you can find; the meeting point is outside the main lodge, so you just head over and tell them what kind of skiing you want to do and they break you up into groups depending on that. This is the only place I know where Mountain Friends can guide you on black runs, other places they only do blues. It’s a great way to explore and also get to know other experienced skiers who want to do the double blacks and bowls, as you can meet up later in the day to ski together.
At least 50, if not 75% of the people I’ve met and made friends with are locals, lots of the properties are owned by people from Calgary.
The resort is quite good with kids and they had a lot of clubs and activities. Quite a few of the people I skied with had left their little ones in kids clubs, which they seemed to really enjoy so it worked for everyone.
One thing that could be a disadvantage is that the transfer is 4 hours on the minibus. They don’t necessarily time the transfers with the flights, so it’s worth double checking as you could end up waiting around a good few hours for another flight to land. The bus does stop off half way so you can get out and stretch your legs.
Wow the views - its all in the name!
Reviewed 21 Feb 2014
Panorama’s name only highlights one of the reasons you should ski here. Yes the surrounding Rockies are jaw-dropping but it also has the largest heli-ski area on earth and one of the biggest verticals in North America. Still somewhat of a hidden gem, with a friendly and down to earth vibe, this is a place you can really retreat to the mountains and ski them to the full.
Town
Established in 1962, Panorama lies at 1160 metres altitude on British Columbia's Powder Highway in the Canadian Rockies. The atmosphere here is unpretentious and friendly, which makes it no surprise that those who have skied this hidden gem are more than likely to return.
Split into upper and lower halves, this is a proper mountain village where you have everything you need just moments away from your accommodation – from the General Store to cosy cafes like Picnic and acclaimed restaurants like Grey’s. Also in the resort, you’ll find the RK Heliplex for swift heli-trips to untouched terrain and for things at a slower pace, the Panorama Springs which are the biggest slopeside thermal pools in Canada. The Ski Tip Lodge provides excellent slopeside ski-in ski-out accommodation with the Panorama Hot Springs heated waterpark at your door.
Thanks to its position on the west side of the Rockies, Panorama usually has milder weather than other resorts in the area.
The nearest airport to Panorama is Calgary at a distance of 290km or approximately 210 minutes driving time. Their season runs from December to April.
Skiing & Snowboarding
Panorama’s 120 pistes and trails cover approximately 2,847 acres of terrain. There’s a lovely beginner area with a 135m magic carpet as well as lots of groomed greens like Ski Tip Way, Showoff and Horseshoe where learners can get to grips with the piste. Intermediates can get their ski legs back on Old Timer and will love the speedy descent on the World Cup Roller Coaster run. Black Diamonds include bumpy Downhill and wide, scenic Stumbocks while if you’re up for a serious challenge, Double Diamonds like Turnpike, Heli Face (we love the deep powder here) and the gladed Stinger are well worth a ski. The longest run is the 5.5km Never Never Land.
9 ski lifts have capacity to transport 8,500 snow lovers per hour. 3 are surface lifts or "drag lifts" - this gives an indication of how modern the lift system is and how good Panorama is for snowboarding - especially for beginners learning to board. Facilities include 2 terrain parks and 1 half pipe (longest half pipe length is 100 metres).
Apres ski:
Winter activities include snowshoe excursions, dog sledding, tubing, a village ice rink, snowmobiling, ice fishing, horse drawn wagon rides and 'cowboy cookouts', and mountaintop fondues Panorama also offers use of the slopeside Panorama Springs Hot Pools for all lodging guests. Toby Creek Massage offers a range of therapies including Swedish massage, reflexology, hot stone massage and aromatherapy in 25 to 55 minute sessions. A day excursion is also an option to ski at nearby Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, soak at the natural Radium Hot Springs, or shop and browse quaint shops and galleries in Invermere on the Lake.
Best time for a ski holiday in Panorama Mountain:
The average snowfall here is 479cm a year (that’s 188 inches). A whopping 50 million gallons of water are used every year to ensure artificial snow making covers 15.5km of trails, which equates to around 40 of the slopes.
The direction which the various Panorama slopes face can make or break your ski holiday. To guarantee good snow conditions, choose a resort with piste which face the right way for the time of year you're travelling.
In the coldest winter months of January and February pick a resort with sunny south facing slopes, so your days on the snow doesn't feel like a polar expedition. Conversely, in the warmest spring skiing months of March and especially April, a resort with cool and shady north facing trails will ensure you're not riding on slush, but benefitting from best late season snow. The best destinations have areas which face in all directions so that you're guaranteed impressive conditions whatever the weather. Panorama has slopes facing N NW NE.
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