Norwegian Vikings Strike Back on Lake Louise Super-G
American Cochran-Siegle places 11th in a stacked international field.
If you’ve ever seen a postcard of Lake Louise—specifically of the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and the view across the lake to Victoria Glacier—and wondered if it really is as pretty there as it seems … well, there’s a reason it won the top score for Scenery. It’s as if each vista in this neck of the Canadian Rockies is just slightly more scenic than the last. That’s also true at Lake Louise Ski Area, 10 minutes from the Chateau.
With over 4,000 acres of terrain, Lake Louise easily satisfies all levels of skiers. The frontside is mostly long, cruisey greens and blues with a stately National Park-style wood-beam lodge at the base, while the expansive backside is where the action’s at: chutes, nicely pitched steeps, and high alpine bowls that funnel down into perfectly spaced glades. Experts, be sure to take the Summit Platter to the chutes, a sweet spot when conditions are good.
And though there’s very little development due to its National Park location—we can rest assured that cookie-cutter condos will never mar the views—the ski town of Banff is 45 minutes down the road.
Average Snowfall | Acres | Trails | Lifts |
179″ | 4680 | 145 | 10 |
Lake Louise is on the Ikon Pass and the Mountain Collective. Ikon Pass holders get 7 combined days at Lake Louise, Banff Sunshine, and Mt. Norquay. Ikon Base Pass holders get 5 combined days at the same resort. Mountain Collective pass holders get 2 days at the resort plus 50 percent off additional days.
From lodging and and dining to off-slope activities and local tips, here are the SKI editors’ picks for what to do in Lake Louise, Alb.
Check out last season’s Westbowl expansion, 480 acres of steep frontside glades. Also, a new quad chairlift replaced the Summit Platter (circa 1977) that offered access to Mt. Whitehorn’s fabled backside and its alpine cirques and chutes.
Watch for a rope-drop on the seldom-open Gullies: nine chutes off the Summit’s backside that preserve deep, blown-in powder.
At the mid-mountain Whitehorn Bistro, the food is great—but the view is incomparable, dominated by 11,375-foot Mt. Victoria and its knifelike sub-peaks.
Sign on for a free guided tour, offered twice daily, on your first ski day. This place is too big to figure out your own.
Make time for a European-style lunch, complete with the wine flowing, at the mid-mountain Whitehorn Bistro.
Take your intermediate-and-up skiers over to the Rock Garden, a boulder field that fills in with snow, for a skiing-on-the-moon experience.
The panoramic vistas from Sunset Terrace are picture-perfect. You can see the Chateau in the distance.
Hop on a complimentary mountain tour, running daily at 10 a.m. and 1:15 p.m.
Whitehorn Bistro has a European-chalet feel and a menu to match.
American Cochran-Siegle places 11th in a stacked international field.
American Steven Nyman returns to the International Stage with a stellar run.
Watch the kick-off of the World Cup and get pumped for ski season.
Set inside one of the world's most beautiful national parks, this Canadian Rockies town is bubbling with charm and authenticity.
Readers and editors agree: These resorts in western North American are head-and-shoulders above the rest in their respective categories.
With Canada recently celebrating its 150th anniversary, give our northern neighbor a nod by skiing its oldest and most heralded National Park
Beautiful Banff National Park and its stunning ski resorts may be Alberta's best-kept secret.
Presented by SkiBig3 and Sherpas Cinema, this short film is sure to give you shivers.
The postcard-pretty ski town of Banff is the gateway to three breathtakingly beautiful resorts, Sunshine Village, Lake Louise, and Mt. Norquay—each unique in its own way.
Lindsay Vonn hopes to race World Cup against the men at Lake Louise.