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Visitor reviews for Banff Mt Norquay Ski Resort

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• January 06, 2012
  John from Canada
  

  After skiing at all three hills in this area (Lake Louise, Sunshine Village and Norquay) I found Mount Norquay to be a fantastic experience!

  The hill is filled with welcoming staff from all over the place. They have the best terrain park of the 3 by far. And the snow was unbeatable. A lot of the reviews talk about Norquay having icy runs. Come and ski in Ontario and you will see what icy runs are. We arrived with a dusting of fresh snow and there were no lift lines. Over Christmas holidays we had no lift lines. How awesome is that. I didn't wait more than 2 minutes for a chair all day. Went to Sunshine and not only were the staff rude at times, but the lift lines seemed to stretch for miles at times, and I found myself getting stuck on runs that were extremely flat in sections.

  One of the neatest things was going up the North American chair, they have a tea house at the top of the lift, that apparently just opened back up after more than 20 years, and the view from there was the best I found at any of the resorts, amazing. Just a warning though that chair is not for the faint at heart, the easiest run up there is a high level black run, but the snow is amazing.

  If you are a good skier and want to ski good terrain, with little traversing, no lift lines and a bunch of nice people, I would highly recommend Mount Norquay.

• Banff Mt Norquay Ratings

  Based on 4 votes. Vote

  Access: 3.2 (1) At least one overnight stop, (2) requires a whole day, (3) requires more than half a day – you may have time for a few turns (4) arrive by lunchtime and ski all afternoon, (5) there is a main airport within an hour of Banff Mt Norquay.	Public Transport: 3.8 (1) There are no buses or taxis to Banff Mt Norquay, (3) there are slow or infrequent buses / trains available, (5) getting to the resort is easy with frequent bus / train connections.
  Scenery: 3.5 (1) An ugly resort in a bland setting, (3) average mountain views and resort, (5) a spectacular setting and a beautiful / historic resort town.	Accommodation: 4.0 (1) No places to stay in/near Banff Mt Norquay, (3) a few places to stay in the resort, (5) a wide variety of accommodation suitable to suit all budgets.
  Cheap Rooms: 3.0 (1) No budget accommodation available, (3) just one or two hostels so book ahead, (5) several cheap hostels and pensions available.	Luxury Hotels: 3.2 (1) No luxury accommodation available, (3) just one or two luxury hotels so book ahead, (5) several up-market hotels in Banff Mt Norquay.
  Ski in/Ski out: 2.2 (1) The ski area is located far from any accommodation, (3) a free ski bus takes you to the ski area in a short trip, (5) Ski-in ski-out accommodation is available.	Childcare: 2.8 (1) There are no child care facilities at Banff Mt Norquay, (5) the resort has excellent child-care facilities including at least one reasonably priced creche.
  Snowsure: 2.8 (1) Occasionally gets enough snow for skiing, (2) is often closed due to a lack of snow, (3) occasionally suffers from a lack of snow, (4) rarely suffers from a lack of snow, (5) Banff Mt Norquay is snowsure even in the poorest seasons.	Snowmaking: 3.5 (1) Banff Mt Norquay relies entirely on natural snow, (3) there are just a few snow cannons, (5) there are snowmaking facilities on all pistes.
  Snow Grooming: 3.2 (1) There are no snow groomers at Banff Mt Norquay, (3) occasionally some pistes are left ungroomed and in a poor state, (5) all the runs at Banff Mt Norquay are groomed daily.	Shelter: 2.8 (1) there is nowhere to ski when it is windy or visibility is bad and lifts often shut, (3) there are some trees for poor visibility but main lifts sometimes close, (5) Banff Mt Norquay is mostly in forest where you can ski in flat-light and windy days, lifts rarely close.
  Nearby options: 3.5 (1) If snow conditions are poor at Banff Mt Norquay, it will be poor everywhere nearby, (3) there are good alternatives within an hours drive, (5) other locations on the same lift pass provide a rich variety of snowsure ski conditions.	Regional rating: 2.8 (1) Banff Mt Norquay usually has poor snow conditions compared to other resorts in region, (3) has average conditions for the region, (5) usually has the best snow conditions in the region.
  Lift Staff: 3.2 (1) The staff at Banff Mt Norquay are rude or unhelpful, (5) lift staff at Banff Mt Norquay are pleasant, cheerful and eager to help.	Crowds/Queues: 3.8 (1) the resort is always busy and there are usually long lift queues, (3) it is quiet apart from occasional weekends and school holidays, (5) it is uncrowded and lift queues are very rare.
  Ski Schools: 3.5 (1) No ski schools available, (2) one or two ski schools but local language only, (3) a few ski schools but book early for multi-lingual instructors, (4) plenty of ski schools and multi-lingual instructors available, (5) excellent ski schools with friendly multi-lingual ski instructors.	Hire and Repairs: 3.2 (1) Nothing can be sourced, not even ski-wax or ptex. (3) there are some ski shops but rentals need to be booked in advance, (5) good quality ski equipment can be purchased or hired and overnight repairs are possible.
  Variety of pistes: 3.0 (1) The ski runs are featureless and unvaried, (3) the ski runs are varied but not extensive enough for a week, (5) Banff Mt Norquay has diverse and interesting pistes including forests and high alpine terrain.	Beginners: 2.2 (1) Beginners can only watch others ski and snowboard, (3) a few gentle slopes but beginners will get bored in less than a week, (3) Vast areas of gentle terrain.
  Intermediates: 3.2 (1) No intermediate terrain at Banff Mt Norquay, (3) intermediate skiers will get bored after a few days, (5) vast areas of cruising runs.	Advanced: 3.2 (1) Nothing for advanced skiers and snowboarders, (3) enough steep terrain for a few days with some good offpiste, (5) Enough steep terrain and offpiste areas to entertain advanced skiers for at least a week.
  Snow Park: 3.0 (1) Not even a kicker at Banff Mt Norquay, (3) average sized park quite well looked after, (5) huge park area and expertly crafted pipes, jumps and boardercross trails.	Off-piste: 2.5 (1) No off-piste worth mentioning, (2) off piste is out-of-bounds, (3) some varied offpiste that stays fresh for one or two days, (5) a vast array of off-piste routes that can stay untracked for several days.
  Cross-country: 2.0 (1) There is nowhere to go for cross-country skiing around Banff Mt Norquay, (3) there are some cross country trails available, (5) the area features many spectacular and well maintained cross-country trails.	Luge/Toboggan: 2.0 (1) No designated luge or toboggan runs, (3) there are toboggan runs that open quite often, (5) Banff Mt Norquay has long and well maintained luge / toboggan facilities suitable for all ages.
  Mountain Dining: 2.0 (1) Nowhere to buy food by the pistes, (3) some places to eat up on the mountain but they are often busy and expensive, (5) there is a variety of excellent mountain eateries right next to the slopes to suit all budgets.	Eating: 2.2 (1) Bring your own food, there isn't even a shop. (5) A wide variety of places to eat and drink in the resort, from fast food to fancy restaurants.
  Apres-Ski: 3.0 (1) Nothing to do, not even a bar, (3) there are a few bars in the resort but nothing special, (5) clubs and bars stay open until very late and have a friendly atmosphere.	Other Sports: 1.0 (1) No sports facilities at all apart from ski lifts, (3) resort has just a small public swimming pool, (5) resort has all kinds of sports facilities, including a full-size swimming pool.
  Entertainment: 2.8 (1) Besides the snow and walking there is nothing to do here, (3) the non-skier will find things to do for few days but may become bored after a week, (5) the resort area is a fascinating place to visit, regardless of winter sports.	Winter Walks: 1.8 (1) Very limited walking and no snowshoe trails, (3) a couple of designated scenic walking/snowshoe trails, (5) extensive and diverse winter walking trails for all abilities.
  Ski Pass Value: 2.8 (1) A 1 week ski pass is overpriced compared to the number of lifts available, (3) the ski pass is averagely priced and covers a reasonable number of lifts, (5) ski passes are excellent value for money and cover a lot of lifts spanning a big area.	Value (National): 3.2 (1) Overall, Banff Mt Norquay is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the country and not worth the money, (3) overall represents average value for money, (5) overall offers the best value resort in the country.
  Value (Global): 2.8 (1) Overall, Banff Mt Norquay is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the world, (3) overall it offers pretty average value for money compared to resorts from other countries, (5) internationally the resort offers excellent value for money.

  Based on 4 votes. Vote

• April 22, 2011
  Rob Filyk from Canada
  

  The first time I skied Norquay and it's famed Lone Pine and North American runs many years ago I was awestruck. Sure it isn't massive like Lake Louise but with equally stunning view of Banff and Cascade Mtn., a relaxed atmosphere and some great terrain I love this mountain The original Norquay chair and the 6 runs will challenge the best skiers and completely scare away most boarders but this is what effortless steep ripping and shredding is all about. It will make you respect it.

  With fantastic snow the last 2 seasons and a great community feel there is never a poor day at Norquay. If you catch it on a snow day-which there have been many of lately- you will likely have fresh tracks right until 2 or 3
  For some good intermediate terrain there is the high-speed mystic chair and the fixed-grip spirit so there is something for everyone. An active racing club and a formidable terrain park also add character to Norquay

  Some of the other reviewers are correct, real beginners can find this mountain's upper reaches petrifying. Better they come after they get a lesson or a few under their belts, or bring a parachute.
  Not a big area, but one of the best fall lines around and one of the best views imaginable make Norquay unforgettable.

• December 26, 2008
  Mark from United Kingdom
  

  Hi all, my mate and I decided on Canada Jan 08 for a couple of weeks. Having purchased 2 x 3 day ski school lessons, we had a day on each mountain, (Norquay\Sunshine\Lake Louise).

  We started with Lake Louise, which was excellent, mountain was huge with plenty of beginner (green) runs.

  Day 2 was Norquay (Banff Mt Norquay), which if I'm honest was a huge letdown, possibly due to expectations set from LL. The majority (if not all) runs were icy and worn in places. Very few beginner runs, or intermediate runs. A lot of runs have been graded 'double blue', which basically means they are a black. The reason for this, if they marked them all black no-one would go there, Intermediates see the double blues and think 'I'm a blue' and give it a go, only to find unless you are an excellent blue, you end up going down blacks and suffering. Quite a few people in my group refused to them.

  Norquay is for advanced users only - end of. I tried to get my next set of ski lessons changed to 2 x Sunshine and 1 x Lake Louise, but the reps have to promote all 3 mountains, so I had to suffer another day a week later at Norquay.

  However, if you skip Norquay (despite the short bus ride) and do LL and Sunshine you'll never be dissapointed.

  I do wonder why they keep Norquay alive. From a business perspective I can't see it being profitable, with only a small select few taking up the challenge.

  I'm there again for 2 weeks from the 3rd Jan, but won't be doing Norquay this time around ! :)

• March 15, 2008
  Ryan from Canada
  

  The review posted by the Calgarian who has skied Norquay for 25 years is - VERY ACCURATE! Excellent review!!!
  Also to note, Norquay has the best terrain park between Calgary and Panorama (so better than Nakiska, Sunshine Village, Lake Louise and Kicking Horse).
  It's so close it's great to just hop up to Norquay for a few laps in the afternoon if you slept in, or just want to get a couple of sunny runs before you cruise down the fun ski-out to the Juniper lodge by the highway.
  Great staff.
  Usually very hard packed and icy, the only places that get similar snowfall levels (ie: not much) are Marmot and Nakiska. But for cruisers, fun, buttery groomers, and a sick park. Norquay is hard to beat.

• January 29, 2008
  Matt from United Kingdom
  

  Norquay is a great mountain to start off your week whether your a complete beginner or with the kids. It's main advantage is that its very quick to get to and is always far less busy than any of the other Banff resorts.

• December 22, 2007
  Chris from Canada
  

  Why bother....?? It's OK if you just want a few hours of skiing or if you have young kids, but otherwise go just up the road to Sunshine for the real thing.

• January 12, 2007
  Derek from Canada
  

  Living in Calgary, I've skiied Norquay for 25 years, and it's an interesting area, and very different from Louise or Sunshine. It's a 5 minute drive from Banff (or grab the free shuttle bus). It's tiny compared to the other two. The Day Lodge at Norquay is beautiful. And it's carved itself quite a nice and effective little pair of niche markets.
  First, it sells tickes by the hour. Here it serves the "ski for a couple of hours in the morning while my partner shops" crowd. Second, it's a family place with an extensive race program. The layout of the hill keeps the learners and the racers away from everyone else.
  Most folks ski the Mystic Chair, which has lots of vertical and a whole bunch of groomed blue and black cruisers. They groom every blue and green every day, and get less snow than Louise or Sunshine (made up for with lots of snowmaking), so this is not a place for powderhounds. Last weekend (Jan 7) was the midst of a big powder dump in the area, and Norquay got virtually none.
  The grooming is without question the best in the area. Still, the tops of runs , high traffic areas and steep pitches can get icy late in the day, a problem shared by parts of Louise.
  And then there's The North American. No snowmaking or grooming here. Big vert, big steeps, a slow double chair, and moguls the size of Volkswagens. This is the original double black area in all of Western Canada. I skiied it a few times more than a decade ago, but don't see that it has changed (good things never do). Less than 10% or Norquay skiiers go up here. More should.
  So long as you keep your expectations under control, you can have a lot a fun at Norquay for a day or two. I did 10,000+ vertical meters in 27 runs last weekend, on a typically unbusy weekend, just doing a lot of high speed cruising. Give it a try. You'll be glad you did.

• January 10, 2006
  Lee from Canada
  

  Norquay's ok at the moment (Jan12 05) but it needs a good dump of snow to get the steeper runs open. The mountain has been a victim of an unusually warm Albertan Christmas, after a heavy load of snow around the beginning of December, precipitation since has been limited to flurries. However, the snowmaking here is excellent and the piste makers have got most of the greens and blues open and the conditions on these slopes are good. Naturally, it's best in the AM. Better conditions at Sunshine and Lake Louise mean that Norquay is not very busy at the moment which translates into queue free lifts and tons of space on the pistes. It's definitely worth a trip as it stands for intermediates and improvers.

• December 05, 2005
  dh from United Kingdom
  

  Went there early Jan 05. Cold, but the quality of the snow made up for that hardly anyone on the the slopes. If u buy a min. 2hr ticket then u'll ski for 2hrs, not like Europe. Take warm clothes although u wont be cold due to the number of runs avialable.