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Fernie Resort Reviews

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Visitor reviews for Fernie Ski Resort

Fernie Ratings

Overall: 3.6. Based on 43 votes and 57 reviews. Vote

Snowsure: 4.0

(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) Fernie is snowsure even in the poorest seasons.

Variety of pistes: 4.4

(1) The ski runs are featureless and unvaried, (3) the ski runs are varied but not extensive enough for a week, (5) Fernie has diverse and interesting pistes including forests and high alpine terrain.

Off-piste: 4.1

(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.

Scenery: 4.5

(1) An ugly resort in a bland setting, (3) average mountain views and resort, (5) a spectacular setting and a beautiful / historic resort town.

Access: 3.4

(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 Fernie.

Public Transport: 3.3

(1) There are no buses or taxis to Fernie, (3) there are slow or infrequent buses / trains available, (5) getting to the resort is easy with frequent bus / train connections.

Accommodation: 4.4

(1) No places to stay in/near Fernie, (3) a few places to stay in the resort, (5) a wide variety of accommodation suitable to suit all budgets.

Cheap Rooms: 3.6

(1) No budget accommodation available, (3) just one or two hostels so book ahead, (5) several cheap hostels and pensions available.

Luxury Hotels: 4.2

(1) No luxury accommodation available, (3) just one or two luxury hotels so book ahead, (5) several up-market hotels in Fernie.

Ski in/Ski out: 4.4

(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: 3.7

(1) There are no child care facilities at Fernie, (5) the resort has excellent child-care facilities including at least one reasonably priced creche.

Snowmaking: 2.9

(1) Fernie relies entirely on natural snow, (3) there are just a few snow cannons, (5) there are snowmaking facilities on all pistes.

Snow Grooming: 3.7

(1) There are no snow groomers at Fernie, (3) occasionally some pistes are left ungroomed and in a poor state, (5) all the runs at Fernie are groomed daily.

Shelter: 3.7

(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) Fernie is mostly in forest where you can ski in flat-light and windy days, lifts rarely close.

Nearby options: 2.8

(1) If snow conditions are poor at Fernie, 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: 4.4

(1) Fernie 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: 4.1

(1) The staff at Fernie are rude or unhelpful, (5) lift staff at Fernie are pleasant, cheerful and eager to help.

Crowds/Queues: 3.9

(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: 3.6

(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: 4.1

(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.

Beginners: 3.8

(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: 4.1

(1) No intermediate terrain at Fernie, (3) intermediate skiers will get bored after a few days, (5) vast areas of cruising runs.

Advanced: 4.5

(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: 2.6

(1) Not even a kicker at Fernie, (3) average sized park quite well looked after, (5) huge park area and expertly crafted pipes, jumps and boardercross trails.

Cross-country: 3.8

(1) There is nowhere to go for cross-country skiing around Fernie, (3) there are some cross country trails available, (5) the area features many spectacular and well maintained cross-country trails.

Luge/Toboggan: 1.6

(1) No designated luge or toboggan runs, (3) there are toboggan runs that open quite often, (5) Fernie has long and well maintained luge / toboggan facilities suitable for all ages.

Mountain Dining: 3.4

(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: 3.5

(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: 3.7

(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: 2.8

(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: 3.2

(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: 3.4

(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: 3.1

(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, Fernie 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): 3.4

(1) Overall, Fernie 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.

Show all 35 ratings

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December 23, 2018
john from Ski Canada Canada
Overall, Fernie is a good mountain that gets dumped with snow sometimes. Rarely ever happens. I went 5 times last year and had really crappy days. Would often rain, the lifts were slow and would often stop for long periods of time. Don't waste your time at Fernie.
January 09, 2018
Mr Nicky from Ski Canada Canada
Came to Fernie for family holiday for 2 months. Great skiing in the first week we were here; nice powder and it keeps on giving! If you explore the mountain you will find the goods. But just like any holiday that relies on the weather it can be hit and miss. So ya need to keep an open mind and relax a bit. I fully recommend Fernie for a family, the terrain covers all levels of riders. The town is cool to hang out in and there is always something going on in the area.
April 10, 2017
Dave from UK from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Just had 2 weeks at Fernie and had a pretty fantastic trip. We did get the legendary powder (3 times in 2 weeks we had great dumps). Had a very cold snap for a couple of days which meant it was apres-ski all day as bit chilly for anything else but Lizard Creek was a very, very nice place to stay so we're more than happy. Really recommend heading up to Island lake in the valley next door as well if you can for a great day. Looking forward to getting there again next year :)
March 16, 2017
Rich Jungman from Ski United States United States
Came to Fernie for a family ski trip after hearing about the legendary powder. Worst ski trip in 30 years of skiing. Rained every day. Gloomy to say the least in fact depressing. In seven days never saw the sun once. I will never come back. Unless you are close, don't waste your time. Why did I ever go anywhere but the Western US I don't know. If you don't get snow there, you at least get sunny days and blue bird skies.
December 22, 2015
Dave from Ski Canada Canada
To another reviewer: there is no Silver Creek Lodge in Fernie.
January 12, 2015
wes from Ski Spain Spain
Went to Fernie several years ago for its mythical powder for 2 weeks and didn't see the sun once. Gave up after 5 days not being able to ski and hired a pick up truck and explored the hot springs instead. I have since had some of the best powder skiing here in Spain of all places. Will not be going back to Fernie.
December 12, 2014
Julius from Ski Canada Canada
I recently stayed at the Silver Creek lodge for 1 night. The room had a good view and the cleanliness was ok. However, there were no staff to help with baggage and we did not receive locker skis and the card did not work for the parking, so we had to travel back to the main office. When we checked out the next day they had charged us for three nights instead of the one night we stayed. I requested to speak with the manager, her name was Jules, she was abrupt and rude informing me that I agreed to 3 nights, which was untrue, and that the additional 365 dollar charge was for holding the extra 2 nights and I wouldn't get that money back. She made us feel stupid and dismissed all of our questions and concerns. I am an avid skier and traveller and I have never had this experience before. I will never recommend this lodging to anyone as they are a scam and try and rip people off. Do not stay here!
January 29, 2014
Mo from Ski Canada Canada
Fernie likes to deliver big dumps mid-week for the regulars. The Griz has always delivered, I don't have enough fingers to count all my powder days at Fernie. Nothing like barking down the Currie Bowl, off Polar Peak, after fresh snow. You want steep and deep you got it. You want a beginner hill for the little ones, you have that too. Sure if you're late season or early season, Fernie may not fully deliver. The season is a tad shorter than the others, but the peak season is by far the best snow option and best overall terrain option, with little to no lineups. For those who "need" a gondola to get up the mountain... enough said. Revelstoke, is the only other mountain, in the Rockies, that I'd put in the same sentence as Fernie. Kicking Horse, with deep snow, is really good. But they often are in icy conditions, and I'd never take my kids to that hill; it's just setup poorly for beginners.
March 07, 2013
James from Ski Canada Canada
Finally made it to Fernie this year and was very pleased with the hill. Excellent terrain and bigger than I was expecting. We lucked the conditions big time and had a nice fresh dump on a bluebird, so we were able to experience the terrain of the 5 bowls with big smiles. If you are just cruising groomers I can see why you would think the resort may be small, as a lot of the terrain is tied up in the bowls. The town is small and quaint, with gorgeous scenery surrounding it. I recommend going here, most definitely. I've hit most of the BC resorts and I rate it as one of the best. I hear the conditions can be hit or miss (as a lot of resorts, really), but they were fantastic while we were here and we were very satisfied.
January 03, 2013
Newts from Ski Canada Canada
Fernie goes both ways. The terrain is very fun. Its not super advanced or anything and the hill's about medium sized. Its not huge, its not small. Fernie gets legendary dumped every once in a whie. They also get legenday crappy days, a little more often too if you ask me. But if you're there on a good Fernie powder day, you potentially will experience the best snow you will ever ski. The prices at Fernie are only worth it if there are good conditions because it's expensive, but if it's good it's worth it.

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