Kicking Horse Resort Reviews
Visitor reviews for Kicking Horse Ski Resort
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(NOTE: Reviews may be edited by our content team for the purposes of ensuring accurate and relevant information)
(NOTE: Reviews may be edited by our content team for the purposes of ensuring accurate and relevant information)
Latest
December 29, 2018
john from
Canada
john from
Canada
Kicking Horse is a good mountain but that is difficult for the beginner because of the limited terrain for greens and blues. They will soon get tired of it which makes sense because they are just skiing the same runs over and over. I would recommend going someplace else with more of an abundance of easier runs. That is just my opinion though.
January 25, 2017
Gord Barlow from
Canada
Gord Barlow from
Canada
It's unfortunate that KH does not have a summer grooming program on a year to year basis. RCR has done some in the past but very sporadic and very limited. The lower to mid section of many of the runs have fir trees and brush sticking above the snow even in the latter part of Jan this year: 2017.
Their inattention and lack of funding for summer and winter grooming certainly reflects their disregard for the safety and skiing experience of their customers. Since RCR took over in 2000 from Ballast Nedham I have only once seen a trail crew member cut a hazard on one of the runs on one occasion. It's disappointing as we have great terrain, and snowfall snowfall as good as any ski area with the exception of coastal mountains and Revelstoke. I have been assured that they will do some summer grooming in late 2017 before the snow flies but I won't hold my breath. When I contacted them they said their mechanical brusher broke down in Fernie and so were unable to work on KH this past fall of 2016. The issue, as I see it, is that they could have hired a brushing crew to fall the 5 and 6 foot trees that have been growing for the last 7 years which the mechanical brushes can't do anyway. Of the 30 ski mountains I have skied I have not seen the lack of attention to grooming that KH exhibits on the mountain. It's not good, not good at all.
January 17, 2017
Jane from
Canada
Jane from
Canada
This is my 6th year as a season pass holder & to be honest probably my last. Yes, this mountain has great alpine terrain but I am fed up skiing down the cat track to get to the bottom because the resort can't be bothered to prepare the rest of the lower mountain in the off season. There is not one run in mid Jan that is free from bushes & trees. There is plenty of snow, but not enough to cover up everything. I am an accommodation provider in Golden & this year many guests have packed up & left after a day when they booked in for at least 5. The astronomical cost of a ski pass simply does not give value for money when better accessed & looked after resorts surround us. We have had long periods without snowfall (not unusual in Jan) & most of the mid mountain is a huge bumpy mogul field as no grooming has been done. This is a great mountain & it's very sad that the owners RCR are more interested in flogging real estate than putting some investment into running a top notch ski hill. The gondola is brilliant; bottom to top in under 15 minutes IF it is working well. Lack of maintenance means it stops regularly & to be stuck in one of those ice boxes for 30+ minutes is not pleasant. If there is enough snow then lack of a mid station isn't a problem. If, however, there isn't enough snow (3 out of my 6 years) then it is a chore to fight your way back down to the bottom of the resort to get the gondola back up again. I would also say not to trust the resort marketing; its a long way to travel from the Albertan cities to realise you've been duped. If you are a blue/green run loving skier/boarder then unless you want to really push yourself this isn't the resort for you. This is a great place for experts & blue/black intermediates wanting to stretch themselves. A great place for an adventurous family, not such a great place for a tamer family!
January 20, 2016
I'veskiedeverywhereman. from
Canada
I'veskiedeverywhereman. from
Canada
This is possibly the most spectacular place I've skied. While you may have to wait half an hour on a busy weekend, the protected and spacious gondola ride takes you up 4000 feet and then a huge amount of terrain is yours for the taking! And this year the whole mountain is well covered and in excellent shape. You are dropped at the top of the mountain and the views are incredible. The only folks who may not love the terrain are beginners who go to the top and get vertigo. Kicking Horse has the most aggressive terrain of almost any resort in North America. And go have a drink/ beer at the Eagle's Eye, at 7800 feet, definitely one of the best bars to sit at, anywhere. If you have lots of time, do a day in Revy too... If you ski tour, you may never leave. Welcome!
January 03, 2016
Jack the ripper from
Canada
Jack the ripper from
Canada
Here is the real deal about Kicking Horse from a long time local:
If you want a place to take the family, a terrain park, a vibrant apres-ski and plenty of good grooming go spend your money somewhere else. Kicking Horse is a lift accessed mountain not a resort. The alpine terrain is top notch, the snowfall is adequate, not the deepest, but it also rarely rains here. Expert and advanced skiers will be blown away by the off-piste skiing, intermediates and beginners will bore of the limited groomed terrain. The lifts do not have enough uphill capacity when it is busy, but when it is quiet bagging 3700' of vertical in a 12 min gondola ride is awesome. Yes, you do have to ski to the bottom when the lower mountain conditions are bad to go back to the top because there is no mid station, but that will probably never change. Bottom line: if you have never skied in BC before go to Whistler, it is fun for the whole family. If you are sick of the mega resorts and want a real unique ski experience try Kicking Horse.
December 06, 2015
Shelagh from
Canada
Shelagh from
Canada
Wow, after a very mediocre season last year Kickie is off to a great start with over 300 cm snowfall already this season! Everybody and their dog was here last weekend for opening day so the line-ups were long (please RCR send us some lifts!), but today was even better pow than last weekend after 22 cm new in last few days, stellar conditions and NO line-ups! El Niño seems about to bless us with another spectacular season and it's barely December! Yeee-haw!
April 10, 2015
Chris from
Canada
Chris from
Canada
As a beginner to skiing and snowboarding this year, Kicking Horse was very challenging for me; in the best possible way. If you are willing to push yourself and commit to the challenge, the terrain offered here allows you to improve your skills and confidence to exceptional levels quickly.
The level of talent in the people skiing/boarding here is exceptional. And from when I have been hearing, they are not disappointed with the terrain. A full run to the bottom and the hike to T2 is worth every step. I feel like this is the kind of mountain that could mislead you if you only came up for a weekend, there is so much area to explore and the next dump of snow will arrive at some point, and when it does it will blow your mind.
A better lift system to access this terrain would be great, but I also think it would open the door to people who might over-estimate their ability; the hike makes you think twice! Something from the mid-mountain would have been great this year, especially, though.
As for the night life, there are a few options. If you are the type of person that makes your own party, you can have an absolute blast on the mountain. Locals are fantastic, laid back, friendly and really helpful.
As I said, I'm a beginner and I don't have a lot of experience elsewhere. I do know that despite the unfortunate snow conditions this year, lift system and "lack of night life" (as some have put it) I have had a fantastic season and I think I'll have a hard time finding another resort that will compare.
Next year, Whitewall.
March 01, 2015
DKong from
Canada
DKong from
Canada
Kicking Horse is a great hill when they have fresh snow but when they don't it's not really worth the 3 hr drive. And that's their biggest problem! When it snows the hoards from Calgary show up and since they only have one gondola to take you to the top the line ups can easily be 45 min to an hour. Once you're finally at the top you have to ski all the way to the base unless you cycle Stairway to Heaven chair, which gets boring after a few runs and inevitably you'll head into Fuse bowl for some fun, which is great, but now you're forced to ski the cruddy runs to the base and stand in the gondola line up again!
Bottom line is they need chairlifts servicing the top half of the mountain in all the bowls!
January 02, 2015
Brian from
Canada
Brian from
Canada
Dec 29-30, 2015. Love Kicking Horse. The two days we skied we found the lower mountain was very cold and sketchy on snow conditions but the upper area was great and much warmer and the view on those clear days was simply breathtaking! Very little for line ups. I guess people saw the -20 forecast and were scared away. Made for lots of uninterrupted runs. Can't wait to return with hopes of powder days.