Snowsure: 4.4
- Occasionally gets enough snow for skiing
- Is often closed due to a lack of snow
- Occasionally suffers from a lack of snow
- Rarely suffers from a lack of snow
- Sunshine Village is snowsure even in the poorest seasons
Visitor reviews for Sunshine Village 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
February 15, 2008
Glen from
United Kingdom
Glen from
United Kingdom
I don't think I've ever read so much rubbish in my life! Sunshine is excellently varied, with something for everyone, just seems some people are very hard to please! Sure, there are some flatter sections, but you find me a mountain that hasn't got that! The general bowl shape of the place collects a huge amount of snow, and even a relatively small snowfall makes it a superb place to ride. There are nice gentle warm-up runs, to the truly heart-stopping Delirium Dive! I didn't queue for a single lift at Sunshine for the 5 days I rode there, and I personally find Banff Avenue (the ski-out run for those who don't know) an excellent way to end the day. I'm a snowboarder, and didn't have to stop once on the way down. Anyone that heads to Banff MUST make sure they visit Sunshine.
February 14, 2008
Joe
Joe
Sunshine should be renamed. I propose Sunshine Cross Country Ski Area. The good hard runs are short and the "huge vertical" is not big at all. I have never seen a ski hill warp the truth and down right lie so much. The real vert is no more then 588 meters off of goats eye. They include the ski out in their stats which is certainly not a run. A bill-board on the way from Calgary proclaims " Closer, only 8km west of Banff" The turn off is 8km west of Banff, then another 6km down a twisty, poorly maintained road. Ya! your at the ski hill! O wait, five or ten minute walk to "the worlds fastest gondola" wait in line, then twenty more minutes stuffed in the gondola cabin with 7 other people till you're finally at the ski lifts.
Sure, the snow is often better then other hills, but is it really worth it for tiny vertical, awful fall lines and huge line ups? I think not. Check out Louise or Norquay.
January 18, 2008
Janet Evans from
United Kingdom
Janet Evans from
United Kingdom
My family (2 adults, one 16 year old and one 14 year old) went skiing from 22nd December to 2nd January 2007/8 and just had the best time. There are runs for all abilities. Yes, the lifts were busy at weekends and during the New Year holidays - but where isn't! As we are all good intermediates it was possible to ski away from the crowds. We got off at Goats Eye at Sunshine and that area was really quiet until about 11am and then it was not overly busy. We prefered Sunshine to Lake Louise - more options at Sunshine. All lift attendants very friendly and helpful. We all had a fantastic holiday. Stayed at the Banff Park Lodge - again brilliant. Canadian people are so polite and helpful - nothing ever too much trouble. Will be back one day.
January 04, 2008
GibbersSUCK!
GibbersSUCK!
December 21, 2007
Thiago
Thiago
Very Good Resort, one of the best snow in the world, soft, abundant and dry!!!
It's not as beautiful as Lake Louise, but it gets twice the snow.
Its really interesting, Banff, Lake Louise and Sunshine are quite close each other,
but Sunshine ALWAYS GET MUCH MORE SNOW then the other two...
There is something for everyone, steeps, beginners...
And Banff National Park is one of the most beautiful places in the world, it's certainly worth the experience!!!!
December 07, 2007
John from
United Kingdom
John from
United Kingdom
Yes, Sunshine does have some flat spots but after a couple of runs you should have figured out how to avoid them. If you are riding any of the challenging terrain you shouldn't have to worry about the flats anyway.
As for the lift lines, on the weekdays you will never have to wait and on the weekends you might have to wait 5 or 10 minutes. If you don't want to wait at all on the weekends just go in the singles line or go to Goat's Eye.
December 02, 2007
Rider
Rider
Ya. The place sucks. Go somewhere else, especially on weekends. On powder days it's so flat that you get stuck, even boarding at 20km/hr, right Lee. As for it going back to the drawing-board... Yes National Parks are still on a no bulldozer policy as far as I know. I hear there's some sick lines at COP.
January 12, 2007
Derek
Derek
I couldn't disagree more with Lee and his review below. I've skied Sunshine for 25 years. It consistantly has the best snow in the Rockies (Fernie gets more, but it gets rain, so conditions are more variable; Louise gets less and pours ice all over the front faces; Kicking Horse gets lots but is a much smaller resort). There's lots of terrain at Sunshine, with awsome blacks and double blacks off Goats Eye and TP Town, and a sweet blue collection. Yes, the greens are flat, but they're supposed to be (they're green).
Us locals wish the Government would permit a spruce up of the Village, but it's a National Park, and they are all heritage buildings. For instance, Mad Trappers has been there since the 1920's, and was the first ski cabin in the Rockies. Lee is also incorrect in that Sunshine isn't busier; skier visits are less than Louise each year, and Louise is 45 minutes down the road. Only once in 25 years I have seen the queue back to Hwy 1 (due to a road closure for avalanche control); get there at 9 and it's drive right into the main parking lot, and the Gondola line with the new high speed is non existant. Ski Goats Eye till noon, and even on the busiest days, it's step right on the lift with no lines.
Tourists I meet from Britan love Banff and its surrounds; Sunshine's stunning views and great snow are a big favourite. Folks complain about the Gondola, but what goes up is a great ski out at the end of the day. It can get very cold here at all the Rockies resorts, but normally only in January, and only for a few days at a time.
The combination of Louise, Sunshine, Norquay, with out-trips to Panorama and Kicking Horse means there's more incredible skiiing in the Banff area than you can imagine.
November 23, 2006
Lee
Lee
The fact is Sunshine is over-hyped rubbish. As the closest big hill to Calgary you can expect it to be busier than other resorts further down the road. I have witnessed traffic queuing on the access road all the way back to Highway 1. Once you have negotiated the traffic, parking and gondola you are greeted with a desolate, almost post-apocolyptic world. It must be the ugliest resort in the Canadian Rockies and it certainly lacks the atmosphere of smaller resorts.
Yes Sunshine does get snow and there is little need for snowmaking and listening to some people bang on about this you'd think it was the only resort in the WORLD where this happens. I can think of two others just in the Rockies that don't make snow. What's the point in all this snow when the runs are boring and lifeless? The Delirium Dive and Goats Eye Mountain are obvious exceptions but that's what Sunshine lacks - consistently good runs. There is a real lack of the steep and the challenging and fun cruising runs. On a snowboard? Be prepared to clip off and walk uphill every 200 metres on the green runs. Lifts are arranged poorly and the whole place could do with going back to the drawing board.
Save your time and money and check out the rest of the Rockies.
Nearest