World-class skiing, activities and dining just steps away
If there was ever a mountain resort that came by its name honestly, it's Panorama, says Frank Jones, a veteran ski host, a.k.a. Panorama Mountain Resort's "Mountain Friend."
"The views just get increasingly spectacular the higher you get. At the summit, you can look through 360 degrees and see the Purcell Mountains, the Rocky Mountain Trench and the Rocky Mountains."
He adds that he used to be surprised to find visitors coming all the way from high-profile ski destinations including Switzerland and Germany to ski at Panorama Mountain Resort. "They tell me they like to come here because of the quality of the snow and the fact that there aren't any lift lines."
While the notion of not facing lift lines might seem like a fantasy, Jones says at Panorama it's often a reality. "Especially Monday through Friday; it's like your own private ski resort."
While Panorama is a destination unto itself, skiers often use its hotel as a base to explore the region, including the spectacular highway to Banff, and ski at other resorts. Panorama also offers heli-skiing – and the opportunity to tune up on the resort's lift-accessible powder terrain, a warm up that can help ensure skiers get the best value from a heli-ski adventure.
In terms of choice, Jones says skiers at Panorama have it all – everything from lovingly groomed cruiser runs for beginners and occasional skiers to genuine bushwhacking adventure trails for those who like it steep, deep and maybe just a little intimidating.
"There are a lot of steep chutes off the summit. Gunbarrel, Trigger, Devil's Drop, they're all good." He says, adding that tree skiers will be in heaven. "There's all kinds of it in Taynton Bowl, a lot of double black and all of it exciting."
Despite all that, Panorama has earned a reputation for offering amenities for skiers of all abilities, and especially families. "Panorama has the best groomed runs you'll ever ski on," says Jones, mentioning names like Show Off, Horseshoe and Old Timer, but says it's the ambiance and the off-hill activities that really make the resort appealing to families.
"There's a ton of stuff for kids to do up here," he says. "There's a EuroBungy with padded sides – my grandkids love – tobogganing, tubing, night skiing and lots of special programs like art camps, face painting and teddy-bear stuffing. The Wee Wascals program is perfect for families with young children, he adds. "They can spend the whole day there with a young staff where the object is to have fun. There's no heavy pressure to ski, but you often find that by the end of their stay the kids go home knowing how to ski, and of course that's what the parents want."
Panorama Mountain Resort also boasts Canada's largest slope-side pool complex. The Panorama Springs Pools, which are open to all Panorama lodging guests, include one large cold pool, two waterslides, a warm pool, a splash pad, two hot tubs and a sauna.
Scott Morgan, the resort's marketing manager, says that if there's one thing he gets a lot of positive feedback on, it's the resort's abundant ski-in/ski-out accommodations and pedestrian-friendly village. "People love to get here, park the car and forget about it until it's time to leave," he says. Easy to do when lifts, dining and activities are separated by a few steps.
PANORAMA RESORT HIGHLIGHTS |
• Powder skiing with 1,220 metres of vertical on 2,487 acres of skiable terrain serviced by eight lifts, including two high-speed quads. Terrain is 20 per cent beginner, 55 per cent intermediate/advanced, 25 per cent expert, 120 named trails and two terrain parks. Snow making. Nordic skiing on 20 kilometres of groomed trails
• PanoPass: includes unlimited skiing, tobogganing, tubing, Nordic skiing, night skiing.
• Eleven bars and restaurants in the village. Heli-fondue features helicopter ride to the top for fondue meal with wine at Summit Hut. Extensive pool complex and children’s activities. Night skiing on Mile One Quad chair from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Massage and spa treatments are available.
• Early-booking special offering 30 per cent discount off lifts and lodging. Flex pricing allows guests to ski as many days as they want regardless of length of length of stay.
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