Posts Tagged ‘jasper’
Top 5 Stops on the Icefields Parkway
Looking for that extra adventure on your next ski holiday? The Icefields Parkway in Alberta, stretching over 144 miles (232 km) from Lake Louise to Jasper, might be just the ticket. This iconic road is ever-changing and you will find yourself glued to the window of your car as the views take your breath away.
The scheduled drive time according to Google Maps is just over 3 hours, however it will most likely will take you longer with various stops to take in the incredible views. With viewpoints dotted along the route, you can safely pull in to admire the views and take photos. It’s likely there will be wildlife sighting opportunities too, so remember to keep a look out!
Our top 5 stops on the Icefields Parkway are:
Athabasca Glacier
Credit: Pursuit Collection / Mike Seehagel
5 Hotel Rooms and Suites in Alberta You Might Not Have Stayed In
A few members of the Ski Independence team were away on a fam trip to Alberta a few weeks ago and stayed in some pretty amazing places along the way. Aodhan has given us a rundown of some of the incredible places they stayed on their trip; read on to find out his top 5.
Moose Hotel & Suites – Rooftop 2 Bedroom Suite
These spacious units occupy one of the best locations in downtown Banff, giving you uninterrupted views of the surrounding mountains; Cascade, Rundle, Tunnel and Sulphur. Comprising two full bedrooms and bathrooms, as well as a generously sized living room featuring a double sofa bed, these suites work perfectly for families or groups of friends up to 6. When you’re finished on the mountain, you can retire back to your home-from-home for the remainder of your day.
Moose Hotel & Suites – Rooftop Pool Area
Alberta’s Top 10 Restaurants: Hotspots & Hidden Gems
Alberta is full of hotspots and hidden gems that offer good food and have that all important welcoming & warm atmosphere. The Ski Independence team have spent many hours in the Canadian Rockies, and between us we’ve compiled a guide to our favourite restaurants. Perfect after a day in the mountains working up an appetite.
Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria – Jasper
Famoso imports its ovens and key ingredients from Naples, & Campania in a bid to serve the best Pizza outside of Italy. The restaurant has a fun & lively atmosphere – perfect for relaxing after a long day on the slopes. From Pizzas to Pasta, there’s something for all at this restaurant. This family friendly restaurant has a great reputation with locals and regular visitors alike, and we can see why.
The 10 Best Winter Activities in Alberta
With such world-class ski resorts, you’d be forgiven for thinking skiing and snowboarding were the only winter activities on the menu in Alberta. But this beautiful Canadian province is packed with opportunity.
Whether you’re stargazing in Jasper, treating yourself to spa day in Banff or dog sledding in Lake Louise, Alberta offers up the chance for adventure and indulgence in equal measure.
Whet your appetite with a sneak peek at our choice of the best winter activities away from the slopes:
Go stargazing
Jasper National Park – Dark Sky Preserve
Alberta boasts some of the largest dark sky preserves in the world. Protected from artificial light pollution, Jasper’s vast national park is the perfect place to gaze at the constellations. During the winter months, there’s also a good chance you may witness one of the most breath-taking phenomena in the world: the Northern Lights.
The Jasper Dark Sky Festival is held every autumn. It’s a fantastic celebration of stargazing, hosting informative workshops and events for all ages. Read the rest of this entry »
Ski Holidays 2019 with Ski Independence
Best Ski Holidays in 2019
The 2018/19 winter season is upon us, so what better time to let us plan your 2019 ski holiday?
As the UK’s leading tailor-made ski specialist, our experienced team will take the time to fine-tune every element of your ski holiday, from flights and accommodation to ski schools and restaurant reservations. Choose from hand-picked ski destinations around the world and make 2019 your best year on the slopes yet. We’ve carefully chosen an outstanding mix of world-class ski resorts to appeal to British skiers in:
- France: home to some of the most extensive ski areas in the world, it’s no surprise that France is Europe’s number one ski destination.
- Canada: superb skiing, an enviable snow record, staggering scenery and ski resorts with something for everyone.
- The USA: uncrowded slopes, amazing powder snow, first-class lodging and unparalleled customer service, wherever you ski.
- Switzerland: Switzerland exudes charm and our clients love the laid-back yet refined atmosphere of our featured resorts.
- Austria: excellent hospitality, a warm and friendly welcome, lively après-ski and luxurious spa centres.
- Italy: extensive terrain, good snow records, fabulous food & drink and some of the most stunning scenery in Europe
- Japan: Japan’s outstanding success as a ski destination can be summed up in one simple word – snow. You really have to ski it to believe it!
“The booking of our ski holiday for 2019 was handled very efficiently by the Ski Independence staff and we look forward to our winter break. The staff were very friendly, welcoming and obviously knew their ski centres!” Steven, November 2018.
La Clusaz (image: David Machet)
Featured Ski Destinations for 2019
Ski Alberta; the recipe for a Perfect Ski Holiday
What’s the recipe for the perfect ski holiday? Maybe a sprinkle of snow, a big heap of terrain, a soupcon of sunshine, a pinch of stunning scenery, and a dollop of après-ski? Alberta has all the ingredients to make the skiing equivalent of a Michelin star meal!
Pristine Mount Norquay Powder (photo by Dan Evans)
The Perfect Ski Holiday ingredient #1: Powder
Alberta Road Trip 2015
Jasper, Banff and Lake Louise make an excellent multi-centre holiday that offers so much more than just skiing, with jaw-dropping scenery, wildlife, walks and more – here’s a round-up of my recent trip…
Banff, Alberta Road Trip 2015
Ski Independence go skiing!
On Wednesday we lose 2 members of the Ski Independence team as they pack up their bags and make their way to Utah to lead the Daily Mail Ski and Snowboard Magazine reader trip. Starting in Park City and visiting Deer Valley, Snowbird and Canyons along the way, Annika our Groups Manager and Eve one of our Reservation Consultants, along with Henry Druce and Dave Watts, editors of the magazine and British Ex-Olympic skier Martin Bell, will spend 8 days skiing 6 of Utah’s 14 resorts.
Following on from yesterday’s blog ‘Where do Ski Independence Staff Ski’ below you will find the rest of the team’s ski plans this winter. Read the rest of this entry »
Where do Ski Independence Staff Ski?
Here at Ski Independence we look forward to the end of January as we know that it’s about that time of year when we can look forward to and count down the days until we get on the slopes. There are some lucky team members who have already put in some turns this winter but for many the first are yet to come. Over the next few days we thought we would share with you what our own ski plans are for the rest of the winter, so here’s who’s doing what! Read the rest of this entry »
Marmot Basin gets first big snowfall of the season
Canada’s most elevated ski area, Jasper’s Marmot Basin, received over 10 cm of snow today with considerably more accumulation at higher elevations.
At 1,700 metres, Marmot boasts the highest base elevation of all Canadian ski resorts meaning it often gets large amounts of snow early season. That was exactly the case today, see the image below:
Early Season Snow For Marmot Basin
Last winter Marmot opened on 11th November, its earliest opening date ever, with ideal snow conditions. So far this fall is shaping up to deliver a repeat performance of last year’s early season snowfalls which helped contribute to Marmot’s record setting year for attendance. “I think this snow is here to stay”, predicted an optimistic Brian Rode, Marmot’s VP of Marketing and Sales. “We may still get some warm weather, but given that it’s nearing the end of September, I am quite sure this is the beginning of a very good base layer”, added Rode.
Marmot Basin is once again targeting 11th November as the opening day of the season, only 52 days from today.
