Ski Holidays in Jasper, Canada

Snow report issued:	2nd Feb 12
Last snowed:	30th Jan 12
Fresh snow depth:	4cm
Depth at resort:	134cm
Mountain depth:	134cm
Piste state:
Excellent (Great skiing thanks to the recent snowfalls)
Weather report:
Overcast skies
Temperature:	-4°C
Open lifts:	9 of 9

View Jasper snow history

Slope Direction	NE SE
Very Easy Runs	0
Easy Runs	13
Medium Runs	18
Difficult Runs	53
Toughest Run Name	Charlie's Bowl, #50, 0.5km
Skiable Vertical	914m
Number Of Lifts	10
Top Lift Height	2601m
Night Skiing	N
Snowboarding Parks	1
Half Pipes	0
Swimming Pools	4
Night Clubs	2
Mountain Restaurants	4

Edmonton:	3 hours and 30 minutes
Calgary:	4 hours

The ski school offers its Discover package which has been specifically designed for first timers to learn the basics of skiing. It covers the basic skills required to get you sliding on your own for the rest of the day. This package includes a two hour lesson with an experienced teacher, a full day beginner lift ticket (including the easy to use magic carpet conveyor lift and the more challenging t-bar lift) and a full day of rental equipment. Follow on packages are available as your ability improves.

Intermediates will find ski runs which vary between long cruisers to gentle, winding runs. Trails in the lower area are cut through woodland and there are high alpine open bowls in the upper area above. Snow conditions are normally excellent with abundant light powder keeping the slopes in prime condition from late November to mid-May. Popular areas include The Chalet Slope which has gladed (lightly forested) terrain. The Eagle East area is one of the most remote in the resort, giving a sense of isolation and excitement, with treed trails lower down; high alpine, open bowls and chutes in the upper area.

Advanced skiers have plenty to entertain at Marmot Basin where they have the largest percentage of terrain suited just to them - some 40 per cent (half graded advanced, half expert). You will find steep, high alpine bowls and chutes and glade skiing through the local pine forests. The area is famous for its light powder which makes for superb off piste skiing through the trees and in the high alpine bowls off the Knob Chair. Charlies Bowl and Dupres Chutes are two of the areas most favoured by local powder hounds. The former is only 200m long but drops away at a 50% pitch.

Marmot's Rogers Terrain Park is located just beneath Basin Run. The park features a variety of table tops, rails and boxes from small to large. The ski school offers various terrain park programs that can help participants master their freestyle technique. These begin with the introductory Terrain Park Skills course. Topics in this program cover terrain park safety and etiquette, introduction to rails, boxes, straight airs, grabs, spins, switch riding and all mountain freestyle. Progressively more advanced classes are also available. Helmets are mandatory.

There is a large range of outdoor experiences to try when you're staying in Jasper, if you'd like some time away from the slopes. Dog sledding, snowmobiling, eco tours, cross country skiing, national park guided tours, heli-sight-seeing tours, snowshoeing, ice climbing and sleigh rides are all available. You can also tour the deepest canyon in Jasper National Park where you will actually walk on the frozen floor of the canyon and, for an unusual twist, you can take the tour at night. The full day Columbia Icefields Tours takes you to the 325 square kilometres of snow and ice that feed eight major glaciers. Its melt water forms streams and rivers that pour into the Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific Oceans. A guided tour of the area will be a full day of fun and great adventure.

In Jasper there are several museums. The Den, Jasper's Wildlife Museum, is home to over 100 specimens of wildlife in their natural settings. The Jasper Yellowhead Museum and Archives has an historical gallery displaying the human and natural history of Jasper. The museum also features an art gallery and children's discovery area.

Marmot Basin has several good restaurants and cafes on site. The Caribou Chalet, located at the base of the ski area, serves classic Rocky Mountain cuisine. The chalet's lounge, providing magnificent views of the Athabasca Valley and the surrounding mountain peaks, is a favourite spot for an après ski drink. There are around 50 bars and restaurants in Jasper itself, which has a long-standing reputation for good food and once calculated it had more chefs per capita than any other town in Canada! Many of the establishments are worthy of a visit for their cool names alone! Check out The Soft Rock Café, Black Sheep, Utopia and Evil Daves. The establishments offer a wide range of dining; besides local favourites there are a number of Greek, Italian and Asian specialists.

The Little Rascals Nursery accepts children between 19 months and six years of age. Due to its popularity and limited space, booking at least a week in advance is recommended, particularly during holiday and weekend periods. Parents are welcome to send their child's own peanut-free packed lunch, although a cafeteria lunch is available at a supplement. Ski lessons are available from age four or five with the Marmot Mites Lesson Program. These consist of a one hour group lesson with a qualified teacher in the morning and for skiing only. Packages with lessons only or inclusive of equipment rental are available.

Marmot Basin offers their own exclusive discount card designed specifically for families. The Family Card enables you to receive savings on most Marmot Basin products including lift tickets, ski school, equipment rentals, nursery and food, so may well be worth looking in to depending on what you have already purchased in advance, and how much your family is likely to spend on items discounted by the card.