Lake Louise – Ski where bears sleep

“By the way, there are three bears slumbering under this track,” Jason says with a mischievous smile. I have to digest this information first. Who has ever carved over a grizzly bear’s den? Skiing in Canada has one or two pitfalls that we don’t know on the other side of the pond. In the early morning of the same day, I could not have imagined how close I would get to a deeply slumbering grizzly. After two days full of sunshine and fun on the slopes, I leave Sunshine behind and head for my next stage destination – Lake Louise. After five days of slowly getting used to what I think is a huge jeep, I’m getting more courageous. In advance, I was advised to turn onto the picturesque Bow Valley Parkway (1A – former highway) instead of wasting time on the boring highway. No sooner said than done.

The Bow Valley Parkway connects Banff to Lake Louise as a secondary road and parallel axis to the highway and railroad. If you are coming from Sunshine, you can turn onto the Bow Valley Parkway about 30 kilometres north of the junction of Sunshine at the junction with Route 93. Unlike the highway, the parkway is usually snow-covered in winter. The idyllically situated road connects some great photo spots such as the imposing Castle Mountain and the legendary Morant’s Curve (just before Lake Louise). Be sure to stop at Morant’s Curve – unfortunately I was a bit late in time and only spotted the parking lot when I was almost over. The view includes the ensemble of Bow River, snow-capped Rockies, fir forests and the railroad line. With a bit of luck you can even catch one of the passing freight trains, whose signal tone echoes loudly through the whole valley.

Ski area for all-rounders

As a first mission, I receive new skis right after my arrival in Lake Louise. My desolate rental ski did not stand up to the critical gaze of Jason Conell, Director of Sales, and he promptly dragged me to the ski rental station. Well equipped with a chic Blizzard all-mountain ski, five minutes later I’m ready for what is probably Europe’s most famous ski resort in Banff National Park. Lake Louise owes its popularity to the annual World Cup races that take place in a family setting. When the ski circus meets here at the end of November for one of the first big races of the season, guests have the chance to mingle with the stars. My on-site lightning survey on Sunshine versus Lake Louise found that snowboarders prefer Lake Louise because of the generally steeper terrain. The popularity does not seem unfounded. After all, Lake Louise won the World Ski Award for Canada’s best ski resort in 2014.

I start my round trip with the Top of the World Express. After taking a good look at the panorama of Lake Louise on the opposite side with the legendary Chateau and the striking Valley of the Ten Peaks and taking another look at the endless expanse of the backcountry to the north, we make our way to the highest point of the ski resort. If you survive the button lift up to the Summit Platter without falling, you will be prepared for the expert area waiting at the top. Several times I slide dangerously diagonally over a sheet of ice and am glad that I was on skis and not on a snowboard. The blue Boomerang slope leads from the Summit Platter into the so-called Back Bowls area. The slope lives up to its name! A great descent for experienced skiers. Past the Temple Lodge, which forms the original core of the Lake Louise ski area, we curve to the Larch Express. Incidentally, an 11-kilometre-long trail starts at Temple Lodge and leads to Skoki Lodge – a hideaway in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. If you like it more leisurely, you should at least once ski down the Lookout slope from the Larch Express. This is definitely the most beautiful view of Temple Mountain. Last but not least, we make ourselves comfortable in the gondola aka Grizzly Express. Unfortunately, the express then gives up the ghost for a short time and has to be transported upstairs with the emergency power generator after about an hour of standstill. Not a big deal, because finally at the top it is already closing time, but everyone receives a drink voucher for a drink in the Lodge of the Ten Peaks at the valley station and so we toast each other at the end of this successful day with Powder Hound Pilsner – a beer that is produced in the Bow Valley.

In the summer, the Whiskey Jack Lodge and Lodge of the Ten Peaks are popular spots for grizzly bear watching. They like Lake Louise too. The slope, under which three of them have set up their winter camp, is closed earlier in spring. Who wants to run into a clumsy grizzly on skis? I would probably drive into the next tree out of sheer fright.

The ski pass in Lake Louise costs 89 CAD – More information about the ski area can be found here

Gourmet on Canada’s slopes

Another special feature of Lake Louise is that, in addition to the slopes, there is more to culinary delights than just chicken wings, French fries and burgers. In the Whitehorn Bistro, halfway up between the mountain and valley stations of the Grizzly Express, there is also something for the discerning guest. I opt for the soup of the day (10 CAD) and the vegan mushroom risotto (20 CAD). As a short digestive walk, we explore the terrace in front of it with a magnificent panoramic view. On beautiful spring days, one or the other probably stays here after a sumptuous lunch and lets the sun shine on their faces for the rest of the day.

Classics by the lake

If you visit Lake Louise, you can hardly miss a classic. The foundation stone of the legendary Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise was laid in the late 19th century in connection with the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and there are few hotels that can match the unique location of Chateau Lake Louise. After the wooden building fell victim to a fire in 1924, it was replaced by the current complex. As we all know, architecture is debatable. For me, the massive building does not fit into this magnificent landscape. Still, it’s worth the visit, because the view from the Lakeview Lounge is simply “wow”. In addition, the Canadian “national cocktail” Ceasar (and then write to me if you like it) and order a selection of appetizers. The rooms also surprised me positively and the view from the seventh floor of the frozen Lake Louise with Mount Victoria behind it is unbeatable anyway. To be criticized is the incomprehensibly complicated handling of the wifi. Here’s a little trick: you just have to sign up for the President’s Club, then it’s free. For homesick Swiss, the Walliser Stube offers the best fondue outside of Switzerland. At least that’s what they say. I didn’t test it, because just stirring pieces of bread back and forth in the fondue caquelon is moderately fun. Instead, I ordered the rainbow trout from the Bow River. Delicious! The parlour itself is a tribute to the numerous Swiss mountain guides who made sure that all tourists returned safely from their climbing routes in the pioneering days.

This trip was supported by Travel Alberta and Canusa – thank you very much! As always, my readers can be sure that I always represent my views and enthusiasm.