The fun of a Jasper holiday doesn’t end with the first snowfall. In a region renowned for breathtaking mountain terrain and world-class alpine skiing, Marmot holds a special place – 3,000 vertical feet of superb skiing and snowboarding spread over 1,675 glorious acres only 20 minutes from the town of Jasper.
Ski & snowboard at Marmot Basin, Jasper
After only a few runs, we started to appreciate Marmot’s mellow, uncrowded, unpretentious vibe – just one of the reasons that so many skiers and boarders who come once end up as locals. It just feels real here, from the down to earth and friendly folks we met on the mountain to the pure wilderness setting we love so much. And with the longest and fastest high speed quad chair in the Canadian Rockies, we had lots of room and plenty of time on the slopes.
Variety is also a big draw at Marmot. Eighty six marked trails offer a superb range of terrain. We would warm up each day on long, gentle, winding novice runs, then switch to steep, high alpine bowls and chutes in the afternoon, along with some glade skiing through verdant pine forests. The ski and snowboard runs are split evenly between easy, intermediate and advanced, making this an ideal destination for all ability levels. And Marmot is easy to get around, which allowed us the freedom to explore more of the mountain and discover our favourite runs at our own pace.
Amazing snow. Genuinely friendly locals. The opportunity to ski tons of vertical in a single day. Plenty of beginner and intermediate terrain, which let both of us comfortably work on our technique. And some of the most thrilling double diamond runs either of us had ever tackled. Does it get any better than that?
In fact, it does. Since winter is Jasper’s offseason, we got some amazing deals on accommodation, meals and après ski activities. All in an unspoiled, pristine destination in the middle of a magnificent Rocky Mountain wilderness that never goes out of season.
Last but not least: The Canadian Rockies Express High Speed Quad Chairlift
The Canadian Rockies Express High Speed Quad Chairlift has greatly changed the way guests ski and ride Marmot Basin. In just 8 minutes the lift carries 2,400 passengers per hour up the mountain. The views from the top of Paradise are breathtaking and the terrain is accommodating to all abilities and ages. This is the longest high speed chairlift in the Canadian Rockies and the biggest chairlift development in North America for the 2009-2010 season.
For more, check out www.skimarmot.com, www.jasper.travel, or www.travelalberta.com.