Sussex ski special Canada 2009 - Red Mountain
-Saturday Jan 17th to Sunday Feb 1st 2009

Price £1495  -  Limited to 24 places so be quick!     Booking Form:-

A highlight of our next seasons programme is our first trip to the very special Canadian resort of Red Mountain. Little known in the UK but very highly thought of in North America, and building on the experience of Ben Bailey, who, as a level 3 CSIA qualified ski instructor, has spent 2 seasons skiing, living and teaching there.

I also spent 10 days with him at Red Mountain in Rossland BC, Canada’s oldest ski resort on the site of legendary gold mines that established the region, researching the possible ways we could provide an exciting alternative to all the routine packages already available from tour operators to other parts of Canada.

So, here’s the plan for our unique trip catering for a maximum of 24 people, how Jan and I can operate it, and what it can offer that makes it different!

We have chosen a time that offers the best chance of superb Kootenay Powder Snow by leaving Gatwick on Saturday 17th January 2009, getting back there on Sunday 1st February 2009. Please do bear in mind that nothing guarantees perfect powder snow and the precise detail of our plans and journeys are of course subject to change if the weather dictates. Whatever happens we will get the best out of every situation as it arises. The features of the Kootenay mountains, of which Red is part, and which distinguish it from the rockies and other Canadian mountain areas, is the high snowfall and dry atmosphere that typically account for a high percentage of “powder days” and the relatively mild winter climate probably no colder in January than we experience sometimes on our French Alpine trips.

The direct flight to Calgary takes 8 hours from where we drive in 4 7 seat people carriers to another rapidly developing resort midway to Rossland – Revelstoke - where we will ski on Sunday 18th, with the included lift pass. We will drive for about 4 hours, not too much after the flight, getting there in time for dinner at an outstanding restaurant and a good nights sleep in our hotel before a thrilling days skiing at North Americas newest & biggest resort (for its vertical drop and recorded snowfall). Canadian ski slopes tend to close quite early compared to European ones, so after skiing we will be able to move on to our Rossland chalets arriving in time for a buffet dinner.

These 3 4 bedroomed chalets are at the mountain base of Red rather than in the town of Rossland. Our vehicles will be very useful for getting around, making expeditions yet to be planned and visiting local entertainments and facilities.

Having seen the luxury chalets with their spacious bedrooms, bathrooms and living areas, their hot tubs and stylish décor, the emphasis is definitely on comfort after the adventures of the days on the snow.

Throughout the 10 days here, we will provide substantial breakfasts and 3 course dinners as usual.

“Ski in” makes it easy to get back at lunchtime, or make picnics, the latter especially useful on days when we plan an introduction to off piste touring, Red mountain does possess a really good value mountain restaurant as well as an atmospheric bar at the bottom of the slopes for “apres ski” and live music.

So what can we offer in this amazing area, quite different from the alpine regions with which we are more familiar?

From a surprisingly small number of chairlifts there is a huge network of on and off piste skiing of ALL standards, mostly tree clad and also fairly deserted! There are superbly prepared pistes including steep blacks, gentle blues, as well as open powder fields, endless glades and steep routes down through the trees and yet every run on this conical forested mountain ends on a track which encircles the mountain and leads back to base. The area is used by some of the most outstanding young skiers in Canada for dare devil runs as well as by local families for beginner classes taken from the excellent ski school. Red Resort really does have something for everyone and will bring out the best in you!

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