Powder Highway: Kootenay Rockies
Ski some of the best powder resorts along BC’s Powder Highway
Experience the quiet side of BC…
BC’s powder highway is famous for deep, light powder, hidden gem ski resorts and a lack of lift lines. If touring around these resorts, hunting for powder, meeting the friendly locals and discovering a path-less-travelled sounds up your street, then this might be the adventure for you.
This 10 day powder fueled adventure includes 3 stops along the powder highway (although we can customise to suit your itinerary). Stay at unique and cosy boutique hotels and lodges, meet the friendly locals and ski some of the best powder in the world. Included is a day of cat-skiing and a day of heli-skiing.
Flying into Vancouver on the West Coast, you will take a short connecting flight to Castlegar and begin your trip from there by car. Starting at RED mountain, and stopping at Whitewater and Revelstoke on the way. You will depart from either Vancouver or Calgary airport.
This trip is designed for advanced intermediate skiers and above. You must be comfortable skiing powder for 4+ days, and some level of powder experience is ideal. Bring a sense of adventure and don't forget to do your squats before this one!
This trip can take place between December and April each year, when BC's powder is at its best. It is recommended to book at least 12 months in advance, especially if you're looking to book for February-April.
Days 1-4
Arriving into Vancouver International Airport, you will either spend the night at the airport before connecting the following day, or fly straight to Castlegar where you will pick up your rental car (or go full Canadian and rent a pick up truck!). A quick 35 minute drive will take you on a beautiful drive down to your destination of Rossland, and its incredible ski hill, RED Mountain. Stay at The Josie hotel for 4 nights, our absolute favorite place to stay in the area, located right at the base of the mountain, steps from the lift and the best place in town to grab an après beer (and a delectable dinner!). If you fancy spending a night ON the mountain, then spend a night at the epic Constella Cabins, brand new this year and the most ski-in, ski-out accommodation you’ll ever stay in!
Warm up your legs and discover the deceivingly big ski area of RED on day 1 – with powder stashes aplenty. On day 2 we recommend taking out a local ski guide to show you the best secret locals’ spots on the mountain, or to take you into the incredible surrounding backcountry. On your final day in RED, you will head out cat-skiing in some of the best cat-skiing terrain out there. There is even an “uber-expert” program for those of you who are worried that regular cat-skiing guests won’t be able to keep up. For the rest of us, “regular” deep powder cat-skiing is an incredible Canadian experience, not to be missed.
DAYs 5-6
Wake up early and drive the short and scenic route up to Nelson, an eclectic town, full of stunning heritage buildings, surrounded by mountains and full of larger-than-life characters. Spend 2 days skiing the immense, small-town resort of Whitewater – you’ll see pro-skiers, old school hippies and long time locals skiing in denim jackets, it doesn’t get much more BC than this! Spend a day exploring and finish off with a walk around the town and a visit to one of the incredible breweries in the town of Nelson. Coffeeshops, antique stores, ski stores and more await in this quirky town. On your second day, take a guide out to explore the backcountry zones (you’ve probably seen them in some of the more recent ski movies) and ski powder even deeper than you’ll find in the resort. Time for a final craft beer and then to bed before setting of early to your next stop.
Days 7-10
After an action packed couple of days in Nelson and Whitewater its time to head up to the crown jewel of the BC interior – Revelstoke. An old railroad town, with only 2 chair lifts and a gondola, you might be fooled into thinking Revelstoke is a tiny resort, but you couldn’t be further from the truth. The resort itself has terrain for any budding powder hound, from glades, to bowls, to steep chutes and everything in between. With some of the highest snowfall in BC and incredible backcountry access looping back into the resort, Revelstoke has become a powder skiing mecca in its own right – add short lift lines and a small, but bustling downtown and you’re onto a winner. Ski for 2 days in the resort before capping off your trip with arguably Revelstoke’s best quality – it’s world class heli-skiing. You’ll take off from just outside the downtown area and ski some of the deepest powder skiing on the planet – a total indulgence but an absolute must when you are in this part of the world.
PRICING
Starting at CAD$5,500 per person plus 5% GST (price based on 2 people sharing)
Pricing is dependent on group numbers and dates. Please enquire for a personal proposal.
Inclusions:
- 4 nights at The Josie Hotel, RED Mountain Resort
- 2 nights at Hume Hotel, Nelson
- 4 nights at Arrows Edge Lodge, Revelstoke
- 1 day of private guiding at RED Mountain
- 1 day of private guiding at Whitewater Resort
- 1 day of private guiding at Revelstoke
- 1 day of guided cat-skiing at RED Mountain Resort
- 1 day of guided heli-skiing in Revelstoke
- Lift passes for 5 days
- Avalanche safety equipment whilst heli-skiing/cat-skiing
Exclusions:
- Alcoholic beverages
- Car rental and fuel
- Massage therapy
- Meals (except lunch on heli-ski and cat-ski days)
- Ski/snowboard rental (these can be arranged)
If you are looking to book a ski trip around the powder highway or have any questions regarding this featured itinerary, please reach out to one of our BC-based ski specialists. As with all our sample itineraries, all elements can be tweaked and changed to suit your group’s exact requirements.
Make it yours
If you can’t make our hosted date, as with all of our adventures, we can customize this experience to fit your vision of a dream trip. Whether you want to bring a crew of 20, spend more days heli-skiing or add on a backcountry day (or 3), we love getting creative so just let us know and we’ll make it happen.
