Jasper

Ski Jasper, Canada

Are you ready for an authentic Rocky Mountain high? It’s never been a better time to catch a ride on the Canadian slopes of Jasper National Park. Over 11,000 square kilometres of mountain wilderness awaits the adventurous soul who dares to do it all.

Jasper is what we call a full-body experience: rubbing elbows with majestic wildlife in the park or the fun human wildlife in town, allowing your jaw to drop over our pristine ice fields and glaciers, and letting your hair dance in the crisp alpine wind as you traverse the glistening peaks of Marmot.

Untamed excitement is yours for the taking as we welcome you to plug into the power of Jasper powder in all its breathless beauty. But the fun doesn’t stop at twenty six hundred vertical meters of skiable terrain, claiming the highest base elevation of all of Canadian ski areas: wander into the town of Jasper to meet our eclectic mix of locals who’ll be happy to share their historical tall tales and their not-so-best-kept secrets of all the unforgettable international cuisine, lively night haunts, quirky shops, quaint inns, luxurious lodges and endless opportunities for adrenaline junkies that makes us so wonderful… by nature.

Jasper Town-tastic

Small town flare meets world-class charm in the town of Jasper. Lodges, log homes and inns, discerning or down-home, you decide. We’ll tuck you in a Canadian cabin or quietly ask if you’d like turndown service in your luxury suite. From our authentic accommodations to the chicest of chalets, we’ll keep you warm and cosy.

The powder and the glory

Better eat the breakfast of champions if you want to ski Marmot Basin. The 2010 freestyle Olympic mogul medalist Jenn Heil started on these slopes and you can retrace her glide to glory. Get your game on with 86 runs that deliver all altitude and no attitude: a mountain of opportunities are split equally between beginner, intermediate and advanced runs, but that’s a no-brainer for the ski destination with the highest elevation in all of Canada. Pound the powder and get lifted to new heights on the Canadian Rockies Express, Alberta’s longest high-speed quad chairlift. Leisure-seeker or prone to mogul madness, Marmot’s got you glowing.

Apres-ski afterglow

Tingling cheeks will tell you it’s time for a little apres ski Jasper style. Indulge in a hot stone massage. Go for gastronomic gold at Fairmont’s Edith Cavell Dining Room or hit the Jasper Brewing Company, where you can sink your teeth into a bison burger and wash it down with a little locally brewed Canadian beer, eh. Catch a headline act at AthaB nightclub, the loudest place in town – where you can get your groove on or strategize a little extended après action after new friends share their latest discoveries: they’ll tell you heaven is just a helicopter away, didn’t you know?

Heli-snowshoeing will make you the modern explorer by air and snow, taking in majestic trails that lead to the historic Hargreaves alpine cabin to warm the tootsies and sip hot cocoa. Don’t forget to say mush! to the Moonshiners of Whiskey Creek – they’ll take you on a dog-sledding expedition complete with a hearty campfire that includes hot apple cider and plenty of panting companions.

A romantic horse-drawn sleigh ride around the ice-covered Lac Beauvert may be your speed, or you might want to make your list of must-sees: Athabasca Falls’ dazzling sheets of ice suspended from jagged rock, Mother Nature’s sculptures crafted from the Sunwapta River or the spectacular Maligne Canyon’s six-bridge wonder with its limestone walls and icefalls towering overhead a 50 metre plunge.

Ok, that’s a lot of afterglow, but don’t worry – it’ll go hand in hand with the new twinkle in your eye.

What’s new at Jasper Marmot Basin

The new Paradise high-speed quad chairlift services the upper area of the mountain. Stretching 4,604 ft (1,403m) over the Paradise face, this chairlift has a vertical rise of 1,331 ft (406m) with a ride time of only 4.6 minutes. The base of the new lift is located in the lower area at the intersection of “Old Road” and “Roll Out” and the top terminal is located at the existing location of the Paradise triple chair.

The Paradise triple chairlift has been refurbished, relocated and renamed; the new Schoolhouse triple chairlift in the lower area of the mountain replaced the School House T-Bar and is a tremendous improvement to the learning area. It services Marmot’s best novice terrain and is ideal for those learning how to ski or snowboard for the first time.

Getting there

Fly direct to Edmonton or Calgary and you can almost taste your Rocky Mountain adventure around the corner. Getting to Jasper is all part of the fun with a myriad of majestic mountain skylines, ancient glaciers, sweeping valleys, tumbling waterfalls and brilliant turquoise lakes?

Don’t want to miss a thing? Daily door-to-door luxury shuttle service may suit. Better yet, taste a modernized piece of the past and ride the rails: enjoy spectacular views from the domed car of VIA Rail’s Snow Train. Prefer to be at the wheel? Take the stunning drive through the Icefield Parkway, made famous by international travellers who deemed the painting-perfect passage one of the ten most beautiful drives in the world.

Sponsor: Tourism Jasper

This advertorial feature is sponsored by Tourism Jasper, PO Box 568, Jasper, AB, T0E 1E0, Canada
Tel: +1 (0) 780-852-6236, Web: www.jasper.travel