Snowboarding: Rocking Whistler or Laidback Lake Louise?

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Snowboarding: Rocking Whistler or Laidback Lake Louise?

Snowboarding: Rocking Whistler or Laidback Lake Louise?
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The two rivals are head to head when it comes to which you’ll choose when snowboarding in Alberta. That said, each has its own pros and cons. In an ideal world you‘ll have the time to try both, but if not here’s a look at the two to help you decide.

Snowboarding Whistler

Twice the size of Lake Louise and an altogether different prospect. Often rated as the top resort in North America, Whistler is buzzing with energy and definitely has that big mountain resort feel.

Expect twice as much powder in Whistler and up to 50,000 visitors in peak season. The life and energy transcends the slopes and goes on long into the night in the resort’s bars.

Stats for Whistler really tell the story: 37 lifts, more than 8000 acres of terrain, 5 terrain parks and superpipe and boardercross tracks. Difficulty split is Easy (20%), Intermediate (55%) and Advanced (25%) but considering the size of the resort, you’ll never get to ride it all.

Snowboarding Lake Louise

Famous for its famously light and dry powder, Lake Louise is still vast, spread over 4 mountain faces. The high speed quad will get you to the Top of the World in less then 10 minutes and from here the Back Bowls and tree-lined powder runs. To make the most of the smaller resort look for the Tri- Area Lift Ticket and spread out to Sunshine Village and Mt. Norquay.

At Lake Louise you get a better sense of being in touch with the Rockies: it’s less commercial, much more like riding your own wilderness. And if you want more evening activity there’s always Banff, just 45 minutes away.

The ride area tops 4200 acres/ 100km, there are 113 pistes, split Easy (25%), Intermediate (45%) and Advanced (30%).

Choosing between the two is really down to you: if you’re a socialite who enjoys the wilder side and the après you’ll always choose Whistler over a Lake Louise snowboarding holiday. And if you’d rather the peace and quiet of an evening by the lake, it has to be Lake Louise.