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Skiing in Kicking Horse
Kicking Horse, a remote ski resort situated in the Golden Valley region of the Rockies in British Columbia, offers advanced skiers a fantastic chance to experience terrain once only accessible to heli-skiers. This vast wilderness, still a firm favourite with heli-skiers, is surrounded by six National Parks and has a population of just 8,500. Kicking Horse first opened its’ doors in 2000, and was the first new Alpine ski resort to open in the Canadian Rockies in 25 years. Now a major development plan is afoot to turn Kicking Horse into one of the largest ski resorts in North America, and by 2010 the resort will be home to a skiable acreage of over 4.000 acres, offering 3,000 beds in addition to extensive shops, bars and restaurants.
Skiing in Kicking Horse – The Slopes
Kicking Horse is a resort for advanced and expert skiers, with 60% of the 100 runs allocated to them. The terrain is steep and there is a danger of avalanches here. The northeastern slopes retain excellent powder and all visitors can take advantage of the Ski Tours available to both navigate the runs and admire the beautiful scenery. For less competent skiers, the area at the top of the Catamount chair has some gentle runs, and more confident beginners can tackle the longest run in Kicking Horse, the 10km It’s a Ten, which is accessible from the top of the Golden Eagle Express Gondola. This lift takes skiers to the highest peak of Kicking Horse, 2,450m and the second highest vertical drop in Canada, 1,260m. Crystal Bowl and Bowl Over, found at the top of the gondola, offer classic steep chutes and tight trees, and there are plenty of thrilling double-black diamond trails throughout the resort. Deep powder heli-skiing is still offered at Kicking Horse, and tours exploring the back country are available.
Skiing in Kicking Horse – The Après-ski
There are some friendly bars both at the base and at the nearest town, Golden, such as The Day Lodge, Corks and the Scottish pub in the Highlands Lodge. The Golden Eagle Express takes skiers up to the highest mountain top restaurant in Canada, the Eagle Eye, offering gourmet food and wine in a spectacular setting, and there are some interesting contemporary restaurants as well as cosy bistros in the area. Nightlife centres on dancing in the bars, such as The Lodge or Packers or playing pool. Other activities to enjoy whilst skiing in Kicking Horse are cross-country skiing and ice-climbing. The national parks are definitely worth a visit to photograph the scenery and wildlife, and half-way up the mountain is the worlds’ largest grizzly bear refuge.
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