Red Mountain
Red Mountain Resort is one of the oldest Canadian ski resorts. Most skiers and snowboarders have heard of it, but in some respects it is still an undiscovered ski destination. When overseas visitors think of skiing in Canada, they consider the bustling
Whistler or
Banff, and consequently miss out on the charming experience of Red Mountain. Red Mountain resort is traditionally friendly, and it finds the right balance between having adequate infrastructure and facilities, without being overdeveloped. It has a classic ski town feel without being too “resortified”.
Red Mountain is located in the Powder Triangle of BC, Canada, in the heart of cat and heli-skiing territory. The West Kootenay region is renowned for great terrain and an abundance of quality powder. Red Mountain skiers can enjoy the benefits of the area for the price of a lift ticket, or can combine
resort skiing with a spot of cat skiing with a nearby operator such as
Big Red Cats. Red Mountain is about 3 kilometres from Rossland, which is just inside the Canadian border. It’s about a 2.5 hour drive from Spokane International Airport (Washington State, USA), 3.5 hours from Kelowna International Airport, or just 30 minutes from Castlegar regional airport.
The resort is compact but it packs a lot into the 683 hectares and 880 metres of vertical. There is new beginner terrain and plenty of intermediate cruisers, but the main bias of the resort is towards advanced riders and powderhounds. There are lots of steeps, open powder areas, and challenging tree skiing. The two mountains within the resort (Red Mountain and Granite Mountain) are serviced by six lifts, and mid-week you will pretty much have the lifts and terrain to yourself. In addition to the in-bounds terrain, there are also stacks of easily accessed backcountry runs.
Red Mountain Resort offers a great value for money ski holiday. There are services and facilities available on-mountain, and a variety of well-priced accommodation options, some of which are ski-in ski-out. The other alternative is to stay in the old gold-mining town of Rossland (a few kms away) which has a festive culture. There are no traffic lights or Prada shops, and albeit small with a population of less than 4,000 people, there are ample shops, restaurants and bars to keep you entertained.
The Powderhounds are visiting Red Mountain Resort and Rossland in early 2009 and plan to paint the town “red”. Like no one has ever said that before?!