Lake Louise, located in Canada’s Banff National Park, is expanding its terrain by 480 acres and adding a new quad chair. The terrain expansion will be located in the West Bowl and consist of high alpine advanced terrain with a side country feel. The only groomed trail will be a new ski-out run that will lead to the front side of the mountain.
The expansion will also include a new Doppelmayr fixed-grip quad that will be replacing the old Summit Platter.
More info from Lake Louise:
It has been 25 years since snow enthusiasts visiting Banff National Park have seen new inbounds terrain open in this mountain paradise, marking a new era for the Lake Louise Ski Resort. This coming season, skiers and snowboarders can explore a new part of the Canadian Rockies with the opening of West Bowl, which boosts Lake Louise’s existing stature for impressive terrain. This powder playground will open up 480 acres of new skiable terrain, making this season, and Canada’s Natural Playground, that much better. Accessed from the Summit Chair, also brand new this season, you can look forward to open powder bowls, laps of endless gladed ski areas, steep trees, tasty powder pockets and, of course, the Rockies’ famous champagne powder.
West Bowl is a vast area, comparable to the size of 240 Canadian football fields, and is capped by the summit of Whitehorn Mountain, on the front face of the resort. It offers breathtaking views of the majestic Canadian Rockies, overlooking the Bow Valley and the scenic backdrop of Lake Louise and Victoria Glacier. Located west of the ski resort’s base, this new area of wilderness ski and snowboard terrain will carry-on the reputation of Lake Louise’s back bowls, but in this case on the front side. To facilitate this grand opening, a two-kilometre long ski-out has been constructed from the bottom of the various chutes, gullies and bowls comprising West Bowl, to the junction of Men’s Downhill and Juniper Jungle. A new quad chairlift is also being installed, which starts from the saddle below the top station of the Top of the World chairlift. In just four minutes, the new Summit Chair will whisk skiers and riders up the ridge of Whitehorn Mountain, giving easy access to the new West Bowl terrain as well as the back bowls, and the existing runs previously accessed by the Summit Platter.
The natural landscape of West Bowl lends itself well to some of the best advanced-intermediate through expert terrain in Banff National Park. Many would consider the newly opened terrain as “side-country,” with naturally gladed ski routes giving endless options of fall lines. Sections of West Bowl are divided into zones, with no precise runs, letting skiers and snowboarders chart their course and explore the bowl and newly gladed terrain in their own way. This authentic wilderness skiing and snowboarding experience is enhanced with natural snow conditions and no machine grooming. However, since West Bowl is now in-bounds terrain, this allows us to provide snow control, avalanche safety and ski patrol services. This is wilderness skiing at its best, and areas will open in stages throughout the season as Mother Nature allows. Skiers and boarders are advised to carry avalanche safety gear and know how to use it.
We’re incredibly excited about the upcoming season and can’t wait to share this new part of the mountain with you all. See you on the slopes!