First time
Your first ski day from Calgary
Which hill first, what to rent, what to wear and what it costs.
Which hill first
- WinSport in the city is 15 minutes from downtown and built for first days.
- Nakiska is about an hour away with long, gentle runs.
- Lake Louise has green runs from the top, when you are ready for the big drive.
What to rent
- Rent skis or a board, boots, poles and a helmet. Do not buy before your third day.
- Rent in the city the night before, or at the hill in the morning.
What to wear
- A base layer, a warm middle layer and a waterproof jacket and pants.
- One pair of ski socks, never two. Mitts beat gloves on cold days.
- Goggles and sunscreen, even when it is grey.
What it costs
- A lesson package with a lift ticket and rentals is the cheapest good first day.
- Add a Parks Canada pass for Banff, Lake Louise and Norquay.
- Check every price on the hill’s own page. We never list scraped lift prices.
On the day
- Check the official snow report and the road report before you leave.
- Take a lesson. It is the fastest way to enjoy the day.
- Stop when your legs say so. The last run is the one people regret.
Around the network
- Getting aroundGet to Chinook station for the Lake Louise Ski Bus, on calgarylrt.com.
- calgaryhiking.comWhen the snow melts. Trails, passes and conditions from a Calgary driveway.
- calgarymenu.comAprès-ski on the way back into town, from wings to ramen.
- calgaryolympics.comThe 1988 story behind WinSport, Nakiska and the Canmore Nordic Centre.
- calgarykids.comFirst lessons and family days for Calgary kids.
The Calgary Newsletter · Friday mornings at calgarynewsletter.com