Fernie - Slope

The season runs from mid-December to mid-April.

Skiing is spread out across five bowls, which often contain the deepest snow in the Canadian Rockies – on average over 12m (37 ft) in total each winter. Most beginner runs are on the lower half of the mountain and are wide and well groomed.

On the frequent powder days, Fernie's bowls open up an array of opportunities for intermediates and above, with widely spaced trees to weave through. There are only a few groomed runs from the top however, so, unless you're a fan of moguls, skiing becomes more limited when conditions are icy or hard-packed.

For experts, there's no shortage of gnarly steeps and chutes spilling off the ridges separating the bowls.

Any snowboarder or freestyle skier can ride the Rail Park under the Bear Chair as the park features three lines for all abilities. There’s also a new ski cross course.

There are a couple of high-speed chairlifts, but travel on slower lifts is necessary to reach much of the terrain.

Fernie Winter Sports School offers private and group skiing and snowboarding lessons. There are also several specialist camps. Equipment hire is available at the base.