Lake Louise Ski Resort

Lake Louise Ski Resort
Lake Louise Ski Resort
	Lake Louise in 2004
	Lake Louise Ski Resort Location in Canada Lake Louise Ski Resort Location in Alberta
Location	Lake Louise, Alberta,; Canada
Nearest major city	Banff, Alberta; Calgary, Alberta
Coordinates	51°26′31″N 116°09′38″W / 51.44194°N 116.16056°W
Vertical	991 m (3,250 ft)
Top elevation	2,637 m (8,650 ft)
Base elevation	1,646 m (5,400 ft)
Skiable area	17 km2 (6.6 sq mi)
Trails	145
Longest run	8 km (5 mi)
Lift system	8 lifts:; - 2 surface lifts; - 1 triple; - 1 fixed-grip quad; - 4 high-speed lifts; - 1 six-passenger gondola
Lift capacity	more than 14,000 skiers/hr
Terrain parks	4
Snowfall	454 cm (180 in) per year
Website	skilouise.com

The Lake Louise Ski Resort & Summer Gondola is a ski resort in western Canada, located in Banff National Park near the village of Lake Louise, Alberta. Located 57 km (35 mi) west of Banff, Lake Louise is one of three major^[a] ski resorts within Banff National Park.^[3]

The resort is situated on the southern slopes of the Slate Range, with most of its skiable terrain on the slopes of Whitehorn Mountain, with additional skiable terrain to the east on the lower western slope of Lipalian Mountain. The overall ski area is between the heights of Mount Richardson, Ptarmigan Peak, Pika Peak and Redoubt Mountain, all around 3,000 m (10,000 ft) above sea level. The base of the slopes is defined by Pipestone River, a tributary of the Bow River, immediately north of the intersections between Highway 1A (Bow Valley Trail), Highway 1 (Trans-Canada Highway), and Highway 93 (Icefields Parkway).

History

Lake Louise has been a home to skiing since the 1920s, as the gateway to the Skoki Ski Lodge. The first lift was constructed in 1954, and a poma was added in 1960.^[4]^[5]^[6]

Until autumn 2008, the ski resort was owned and operated by the Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR) company. In 2008, Charlie Locke, a former owner of the ski area (1981-2003),^[7] exercised a buy-back option to reacquire Lake Louise from RCR to return as the ski resort's owner, president and operator.^[8]

Events

The Lake Louise Ski Resort is the first stop on the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup circuit, and the only place in Canada where this event is held.^[9] The event, also known as the Lake Louise Winterstart World Cup, is described by Alpine Canada as "Canada's highest-profile alpine ski race",^[10] and attracts high-profile downhill skiers from around the globe - such as four-time World Cup champion, Lindsey Vonn.^[11] The races began at the resort in 1980 and ran consecutively from 1993 to 2020. The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic caused the 2020 races to be cancelled.^[12] The race is one of the select few that holds both the men's and ladies' speed events on the World Cup circuit and plays host to the first World Cup downhill and super-G races of the season.^[13]

The Lake Louise Ski Resort hosted its first FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup in December 2013.^[14]^[15]

The resort also hosts Shake The Lake: a freestyle and live music event held at the end of the snow season.^[16]

Facilities

Lake Louise Grizzly Express and Lodges, March 2017.

The 145 marked ski runs and back bowls on four mountain faces are 25% beginner, 45% intermediate and 30% advanced.^[2] The 'Terrain Park' is also designed for riders of all levels. Four full service day lodges are operational during winter. Snowboarders have access to all trails and the terrain park.

The Lake Louise sightseeing gondola is open year-round, offering panoramas of glaciers, natural springs, wildflowers and possibly wildlife (such as grizzly bears). Other activities in the resort area include dog sledding, ice skating, and cross-country skiing.

Trails

View on the trails and on the mountains, March 2018.

Easier	Intermediate	Advanced	Difficult (Double Black) ♦♦
17	25	54	43

Lifts

Lake Louise has 8 lifts, and 2 magic carpets.^[17]

Name	Type	Manufacturer	Built	Vertical (metres)	Length (metres)	Ride Time (minutes)	Notes
Grizzly Express Gondola	Gondola 6	Poma	2004	736	2918	12	Relocated from Squaw Valley, California.
Top of the World	High speed six pack	Leitner-Poma	2002	411	1344	5
Upper Juniper Express	High speed six pack	Doppelmayr	2024				Bubbles
Larch Express	High speed quad	Leitner	1998	375	1463	6
Glacier Express	High speed quad	Leitner	2000	442	1822	7
Juniper Express	High speed quad	Doppelmayr	2021	-	1089	3.6
Ptarmigan	Fixed grip quad	Leitner-Poma	2008	412	1021	7.2
Summit	Fixed grip quad	Doppelmayr	2020	-	-	3.3	Replaced a single person platter in 2020.
Paradise	Triple	Yan Lift	1982	394	1100	7.5