Experts started carving the steep eastern slopes of Mount Norquay twenty years before the first lift was installed in 1948, and the ski area has kept its reputation as an advanced mountain ever since.

And this is despite the addition of many acres of groomed intermediate cruising terrain and its marketing as “Banff’s family mountain”.

Here you’ll find challenging moguls and oft-icy conditions, but at least Norquay’s many trees help break up the kinds of harsh winds that close lifts in Banff Sunshine or Lake Louise (resort) (multiday tickets cover all three areas: skibig3.com). Norquay’s handy location near Banff and its short lift lines also make it the perfect choice when you don’t have time for more than a few laps – and there’s night skiing on Wed & Fri (5pm–10pm) too. An additional attraction is snow tubing.

At a glance