Canada vs Europe for SNOW- Canada hands down

freezywater wrote:yes but the reason you can go to Scarborough for 700 quid less than Mauritius is because Scarborough is a darn sight closer :?:

I'm sure there are more reasons than that.

powder wrote:

freezywater wrote:yes but the reason you can go to Scarborough for 700 quid less than Mauritius is because Scarborough is a darn sight closer :?:

I'm sure there are more reasons than that.

you've obviously never stayed in one of the legendary Scarborough beach huts :lol:

RoseR wrote:But having said all that I would love to go to Canada, may-be one day.

agreed, but it would have to be for 2 weeks due to the length of time it takes to get there and I don't think my legs/knees would hold up for 2 weeks skiing on the trot :oops:

Interesting discussion but one from which we can draw no firm conclusions.

'Better' snow in Canada?

In early March 2006, I was water-ski-ing in Fernie on slush as trail after trail closed as the fortnight wore on.

In La Plagne late March last year, we were ski-ing in deep powder on piste!

That's just the luck of the draw, not any definitive conclusion and only proves that you can't make sweeping generalisations.

For the record I like the customer service and standard of hotels etc in N America and Canada. But with some significant exceptions, the ski-ing is underdeveloped compared with Europe (Fernie being a classic example of a mountain with so much untapped potential hampered by slow, archaic lifts.)

My only conclusion is I like Europe for good reasons and Canada for different good reasons!

If given the choice i would pick many resorts in canada/USA over probably almost every european resort! I like the fact they speak the same language as us, it just makes it so much easier to get along, but that could just be me being lazy! :lol: :roll: I also like the fact its almost guaranteed snow over there! It was strange going from my first ever ski holiday in Winter Park with great snow and a couple of powder days to La Plagne to weeks later where i meet something i'd never skied before... ICE! :twisted: :twisted:

Having said that if i was offered a free holiday to most ski resorts europe of canada i certainly wouldn't turn it down! :mrgreen:

It is not ice unless it is blue and you could skate on it. Also snow is not guaranteed in US/Canada-Whistler had a pretty horrific in 05 or 06 I don't remember when a lot of Europe was enjoying awesome conditions. As for quality of snow it is all about water content, snow in N/A is generally a lot drier and lighter than in Yoorup. Ie. Lower water content

As said above by many people I dont think there is anything to be gained by making a general comparison. There are just so many variables like .. when, where etc.

I worked in the Alps for 12 winters and then 2 winters in Banff. There were weeks in Banff when I wished I was in Europe and vice versa.

Best days powder skiing I ever had was in a tiny resort called Fortress in Alberta, but that was down to the conditions on that one day. I wouldnt recommend it to anyone unless you could guarantee the same conditions that we had on that day.

IMHO the service is generally better in N. Amerca, the vertical drop isnt, etc etc.

There are less places where you can ski in / ski out in N. Amerca but you get better hotels for your money (imho) :D

Put it this way, they are both a whole lot better than where I am now :mrgreen:

Oops, getting off topic (as usual), in terms of snow, well, it still depends on when and where. And the when and where dont matter until the when is now and the where is here :wink:

Neil

I have a horrible feeling that Fortress has been closed down!

Certainly, that was what I was told when last out there.

Going to do some googling to check!