Panorama 2001

4000 feet above the valley at the top of the world

As with most of the resorts in this area, lift queues are virtually non-existent. In fact one day I rode the whole of the mountain, an impressive 4000 feet of vert, without seeing anyone else at all. While this is exciting I wouldn't relish the prospect of being injured, because I'd imagine you'd be lying on the ground for quite a while before anyone found you. There's terrain to suit everyone, although most of the real steep stuff was closed and I'd challenge anyone to do the whole mountain in one go without stopping halfway down with their legs screaming in agony. Night skiing is available one night a week for those of you who've still got any strength left in your legs.

Halfway down the originally named "Tree Time"

My Dad shortly before the accident that put him out for nearly a week

The lift system is basically a big upside down "Y" shape with chairlifts at the bottom and 2 T-bars at the top serving the more advanced terrain. The 2 chairs that lift off the base of the hill are both good quality fast quads, however the middle chair is quite slow. The 2 T-Bars are actually OK, because they're never that busy and are quite short.
Backcountry opportunities from the lifts are limited and as far as I could tell all the terrain that's accessible from the lifts is part of the patrolled area. However if its untracked powder that you're after, then look no further than R.K. Heli, located at one end of the village, who run day trips into the Purcell Mountains. It'd be criminal to visit Panorama and not go heliboarding at least once so that's just what I did. Click here to read all about it. For details of our Fernie trip, click here.