Ski area Fernie

Fernie Alpine Resort is nestled in the shadow of two mountain peaks, the Grizzly and the Polar. It is located on BC’s so-called “Powder Highway” and boasts an average yearly snowfall of 10 metres. The ski area offers a nice balance of beginner, intermediate and expert pistes spread over five bowls, with a dedicated beginner-friendly area.

Fernie is famous for its steep skiing on ungroomed pistes, and the local ski school is a good place to brush up on your steep ’n deep skills. One downside is that many pistes are awkward to get to and require a long ski-out. First-time visitors might want to consider hiring a local guide to show them the terrain. But in general, expert skiers will have a blast exploring Fernie’s gladed fall-line pistes. Off-piste terrain is accessible by snowcat and there are a few dozen kilometres of cross-country trails as well. Expert snowboarders will have a field day on all the natural features of the mountain. Freestylers might be slightly less enamoured with the rudimentary snow park. Piste grooming is slow, especially after a big snowfall, but there is no shortage of easy enough pistes as long as you don’t mind them being ungroomed.