Discover the Beauty and Adventure of Castle Mountain Resort: Alberta’s Best Kept Secret

Location

Castle Mountain Resort is located in southern Alberta, just 2 to 3 hours away from Calgary depending on the driving conditions. It’s about 20 minutes from Pincher Creek in the province’s southwest corner. The British Columbia and Montana borders are close.

The Declaration

Castle Mountain has come up with a bold declaration. They are not trying to be something they are not. The individuals running the resort are friendly and a pleasure to work with. Huggy Marie is in the running for the friendliest liftee in all of Canada.

Cat Skiing and Resort Skiing

Castle Mountain is Alberta’s only resort that offers cat skiing and resort skiing. Cat skiing is available three times a week – on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. On a typical day, you can ski or board 8-10 runs, with each run offering about 2,000 feet of vertical.

Preparation

Before starting, renting some fat skis (available at the base of the mountain) is a good idea to make skiing easier. Then, it would be best if you rode the Huckleberry Chair to reach the cat. From there, it takes around 15 minutes to reach the starting point. Sometimes, the grade is well over 30%, and the views are fantastic.

Once at the top, you must go through avalanche training before clicking into your skis. Everyone is given an avalanche beacon and a shovel, and although the risk is low, the resort takes safety seriously.

Prime Time for Cat Skiing

Prime time for cat skiing is typically mid-February to mid-March when the huge dumps of snow arrive. We had a mix of dried up snow and powder, which was still better than skiing the regular groomed runs, although not perfect.

Experience Level

You should be at least an intermediate skier or boarder to enjoy the experience. Being in good shape is a bonus that will pay off on the drop.

Exploring the Resort

After some cat skiing, I decided to explore the resort on my own. There are six lifts in total. The combination of the Sundance and Tamarack chairlifts will take you high on the mountain, where the views of the valley below are simply beautiful. I never had to wait for a chair, and although it was mid-week, I hear that’s the norm.

When I reached the top of the mountain, I had the spot to myself. There wasn’t a soul around. If you are a beginner skier or boarder, don’t go to the top, as it’s all intermediate to expert terrain until you’re at least partway down.

Sienna