Where Is the Best Ski Resort for Powder in the World?

Big time skiers and snowboarders want one thing above all else: powder. Untouched freshly fallen snow through which to carve is the holy grail for many. “Powder snow skiing is not fun. It’s life, fully lived, life lived in a blaze of reality,” according to skier and author Dolores LaChapelle, and while the hunt for powder snow can be a fickle task, some places are better suited than others to providing this ultimate winter thrill.

Confirming what many regular skiers of the mountain have said for years, Revelstoke Mountain Resort in British Columbia’s Selkirk Mountains was recently named The Best Ski Resort for Powder in the World at the Snomad Ski Resort Awards. The resort, which is easily accessible via the Trans-Canada Highway from both Calgary and Vancouver, has the largest vertical drop of any ski resort in North America at just a touch over 1700 metres.

What is it about Revelstoke that makes it such a good powder resort? The prodigious annual snowfall is due in large part to moist air from storms in the Pacific being forced upward when it hits the Selkirk Mountains, freezing in the cold, high air and falling as snow, an average of 12 to 18 metres a year. Add to that the excess moisture produced by Revelstoke’s location in the world’s only inland temperate rainforest, and the recipe for powder becomes obvious.

Huge snowfall, however, does not automatically mean that an area will become a mecca for skiing. For that to happen, there must be a solid infrastructure in place to allow skiers and snowboarders access. Revelstoke Mountain resort combines groomed runs, backcountry areas, and high alpine bowls accessible from its chairlifts. It provides access to pristine powder for all levels, from hardened off-piste pros to less adventurous skiers. In concrete terms, that adds up to 3,121 acres of fall line skiing, four high alpine bowls, and 75 named runs, all accessible by chairlift.

“These awards tell us what so many skiers already know: Revelstoke Mountain Resort is a place that is world-class, unique, and spectacular,” says Ryan Melnyk, vice-president of commercial strategy and marketing with Revelstoke Mountain Resort. “Beyond a broad range of terrain unlike anywhere else, we are graced with an average of 34 feet of snow each year, creating that light, champagne powder skiing and riding experience that people travel from all around the world to enjoy.”

In a competitive market—there are 131 ski resorts in B.C and Alberta—such accolades can be a point of difference for a mountain like Revelstoke. “Revelstoke has a certain appeal that draws people back again and again,” Melnyk says. “Mount Mackenzie delivers the kind of terrain and snowfall that is unlike anywhere else. It’s a big-mountain skiing experience with an authentic small-town mountain charm, and that combination is really attractive to skiers and riders of all levels.” On this evidence, it seems that will remain the case long into the future.

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