Resort height: 1580m
The mountains
Taken together, the Banff resorts of Norquay, Sunshine Village and Lake Louise provide a range of terrain as wide as any I can think of - from stomach-in-your-mouth steeps to gentle, confidence-boosting nursery slopes. There are some well-maintained terrain parks too (especially in Mount Norquay). All are covered by the Tri-area lift pass, and served by a free shuttle-bus, but you need to be prepared for the commute each morning - which can take 40 minutes if you're heading for Lake Louise.
For information on Lake Louise, check out my separate resort report. It's the largest ski area in the National Park. Sunshine Village is the second-largest and. It gets a lot more snow than its neighbour, and a lot more wind too. But the regular top-ups of the white stuff keep the pistes in great condition, and many visitors quickly fall in love with the combination of grippy snow and confidence-boosting beginner and intermediate trails (although many are very short). There are also steeper trails here for more advanced skiers, and the real experts can have a crack at the aptly-named Delirium Dive, off the north face of Lookout Mountain.
Norquay is the smallest area - worth a visit for a day whatever your level, but no more than that, unless you're a freestyler drawn by the jumps of the Cascade terrain park.
By the way, advanced skiers staying in the resort, should consider heli-skiing over in British Columbia. But be warned - it's a long drive, and it's not cheap! If you're serious about heli-skiing, you should stay in one of the British Columbia resorts nearer the heli-bases.
Getting there
The flight from the UK is usually direct: but it is a long one. Once you land in Calgary, the transfer to Banff takes less than two hours.
Rating: 
7/10
Après-ski
British visitors to Banff will find their appetite for après-ski sharply diminished by jet lag over the first couple of days (falling into a deep sleep at 7pm is quite normal). But once their body clocks are in adjusted, they'll find plenty of buzzing bars in town, several with live music, including Wild Bill's, the Rose and Crown, and St James's Gate. There are some top notch-restaurants too. Thanks to all those cows reared on Alberta's vast prairies, this is a great place to eat steak or ribs (for example, at Melissa's and Saltlik), but there are more gastronomic experiences to be had here, too - try the east-meets-west menu at Fuze for a memorable night out.
Rating: 7/10
Non-skiers
Banff's bar, restaurant and shopping scene provides a lively backdrop to the wide range of wintry activities on offer here - including cross-country-skiing, snow-mobiling, dog-sledding and even ice-climbing. You need to be ready for the cold here, however - temperatures below -15C are not uncommon.
Rating: 7/10
Cost of living
Winter is low-season in Banff, and is priced accordingly - a week here can cost less than a week in the Alps. What's more, several British tour operators run their own charter flights to this part of Canada, and discount empty seats and beds very cheaply at the last minute. One thing to watch out for, however, is the fact that many hotels have two queen-sized beds in their rooms, and prices are often for four people sharing a room. It'll cost considerably more if there are just two of you!
Rating: 7/10
Attractiveness of the resort
The mountain scenery is stunning - it's what draws the crowds each summer. Banff itself is less amazing, visually, and is designed around the car, rather than the human being. Nevertheless, the atmosphere is friendly and relaxed.
