The Rick Mercer Report recently visited Jasper Alberta and was hosted by the Jasper National Park Public Safety Specialist, Steve Blake, who put Rick through a staged avalanche dog rescue, as well as some avalanche control work.
Watch this entertaining video to see the fun Rick Mercer has launching missiles from the road and dropping bombs from a helicopter.
The show aired Jan 19 on CBC.
Jasper in the News
In recent weeks we have come across a few articles and blog posts about Jasper which you may find interesting…
First off, DH Wall from the informative Jasper National Park Journal puts forward a couple of alternatives to driving from Edmonton to Jasper during the winter. He suggests either taking the snow train or the bus, both of which would save you the cost of renting a car and the hassle of driving 4 hours each way in winter conditions. I would add that even if you are from Edmonton and don’t need to rent a car, it might be a welcome break to let someone else take the wheel for a weekend! Also at Jasper Journal, there is an entertaining video of riding the new Canadian Rockies Express high speed chair at Marmot Basin.
Next, travel writer Lori Henry gives an interesting description of her trip to Jasper for Ukrainian New Year, which the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge has been hosting for many years in partnership with local Ukrainian organizations. You’ll also find videos of several Ukrainian cultural dances. Lori also gives a very favorable review of her ice walk in Maligne Canyon, which is worth reading if you are considering that popular excursion.
And finally, if you haven’t been to Marmot Basin yet this winter, you might like to have a read of Terry Farrell’s report in the Grande Prairie Daily Herald Tribune, where he raves about the virtues of the new Canadian Rockies Express chair lift.
Enjoy!
Winter Sightseeing Tours
Jasper National Park is a magical place during the winter months and once you’ve made the journey to Jasper it’s well worth taking the extra step to get out and about and discover the Canadian Rockies, while taking part in fun winter activities along the way.
Sundog Tours offer a variety of winter excursions to suit all levels of adventure. Their Half Day Train Tour includes a one way train journey to Harvey, BC, followed by a guided journey back to Jasper by road on the Yellowhead Highway, and the Wildlife Tour will take you in search of Canadian Rockies fauna while viewing spectacular scenery in Maligne Valley. Active visitors will enjoy viewing stunning Maligne River ice formations on the Canyon Ice Walk, or mushing your own team of dogs on a Dog Sled Tour near Valemount, BC, and the Jasper to Banff Tour is a fantastic way to view all the major sights along the Icefields Parkway, where you can choose to be dropped in Lake Louise, Banff, or return to Jasper.
To find out more about these tours and for reservations, visit www.sundogtours.com.
50cm Powder Day at Marmot Basin!
Skiers and snowboarders in Jasper have been treated to phenomenal early season snow conditions at Marmot Basin. Today there was 50cm of fresh snow awaiting anyone who was willing to take a few hours off work, and you can be sure that plenty of Jasper locals did just that. One long-time local told us that today was the best skiing he had ever experienced in Jasper, which for mid November is quite a statement! Having opened for the season on November 11th, Marmot Basin is reporting a total of over 85cm in the last 7 days, which should set up the Jasper ski resort very nicely for the coming season.
With all the new snow, and the distinct lack of crowds at this time of year, now could be the perfect time to look closely at some of the early season Jasper ski packages.
Ski Season is Almost Here
It’s an exciting time for skiing in Jasper. In less than 2 weeks the local ski resort, Marmot Basin, is planning to open for the 2009/10 ski season. The tentative opening day is November 11th, and the start of the season will be more eventful than usual thanks to the brand new high speed quad chairlift.
The Canadian Rockies Express will be the longest high speed detachable quad in the Alberta Rockies and will transport skiers and riders from the base of the mountain to the area at top of the Paradise Chair in less than 8 minutes.
The slopes and lifts at Marmot basin were already uncrowded, and the addition of the new lift will mean even more time spent skiing and snowboarding than before.
According to their snow report, on October 29th there’s already 32cm of snow at mid mountain and 50cm in the upper mountain.
Excellent!
Jasper Ski Holidays from the UK
There’s no doubt that Jasper is a superb destination for a ski holiday and UK skiers have been travelling here for many years, attracted by the uncrowded slopes, the excellent Canadian Rockies snow conditions, and the warm hospitality found throughout the area. Most ski holidays to Canada from the UK are organized by the many UK tour operators, who sell packages to all the major Canadian ski resorts, including Jasper.
While the package holiday certainly seems to be the easiest option, is it the most cost effective? To find the answer we compared the cost of some packages offered by UK tour operators with the cost of organizing an equivalent trip independently.
We based our research on an 11 day holiday for 2 people departing on March 13th 2010, flying between London and Calgary. We also looked at 3 different price points – a charter flight combined with a mid range hotel, a scheduled flight combined with a luxury hotel, and a charter flight combined with a luxury hotel.
Here is what we found:
Charter Flight & Mid Range Hotel
The best direct deal on a charter we could find was with Canadian Affair, where a Monarch flight from London Gatwick was available for £403.20 per person.
For accommodation we chose the Astoria Hotel, and were quoted a total of $1520.70 CAD for the 11 night stay.
Using today’s tourist exchange rate of £1.00 = $1.71 CAD, the total price for this combination booked independently was £1695.70 for 2 people, not including airport transfers.
Inghams are now the only major UK ski tour operator using charter flights into Calgary. Their holiday included a Monarch charter flight from London Gatwick, an 11 night stay at the Astoria Hotel, and airport transfers between Calgary and Jasper for a total of £1325.00 for 2 people, a saving of £370.70 compared to the independent trip.
We also did the same comparison but including 10 day lift passes.
The Astoria Hotel was able to package together the 11 night stay with 2 x 10 day passes for a total of $1864.48 CAD, making the total price of the direct deal £1896.74 for 2 people.
The Inghams price including 2 x 10 day lift passes was £1915.00 for 2 people, which is £18.26 more expensive than the direct deal.
A third option we looked at was a package provided by a tour operator based in the Canadian Rockies. Ski Holidays Canada quoted an 11 night stay at the Whistler’s Inn including 2 x 10 day ski passes and a free ski shuttle (valued at $14 per person per day) for $1699. Adding the Monarch flights for £403pp brings the cost of this package to a competitive £1799.56 for 2 people. Airport transfers are not included in this package, however car hire can be organized through the same company, costing $423 (£247.37) for 11 days full size car with unlimited mileage.
Scheduled Flight & Luxury Hotel
The best direct deal we found for a scheduled flight was with British Airways, which came in at £592.90 per person return from London Heathrow.
For an 11 night stay at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, we were quoted a total of $2732.22 CAD. The total for this combination of flights and accommodation is £2783.59 for 2 people, not including airport transfers.
With the tour operator Crystal Ski we found the same holiday including airport transfers between Calgary and Jasper for £2229.68 for 2 people, a saving of £553.91 compared to the independent option.
Including passes, it just so happens that the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge is offering 2 x free 10 day passes with an 11 night stay, as part of their remarkable Ski for Free Package, so the total independent holiday cost remains at £2783.59.
Crystal are selling 10 day passes on their website for £231 pp, bringing the total cost of the Crystal holiday to £2661.68, which is still cheaper than the direct deal by £121.91.
Charter Flight & Luxury Hotel
Combining the Monarch flights with the direct deal at the Jasper Park Lodge above including ski passes, gives us a total of £2404.19 for 2 people for an independent package, not including airport transfers.
Inghams price for the same package, but including airport transfers, was £2636 for 2 people.
Ski Holidays Canada were able to offer the same package including flights, accommodation at the Jasper Park Lodge and 10 day ski passes for £2384.36 for 2 people. Adding the optional extra car hire for £247.37 brings this total to £2631.37, beating the Inghams package price.
Conclusion
In most cases the ski holidays booked through the UK tour operators are cheaper than trying to book the same holiday independently, over 20% cheaper in some instances. That price difference is reduced when you include lift passes, thanks to the competitive ski packages offered locally by Jasper hotels. It’s important to note that the independently booked holidays do not include airport transfers between Calgary and Jasper, and due to the limited scheduled shuttle service in the winter, most independent travellers would be forced to either rent a car, or pay the considerable cost for a private transfer. Alternatively you could find a hotel in Calgary for the night and then take the scheduled shuttle the following day.
Taking the price differences and the airport transfers into consideration, it seems that the most convenient and most economical way to come to Jasper on a ski holiday from the UK is to book a package holiday. However for the more independent traveller, using a locally based tour operator can help keep the cost down while also providing a more tailor made Jasper ski holiday.
*The information contained in this article was correct at the time of writing, but can change at any time. To confirm current prices and packages, please contact the respective tour operators, hotels, and airlines directly.
While we have made every effort to display accurate information, we cannot be held responsible for any discrepancies which may occur.
Peak Season Hotel Deals
It may well be the middle of summer, which is peak tourist season in the Canadian Rockies, but several Jasper hotels are offering considerable discounts for dates in August when some other years you might have struggled to find a vacancy. Maybe it’s time to consider bringing that Fall trip to Jasper forward a few weeks!
The biggest discount we found was 40% off regular rates for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights at the Astoria Hotel. The Astoria is also offering 30% off the rate for all nights until the end of August.
Whistler’s Inn has a 30% discount off room rates until August 31st, which would bring an economy room to below $135 per night before tax.
The Sawridge Inn is also offering a 30% discount on regular room rates until October 8th, as well as a $25 daily dinner credit for their restaurant plus discounts off spa treatments and selected tours & activities.
Finally, both the Tonquin Inn and Maligne Lodge are offering from 10 to 35% off room rates until September 30th, as well as a ‘last family outing before school starts’ promotion from August 24th-27th, which at the time of writing, gave us a standard room with 2 queen beds for less than $149 per night before tax at both hotels.
The above special rates may be subject to change and availability.
To confirm rates and for reservations, please visit the websites of the individual hotels.
Spring Specials at Jasper Hotels
** This article was valid for Spring 2009. For updated specials for Spring 2010, click here. **
May is a wonderful time to visit Jasper Alberta. The town is free of snow and uncrowded, yet the views of the snow-capped peaks are in many ways better in spring than during the peak months of the summer. An additional bonus of visiting Jasper National Park in the springtime is the low rates offered by many hotels. We have scoured the websites of all the major hotels in Jasper looking for deals, and have uncovered some specials which we’d like to share with you:
Marmot Lodge has a bed and breakfast special for the month of May, which includes a one night stay with breakfast for $153 for 2 people. There are also various other special packages for May at the Marmot Lodge.
Maligne Lodge and the Tonquin Inn are both offering a Spring Bed & Breakfast special from May 1-31 which starts at $60 per person for 1 night’s accommodation including breakfast.
The Sawridge Inn is offering a special Summer Time Out Package which starts May 18th and is valid for the whole summer. The package includes a 30% discount on regular room rates, a $25.00 daily dinner credit per room, plus spa and activities discounts.
Last but not least, the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge has put together an Alberta Escape Package valid until August 31st, which starts at $249 per night and includes a $100 Resort Credit per room per night which can be put towards a meal or drinks in one of their fine restaurants.
With all of the above specials, some restrictions may apply. Be sure to confirm rates and reservations directly with the appropriate hotel.
For more places to stay, take a look at the JasperHotels.com hotels and bed & breakfast guides.
Raven House B&B
With its spacious rooms and local hospitality, the Raven House B&B offers a home away from home in Jasper National Park. Located just a short walk from the centre of Jasper, the bed and breakfast offers 2 rooms. The Cavell Room is cozily decorated with earth tones, while the Whistler Room is brightly decorated with a lighter feel. Both rooms are large and each has a sitting area, en-suite bathroom and impressive mountain views. A continental breakfast is brought to your room each morning.
For more information visit www.ravenbb.com.
Wyndswept Bed & Breakfast
This B&B is of a standard to rival many hotels in Jasper, and is tucked away in an area with abundant wildlife, near Jasper National Park’s east gate, around 40 mins from the town of Jasper.
Wyndswept B&B offers 3 rooms:
The Wildflower Mountain View Suite has large windows with tremendous mountain views and its own private deck.
The Pansy Garden Room has a flower filled garden view and a private sitting area.
The Pocohontas Panoramic Room has excellent mountain and valley views and allows you to view the spectacular sunrise from your bed. You can even take in the views from the large soaker tub!
No matter which room you choose, you will be provided with a healthy hot breakfast each morning to set you up for a day of hiking, wildlife viewing, rafting or one of the many other activities on offer in the area.
For more information and reservations, visit www.jasper-bedandbreakfast.com.
