Travel Eye on Jasper (Alberta, Canada)

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Overview:

Jasper/Marmot Basin is right out in the beautiful wilds of the Eastern Rockies, three and a half hours from the nearest international airport in Edmonton. As with a lot of Canadian skiing, accommodation and entertainment are to be found in the major town of the area, Jasper, while the skiing is offered by a local domain, Marmot Basin.

Marmot Basin has over 1000 acres of slopes, is great value and provides good skiing for all abilities. It is particularly suitable for better intermediates, who will enjoy the several black pistes that the resort has to offer. The ski school, based in Jasper, has a great reputation, as well as offering snowboard clinics for those who want to spend less time on their bums. The scenery is wonderful and the skiing is typically North American - stress-free and user-friendly. Boarders have a particular soft spot for the place.

Jasper, which is 30 minutes from the skiing, is a world-famous resort in its own right, with great access to some of the best scenery and mountain terrain in Canada. It has plenty of quality accommodation for all budgets, while the many restaurants serve the big portions that dominate North American cuisine.

The nightlife is reasonable, although some boarders seem to disagree. Because of its location, access to a car is invaluable. Then if you don't feel like skiing or travelling to other ski domains (for example Panorama), you can hit the open road and explore this stunning area. There is also the Jasper in January festival, which often has cheap deals on lift passes.

Overall, Jasper/Marmot basin is a wonderful place to experience Canadian mountain life and scenery, with plenty of great skiing - if you're into that sort of thing.

Locality:

Jasper townsite is located 362 km. west of Edmonton in beautiful and rugged Jasper National Park, the largest preserved wilderness area in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

Entertainment/Facilities/Attractions/Things to do:

Shopping here is mostly limited to sporting or Western (cowboy-style) attire and shops selling ski-, hiking or climbing equipment. A selection of local handicraft stores offer some variety. Shopping areas are predominantly on the main road opposite the railway station, but you will also find a fair selection one row back.

During the daytime besides downhill skiing, there's cross-country skiing, ice-skating and snow-shoeing , there is the aquatic and activity centres provide a host of amenities. There is also an indoor pool and water slide, American pool, billiards, children's entertainment and summer tennis courts;

For the more cultural types there is the Yellowhead Museum catalogues Jasper's history from its fur-trading beginnings to the present day, art gallery and a cinema.

The nightlife here is generally low key with most nightlife restricted to eating out at a handful of downtown restaurants or hotels; however, there is an increasing number of bars are popping up, often with live music.

Eating out here mainly centres on what's available in hotels and motels plus a handful of unsophisticated restaurants and diners beside the main road in downtown. However, wander just slightly off the beaten track and you'll find an increasing number of more adventurous options, including Chinese, Japanese and Greek, all in hearty portions. Well-known fast-food outlets have managed to get a foothold, but are cleverly located in attractive arcade areas, blending into their surroundings.