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    Norquay Via Ferrata

    4.4 (18 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 7:00 pm

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    Heading up the mountain
    Jess L.

    Skyline Route It was a fun outting and our guide was talkative and friendly. I didn't give it a 5/5 because I was hoping for a bigger adrenaline rush. It had 1-2 scary parts, some parts where clipping in didn't feel necessary. Overall wish that there had been more obstacles, and less rest time. It was nice to enjoy the views and snacks/water we brought with us. But probably could've been a bit of a faster day if we didn't break for as long (but we did have a group of 8) Going down the mountain back to the lift is the least fun part. Wish there was a way to repel down the mountain back to the lift and save our legs! Overall it was fun, probably family friendly, you just need to have some strength to get thru certain parts. I never felt unsafe or scared of the height

    Ridgewalkers!
    Dian M.

    If you enjoy adventurous hikes and fantastic views - Noquay's Via Ferrata is it! The experience is fantastic, the climbing is akin to a ladder. This was the highlight of my stay in the Banff area. Check-in at the main lodge. The guide will round up your group and give an orientation talk and you put on the climbing gear before heading up on the nearby chair lift. At the top of the chair lift you get to practice using the double carabiner system on some cable at the practice wall. Then your group will head out on your route! Your guide is well trained and equipped - they stay in touch with each other over the radio and share info about wildlife spottings and the weather conditions. If a storm cloud is approaching, your guide may encourage you to keep moving along. Dress in layers as the website advises. Canadian Rockies' weather can change in an instant. Round out your time there with a meal at the restaurant at the top of the chairlift (where you return from the climb/hike and return the harness gear). The food was quite good there and we also saw several Big Horned Sheep and a black Bear from the restaurant.

    Best experience of our lives! We did the ridgewalker tour with Luke as our guide, who was amazing! Such an awesome experience. Worth every penny. We will never forget this and look forward to finding new via ferrata experiences closer to home too!

    Kristen F.

    Wow! If you are looking for an Alpine adventure, then this will certainly satisfy your desires to emulate those who really do this high adrenaline sport. Everything is organized & informative which makes for a great first impression. Groups are divided based on the trail you chose. I signed up for the Ridgewalker. It's a bit intimidating when you begin for those that have zero rock climbing experience like myself. You can easily gain confidence as you traverse the mountain securely attached to a cable the entire ascent. Our guide, Irene, was awesome. She encouraged everyone and made sure our pace was comfortable for everyone. It was a phenomenal experience that definitely should be on any adventurer's list for excitement in Banff. Bravo Mt. Norquay staff!! Thank you

    Jennifer H.

    Despite my fear of heights, my curiosity drives me out of my comfort zone often and I want to venture to places outdoors that people normally don't see. The Via Ferrata at Mt. Norquay accomplishes that sense of wonder on multiple levels: Explorer (2.5 hrs), Ridgewalker (4 hrs), Skyline (5 hrs), and the Summiteer (6 hrs). My friends and I took the Summiteer because we always like a good challenge and wanted to reach the tippity-top of Mt Norquay, right?! Dave was our fearless, (but safe!), leader who helped us embark on our journey up Mt Norquay. He has decades of experience rock climbing, mountaineering, and working on ski patrol among other things so we were definitely comfortable in his hands. You start with getting fitted for gear, then, a short little jaunt up the ski lift, followed by "how to clip in to cables and climb" instructions. It's pretty straight forward and not technically complicated at all. You always have two quick draws attached to the cable that are designed to handle falls, and our entire 6 hour tour, none of us even had to worry about it! The beginning part felt like safe scrambling while being clipped into cables combined with hiking. We didn't really start getting vertical until the famous ladder. Yes, there is a random ladder in the middle of the climb where you face away from the rock. It's a beautiful view! During the Summiteer Route, you will encounter 3 suspension bridges. The first is a regular one, the second is one you walk sideways (one cable shuffling your feet sideways below and one high for your hands), and the third one reminds me of tight rope walking but there are two higher cables for your hands and your clipped on a cable on both sides. This 3rd bridge you cross twice (double wink and smile!) I've been rock climbing on and off since about 2000, but like the description says, no rock climbing experience needed. I agree with this statement, but the Summiteer Route is the longest one, and if you're afraid of heights, that's a long time to be stuck on the mountain. However, my friends and I absolutely loved our guide Dave and the Summiteer Route. We got a bit of an adrenaline rush, had amazing views of several summits, and even encountered some curious wildlife - mountain goats. Those goats did cause some rocks to fall above us but luckily our helmets protected us! I highly recommend trying the Via Ferrata out.

    The bridge
    Nicki T.

    By far the best experience I've had! Our guide was funny, helpful and so kind! He made everyone feel safe and comfortable! I would highly recommend the Via Ferrata on Mt Norquay!

    Three amigos before ascending
    Laura H.

    I wish I could give this experience 10 stars. I climb indoors pretty often but Doing this Via Ferrata climb outside in the beautiful Canadian summer day was epic. it was a whole new experience that I cannot wait to do again! From start to finished this company didn't cease to amaze! We did the 6 hour climb that includes lunch at the summit and a snack tray back at the base. ( I am Vegan and since the included sandwiches and meat tray were out of my diet The employees including Chloe at the cliff house made food special for me) THANK YOU SO MUCH IT IS APPRECIATED! Dave was an amazing Climb guide!(I want this guys job. ) He pointed out mountain goats along the way and made sure the whole group was comfortable and safe. My advice if you are even contemplating doing the 6 hour summit trip you should the views are phenomenal and the experience will blow your mind. Plus it is safe

    Bridge was a cool part of the adventure
    Jake H.

    Via Ferrata at Norquay was the best decision I made!! This adventure is perfect for the thrill-seeker in you. There are different levels of intensity so it is perfect for everyone! I did the 4-hour Ridgeline Tour (because the more intense ones were closed for the season). I would highly recommend this to everyone going to the Banff area, except in the winter when it is closed. Our October trek had snow on the trail which made it that much more intense. Katsu is a phenomenal guide and worked closely with those who were having more trouble on the tour. If you are still reading, it means you are highly considering this, and you have made the smart choice. Now you just need to sign up!!! I cannot say enough about this awesome adventure. YOLO!!

    Summiteer Route - July 2018

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    6 months ago

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    4 years ago

    Cool chair lift, no wait in late September (though bring a coat!). The tea house at the top is excellent and totally worth it!

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    7 years ago

    Via Ferrara was Awesome are guide was Logan and he was great and very helpful highly recommend this.

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    Review Highlights - Norquay Via Ferrata

    5 hours), $199 Ridgewalker (4 hours), $249 Skyline (5 hours), $299 Summiteer (6 hours).

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    Ski Norquay

    Ski Norquay

    3.4(25 reviews)
    0.0 km

    This was my first Banff mountain to visit for 2024…read more When you arrive there is manually scanning at the lifts. The lines are pretty short- crowds were not bad on a Saturday. The runs were reasonable challenging and length was good for an intermediate skier. Disclosure, just accounting for the green and blue runs- was not able to visit the black diamond. We were able to get a close parking spot on a Saturday- so overall can't really complain. The only thing that may slow you down is the manual scanning but your aren't elbow to elbow waiting in line.

    This family friendly and smaller ski resort is amazing to get away from the crowds. If you are…read morestaying in Banff downtown, grab the free Norquay shuttles it picked us up from Ptarmigan Inn. They are on time and extremely efficient, if one bus gets filled another one is called immediately. We didn't wait more than 5 min for the second bus. It takes about 15 min to get to the mountains depending on the traffic. The mountain only has a few lifts but it's a wonderful experience, the minimal crowds to the friendly atmosphere I don't think it gets better than this. The snow sport culture can sometimes have a very pretentious and obnoxious vibe but this place is the absolute opposite. The runs are steep with plenty of options for every level. The ski school was so good, my 5 yr old son was in the two hour 1pm time slot with Ryan and he did a fantastic job. The ratio was 1 teacher and two kids. The magic carpet is long and you can get a good run as it isn't too short. The school check in is next to the rental building, the lesson starts with the instructors meeting by the check in building. The main lodge is old school and homey. The staff are all sweet and relaxed. We had the chili and the smoked salmon to go sandwiches both are fairly priced and solid. Multiple lockers and a ton of shelves for bags etc. Small gift shop inside for some souvenirs. Parking is free if you decide to drive up yourself but I'd say take the shuttle, it's an easy and hassle free experience. Stay safe and have fun shredding!

    Photos
    Ski Norquay - Thanks, Xavier!

    Thanks, Xavier!

    Ski Norquay
    Ski Norquay

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    Sunshine Mountain Lodge - Unsurpassed beauty!

    Sunshine Mountain Lodge

    4.0(92 reviews)
    18.7 km

    We stayed here during our 2 days in Banff - it was a quick 15 minute drive to the main village…read more(shuttles are also offered by the resort). The coolest thing ever is taking the gondola up to the lodge. Never have I ever taken such a long gondola ride (it's 25 minutes)! And yes the gondola pass is included as part of your hotel stay. Absolutely gorgeous scenery along the way and once at the very top, the lodge is there along with a nice sit down restaurant as well as a decent sports bar/saloon (both open late) . The gondola runs from 8am to 6pm so plan accordingly - if you show up after 6pm you just check in with the front and they have shuttles driving you back up the mountain - it's twisty , turny, dirt road and quite a white knuckle ride lol. Props to the young guy who drove us back one night in pitch black - grateful we didn't go over a cliff! My ONLY complaint is the walkway from the gondola to the lodge is literally GRAVEL. Like big chunks of gravel. Trying to roll our luggage across this was horrible. I'm pretty sure it didn't do my luggage any service either. The crap thing was that several employees saw us trying to pull our luggage and never stopped to help. When I checked in, the front desk was like "oh, there's supposed to be luggage carts to help with that". Nope. There. Weren't. Checking out the lovely guys (one of which was our driver that pitch black night) helped us take our luggage to the gondola. We didn't hike any of the trails up there - but the resort does lead guided hikes. There's also a decent cafe to get some breakfast and a cute little gift shop to get sundries late at night. All in all I would totally stay here again for the experience - just now I know to just run ahead and get help with my luggage!

    We were here in the summer and used the lifts to get to hiking areas. Parking is vast so no…read morefighting for space. We took the gondola up and around the mountain to the village area. There are shops and places to refill your water bottles. You can hike from here but we took the ski lift to the lookout area and started our hike from there. The path takes you through meadows, to look out areas and along alpine lakes. We ended up walking back down to the village area to get in a hike just under 5 miles. For fun we took the lift back up and down and saw some mule deer along the way. The village has some educational displays as well as shopping and snacks. The gondola ride is long and provides some great views. We enjoyed this very much.

    Photos
    Sunshine Mountain Lodge - Meet up for lessons at the top of the gondola

    Meet up for lessons at the top of the gondola

    Sunshine Mountain Lodge
    Sunshine Mountain Lodge

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    Lake Louise Ski Resort - Veggie burger with corn on the Cobb and kettle chips

    Lake Louise Ski Resort

    4.4(57 reviews)
    47.4 km

    I'm EXTREMELY disappointed in LL this year and enough so not to ever return again…read more Just 1 bad interaction is enough to loose a customer for life & congrats Jasmine, who's the GS.Supervisor responsible for this. I have 2 cards that we didn't have the chance to activate due to an unfortunate injury my son acquired literally right after purchase which killed our ski season. FFWD 2 yrs later as I found them again I emailed LL and asked if I could pay the diff from what I paid them to what todays rate is, as they went up. Figured that was fair but apparently they are more than happy to just take my $300 and loose a customer for life. WOW I can only imagine how much more they will now loose from not only us and our additional money invested at the hill, plus I have a solid gang of Fam & Friends that we talk every year on where we plan to ski so they are all aware of this now and agree with me. Plus I hope this reaches a few others and can empathize and follow suit. Here's Jasmine's reply as proof. Don't you just love the sign off... "kind regards". This does not scream kind regards nor Merry Christmas. BOOO HUMBUG On Dec 27, 2025, at 8:13AM, GS Supervisor GS.Supervisor@skilouise.com wrote: Hi Jamie, Thank you for your email. Unfortunately my colleague is correct - we offer guests the option of upgrading any unused Plus Cards from the season immediately prior to the current season for a fee. This cannot be extended to any unused Plus Cards that are over a year old, so since your purchase was for the 2022/23 season, there is nothing that we are able to do in terms of carrying this forward. Kind regards, Jasmine Guest Services Supervisor The Lake Louise Ski Resort & Summer Gondola D: 403-522-3555

    Nice ski resort with a lot of greens and blues although the greens here are a bit on the…read morechallenging side but all very long runs with some open areas. Snow condition ok when we were there with temps in the mid 20s, a bit icy in the more shaded areas, better on the sunnier slopes. There are several unattended boot/bag storage areas and shelves. No view of Lake Louise from the mountain however although still scenic with great views of snow covered peaks. The lodges tend to get really crowded during peak lunch times. Only thing is getting there is 40 minutes drive from Banff and buses are usually packed and sometimes late so if trying to get there for the 10 am mountain tour (2 hours organized by skill level) could be tricky unless you leave much earlier. One day we got there at exactly 3 minutes past 10 and all the tours had left with no host in sight (generally there are no resort staff anywhere to be seen to help out unlike at US resorts). If staying closer to town center you'll get picked up later and more likely have to wait as the buses will be full by the time they get to your location. Ski/board storage in luggage compartment under the bus, some have limited shelves some just in a jammed pile. Might want to consider putting skis in a bag or get some protection for the bindings as people are not at all careful when loading and unloading. They still give out trail maps in the lodges. The outdoor ice bar is a fun place for a drink.

    Photos
    Lake Louise Ski Resort
    Lake Louise Ski Resort
    Lake Louise Ski Resort

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    Soul Ski & Bike - New Nórdica skis, great deal on last year's model!

    Soul Ski & Bike

    4.5(11 reviews)
    3.3 km
    $

    DUDE. I went into basically every ski shop in Banff and this was the place that I knew I had to buy…read morefrom. Andrew, the owner, took time to listen and ask questions about my ability, my preferences, and what I needed to work on. He gave me advice without trying to sell me on anything - very different than some of the other shops in town (cough, cough, Abominable). I decided on some skis and wanted to work out some boot issues I'd been having. He told me to come back the next day and Brody would help me out (because Andrew was going out of town). Brody = freaking amazing. I ended up getting new boots and he helped me figure out that I was in a boot way too big for me. I got the new boots and after a day of riding, came back to make some adjustments. He and Tristan really thought through what options I had to make the boot fit perfectly. I was so impressed with how cool Brody was with my MILLIONS of questions. You could tell that he really cared about doing things right and making sure I felt great in my boots. It was an awesome experience. They do heat molding, waxing/tuning, sell Nórdica, K2, and Technica (and a few other brands I think). Great shop with great people! We meant to stop by to say thanks again before we left but didn't have time - if you see this review, tell them Andrea from Las Vegas sent you!

    This was my first time renting bikes in banff. We wanted a more relaxed ride so we could explore…read morethe town of the banff and the bow river. We opted for cruiser bikes. The staff were friendly and eager to help. We received a helmet and a lock along with your bike, charging you 10 bucks for an hour or if, over 3.5 hours, it'll be 35 for the day. We found these to be pretty reasonable prices! The bikes were comfy and easy to use. There were also lots of trails and places to bike around town that could allow you the whole day to explore. We would definitely come back here. Maybe next time I'll try a mountain bike!

    Photos
    Soul Ski & Bike
    Soul Ski & Bike
    Soul Ski & Bike - Our rental bikes!

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    Our rental bikes!

    Ultimate Sports - Ultimate Sports

    Ultimate Sports

    3.8(10 reviews)
    3.4 km

    Friendly. Frequent. Dated. Rented a 4 day ski package here and returned after 2 days due to dull…read moreedges and limited selection of alternative ski options. Mostly Fischer and Rossi(?) skis so if you're looking for other brands or skis that don't look like they've been through battle by 2/3 through season, look elsewhere. Staff is friendly and I'm sure they do a good business being right off the strip but I found other shops in town that offered far fresher rentals.

    Rented for 2 days here. Great, top quality gear. Very friendly staff in the rental shop…read more Problem: my boots were too tight and I couldn't ski after a half day. It had been a while since I rented so my feet have changed a bit. Not their fault. I was skiing at Lake Louise which is 40-minutes away. In order to ski, I would have had to drive 40-minutes, change boots, refit the skis, then drive back to the hill, pay $140 for a lift ticket after losing a couple of hours. So, just decided to skip the ski day. Returned early afternoon in the second day, explained the situation and asked if they could refund the second day or, at worst, give me store credit. They said, "No, we can't tell if you skied on them today." It was a bit insulting that they pretty much called me a liar (but, I do get it, it is a business concern and I tried to not take it personally - they don't know me). But yes, you can tell if I skied on them. The skis, poles and boots were bone dry. It is impossible to get skis bone dry in 2-hours. I used to work for a rental store. Along with that, we wouldn't hesitate to give the refund. I tried to meet them in the middle where I would buy something I didn't need from the store just so I could get some value, but nope. It also wasn't because I didn't want to ski, the equipment wasn't operable for me. So, in short, they were ok. If you want to rent there, ok, there are positives. My issue is my issue. I had a problem and couldn't ski. They made a business decision and I thought they handled it very poorly. So, in exchange for $20, they get a negative review and hurt their Yelp score.

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    Ultimate Sports - Ultimate Sports

    Ultimate Sports

    Ultimate Sports - Ultimate Sports

    Ultimate Sports

    Ultimate Sports - Ultimate Sports

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    Ultimate Sports

    Norquay Via Ferrata - hiking - Updated May 2026

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