Battle Abbey

Battle Abbey. The name conjures up the vibe of legends. And the terrain is legendary. Deep in the heart of the Selkirks, it is the longest flight to a big place perched at 2200m. And a place of history, built back in the day by Hans Gmoser and Bill Putnam, you can notice the structural similarities to Fairy Meadows. If you can score a prime week here, it is one of the best places going.

Lodge *****

Terrain ****

Snow *****

Strengths

• Huge runs and huge terrain are in your face all day, everyday. Glaciers, steeps, pillows, peaks, burns, bowls. You name it.

• One of the funkiest and most comfortable lodges out there. So many cool rooms, and systems, like their mini sauna/shower, reading room, dining area. Its comfy, you can pee inside at night, and the history just radiates from the walls.

Weaknesses

• Its steep! So when the storms blow and danger is high, you can get hemmed in pretty quickly. Getting to a few places or hitting some tree runs can feel a touch repetitive, as you can find your self doing the ‘Grizzly Trot’ again and again and again. But thats a small price to pay for epic steep skiing.

• No self guided options. Can’t really bring your own guides there in the heart of the season. Booked out for years on end.

• Long flight, over a few passes means the in/out can get delayed or cancelled, making for tough logistics.

When and why to ski at Battle Abbey? January through April. The big, rocky, glaciated terrain needs time to fill in, but then after that its good to go any month. Great aspect choices and high elevation mean you can find good snow anytime of year.