Overall Rating

Castle Mountain

Castle Mountain4/54
Castle Mountain4 out of 5 based on 4 reviews
  • Recommend
    100%
  • Would Revisit
    100%

Castle Mountain - Reviews

Castle Mountain - Reviews

Amazing powder on 3 consecutive visits

20/09/2023

Khalid

Powder Puppy
Powder Puppy

Khalid

Powder Puppy
Powder Puppy
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Rider Level
    Advanced
  • Rider Age
    51-70
  • Month Visited:
    February
  • Admin Rating
    4

Amazing powder on 3 consecutive visits

20/09/2023
I have visited Castle 3 times in the last 5 years and had amazing powder every time - over 50cm each time.

The hill is vast and the lifts are not too busy. When it is windy, the upper slopes are challenging but the powder on the lower slopes makes up for it. I ski all over Alberta and this is the best powder skiing I have had.

It is a low-key resort with no cell service (although the buildings have wifi). The staff are incredibly friendly and the accommodation comfortable.

I tried cat-skiing a couple of times - amazing powder and good value. This is really one of my favourite resorts.
See our video here

Castle Mountain

Tom
30/03/2023
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Rider Level
    Expert
  • Rider Age
    18-35
  • Month Visited:
    January
  • Admin Rating
    1

Castle Mountain

Tom
30/03/2023
My favourite place ive ever skied at, rarely busy, incredible snow and great location. definitely a hidden gem of Canada.
See our video here

wonderful with fresh snow

Scooter
25/09/2022
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Rider Level
    Expert
  • Rider Age
    36-50
  • Month Visited:
    February
  • Admin Rating
    4

wonderful with fresh snow

Scooter
25/09/2022
I had the pleasure of skiing here just before COVID shut down the world. This is definitely a ski area that is best for advanced to expert skiers. However there is a high speed chair that serves the beginner to intermediate skiers on the south ridge of the resort with nicely groomed runs. The best part of the ski area are the runs served by the two old slow fixed grip lifts. I was lucky enough to be there when they received several consecutive powder days. The snow was light and dry, like Utah or Grand Targhee powder, and thigh deep by the second day. Blowing wind would fill in the tracks from prior runs by the time you made it back up from the bottom riding the two slow lifts. Basically every run off the top is a nice fall line run, which made the deep powder like you were taking the first run all day. On the first day there was no wind but the amount of terrain and limited number of skiers meant I could still ski powder runs all day, just had to go a little further to the left or right of the lift.

The good part of having only a few fixed grip lifts is that it keeps the crowds away so you can enjoy the powder all day. You don't have to fight for first chair to actually ski a powder run (unlike Banff Sunshine Village or Jackson Hole). Don't expect any night life or entertainment for teenagers beside skiing. There isn't much at the hill or in Pincher Creek. This is a place to ski (or board), eat, sleep & do it all over again the next day.
See our video here

Surprise Package

09/08/2017

POWDERHOUNDS.COM

Powderhounds Ambassador
Powderhounds Ambassador

POWDERHOUNDS.COM

Powderhounds Ambassador
Powderhounds Ambassador
  • Recommend
  • Would Revisit
  • Rider Type
    Skier
  • Rider Level
    Expert
  • Rider Age
    36-50
  • Month Visited:
    January
  • Admin Rating
    5

Surprise Package

09/08/2017
Great views from the top
Plenty to stare at!
Castle Mountain was a bit of a surprise package for us. We probably hadn’t expected there to be so much black diamond terrain, so it was a pleasant surprise to see the variety of terrain and the complete lack of crowds, considering we arrived there mid-week. It hadn’t snowed in a few days and there were still easily accessed freshies to be had just off the top traverse line, and also freshies in some of the trees. The place felt delightfully deserted.

The lack of mid-week crowds is obviously a huge pro for powder hounds, but the resort reduces operations such as child care and kids lessons on weekdays. Slope grooming is inadequate and some blue runs are only groomed on weekends. When we visited, even the Centre Run, the steep blue highway-wide quintessential run at Castle wasn’t groomed. And the “Easy Way” (green) run wasn’t groomed, which would give you a bit of a shock if you were looking for an easy way down.

We also went cat skiing whilst we were at Castle which was a lot of fun! You can see our Powder Stagecoach review here.

Our thoughts on the pros and cons of Castle Mountain are outlined on the overview page, and you can also see our Canada ski resort ratings to see how we compare it to other western Canadian ski resorts.
See our video here