My friends “James Boy” and “Adventure Rob” often make fun of me for using the word “fall line” way too much. But honestly, I don’t care. I love skiing vert. The more skiing, the better. I mean it—I just love sliding downhill, and Panorama Resort is one of the most vertically endowed resorts I’ve ever skied. There’s just so much fall line.
Table of Contents
Location & Accessibility
Panorama is located in southeastern British Columbia, in one of my favorite mountain ranges, the Purcells. Panorama is about a 3.5-hour drive from Calgary and only 20 minutes from the town of Invermere. It’s a bit tucked away, and there’s not too much going on in the town, except for one super solid pub we went to that had the best fried chicken of my life. The drive is always a pleasure, but if you’re flying in, Calgary International Airport is your best bet, with plenty of shuttle services available to get you to the resort.
Skiable Acreage & Vertical
Panorama is a big whopper, with 3,000 acres of skiable terrain, making it one of BC’s larger resorts. It has a vertical drop of 1,300 meters (4,265 feet), which is the 8th largest in North America. Unlike some other resorts in the top 10, the vertical drop is legit—you can ski from the top at 2450m to the bottom with next to no traversing. Since the base is at about 1150 meters, the snow conditions will be fairly similar to whatever is going on higher up.
Areas of the Resort
Pull up the Panorama trail map on another tab while reading the rest of the review!
Panorama is divided into a few key zones. The Front Side, the Extreme Dream Zone, The Taynton Bowl and the Sun Bowl. Experts are going to find themselves exploring the Extreme Dream Zone & Taynton zone all day long. For those looking to shred groomers and cruise, it’s best to hang out on the front side or in the Sun Bowl.
Staring down the Monster in the Taynton bowl
Lifts
The resort is serviced by 10 lifts, including two high-speed quads and the signature Panorama Gondola, which primarily serves to bring you up from lodging and the parking lot, but it still fired me up. The lift system is solid, but skiing the best terrain on the hill requires a two-chair taxi ride from the Extreme Dream Zone and a three-chair taxi ride back to the summit if you ski the Taynton Bowl. In a perfect world, you’d have a gondola going right to the summit (so much warmer) and an additional chair somewhere in the Taynton Bowl, creating more lap-ability. But, I had no issues with the flow and was able to ski boat load of vert.
Beginner Terrain
Panorama’s beginner footprint is pretty limited, and the mountain definitely trends on the steeper side. However, there are still some decent green trails on the Discovery and Mile 1 Chairlifts. I wouldn’t tell beginners to completely stay away, but there are other resorts that beginners would likely have more fun exploring. The only run off the summit that’s green is a cat track, and cat tracks can be kind of terrifying for people just figuring out how to turn. The second you get the hang of steeper blue terrain, you will absolutely love this resort.
Intermediate & Carving Runs
For intermediates and people who like to carve, Panorama is a paradise. Over half of the mountain’s terrain is blue, and the groomers are wide, long, and super fast. I’ve never seen so many good carving skiers in my life—it seemed like every ski racer in Alberta was hanging out on the Champagne Express on the days I visited.
The groomers on the Champagne and Mile 1 Express chairs are world-class. I absolutely loved Skyline and Roller Coaster. You’ve got a perfectly steep fall line groomer with an insane mountain view the entire way down. Thanks to both the Mile 1 and Champagne Express being high-speed, you can rip groomers over and over again.
I also really enjoyed the intermediate terrain in Sun Bowl. It gets a little more of the morning sunshine, so it’s a great spot to go play around as the sun starts coming over the mountain. There are also some fun glades in the Sun Bowl area for those looking to sharpen up before tackling more advanced terrain.
Advanced & Expert Terrain
Half of the resort is for carving, and the other half is for expert terrain. If you take a look at the trail map, you can see that many of the upper runs are black, with even more double black. It’s just beautiful, isn’t it?
The primary areas expert riders will want to focus on are the Extreme Dream Zone and the Taynton Bowl.
The Extreme Dream Zone is, well, quite dreamy. It drops straight off the summit, and there’s some seriously steep terrain with cliff drops and gnarly pillow lines if conditions allow. The zone isn’t completely alpine, so you’ll have to dodge some trees as you attempt not to faceplant down 40 degrees of bumps. But all jokes aside, this zone rocks, and on a powder day, the laps from the summit down the Extreme Dream Zone would be unbelievable.
The Taynton Bowl is also absolutely worth exploring. It practically feels like a whole other mountain. Some of the Taynton Bowl lines can be accessed from the summit chair, while others require a short hike up a cat track. There’s a snowcat, known as the Monster, which you can pay to ride up to Goldie Plateau, or you can hike it, which I did most of the time. The hike takes less than 20 minutes and is one of the best ways to guarantee fresh tracks at Panorama.
The Monster is also the name of the most intense run straight down the face. It’s super sick, with cliffs and chutes to play in. Some other unreal runs from the Taynton Bowl are Stash, C-Spine, and Donny B’s. Taynton Bowl was so large I never really knew which run I was on—I just skied wherever the snow looked and felt good. The one downside to lapping Taynton Bowl is the taxi ride back. All runs lead back to the base, and you’ll have to take three chairs to get back to the summit.
Tree Skiing
Every zone I’ve mentioned has great tree skiing. Whether you’re in the Taynton Bowl or the Extreme Dream Zone, the spacing is perfect to keep your flow but also keep you on your toes. If you’re not looking for tree skiing that’s quite as steep, you can play around on the runs under the summit chair. These laps are an absolute blast, with nicely spaced trees and enough variety that you could rip them over and over all day long.For intermediate tree skiers, try out some of the mellow trees off Founders Ridge or in Sun Bowl.
Terrain Parks
Panorama isn’t just for big mountain skiers—it’s got a great setup for park riders. The Showoff Terrain Park is located right beneath the Mile 1 Quad, making it easy to access and fun to watch. It’s got a good mix of small to large features, so there’s something for everyone.
Lift Lines
One of the best things about Panorama is how quiet it can be compared to other resorts. Even on weekends, lift lines are minimal. If there are lines, it’s usually just the ski racers on the Champagne Express or Mile 1 Quad. There are more ski racers than big mountain skiers here, which leaves a lot of the big mountain terrain up for grabs. It’s a welcome change from the busier resorts in BC and Alberta .
Snow Conditions & Climate
Panorama’s snow conditions can be hit or miss, and that’s really its downfall. It doesn’t get as much snowfall as some of the coastal resorts, averaging around 500cm (200 inches) annually. Panorama’s MO is usually ice, but if you can catch a stretch of powder, it might just be the best fall-line skiing on earth. I also imagine it doesn’t get skied out quickly, so you could be enjoying fresh lines for days even if the snow doesn’t keep falling.
Backcountry Access
I’ve never seen a guidebook or map for the area, but just looking at Mount Goldie and the ridgeline off the hike to the Monster, I can tell there’s some incredible backcountry skiing here. I’d love to hit some of these lines myself, but I’d need some local intel. If you plan to venture out of the resort, make sure you have a trip plan, avalanche gear, and are well-versed in the avalanche forecast—this area is prone to persistent slab avalanches.
Family
This is a solid family hill, especially if your kids can handle the blues. It’s small enough to feel comfortable but big enough to not get bored. The base area is sweet, with lots of relaxing on-mountain accommodation.
Views
One of the standout features of Panorama is the panoramic views (no pun intended). The Purcells are insanely gorgeous, and no matter which run you ski, you’ll be greeted with breathtaking mountain views the whole way down. The boys loved the views so much we stayed a little too long, sipping beers, eating bratwurst, and soaking up the sun from the summit hut.
Tickets & Passes
Panorama is part of the Ikon Pass and Mountain Collective partnerships, so you’ve got plenty of flexibility. If you’re a frequent visitor, the Panorama Snow Card offers discounted lift tickets for the entire season. Prices are generally lower than at the bigger resorts, making it a good value for the experience, and you’ll absolutely save money on accommodation compared to places like Whistler.
My Honest Opinion
Panorama has everything I look for in a resort and more. I still can’t get over the raw beauty of the resort and the unbelievable expert and intermediate terrain. It’s a no brainer stop on any powder highway trip and a fabulous spot to stay for a ski vacation. Be prepared to get adventurous and ski a bit of ice. But, if you line up a storm week, I have no doubts that it will be one of the best skiing experiences of your entire life.
