Canada 2001 - a skiing oddity

Yes, I feel I can speak for all 10 members of our little troop and say that we all had a great time and would do it all again - if we can afford it. As I write this last page the Australian dollar is crashing to new depths against both the Canadian and US dollars. Where will we be skiing in the Summer of 2002 - Japan perhaps?

(Yeah, sorry Bill that you weren't here when we took the above photo so...)

And what about the Technology stuff? Well,

Each resort we stayed in had public internet facilities which enabled us to send and receive e-mails. Luckily there was rarely a wait to gain access to a terminal. The world is becoming so much smaller every day. Postcards are becoming a thing of the past - I don't know if this is good or bad. I do know that the fact that my work can follow me to the other side of the world can be a little daunting.

But the other good side of this technology on the slopes is the ability to deal with the locals when you are planning and booking your next trip. So, what advantages can you gain by using the Internet for booking your next ski/board trip?

• Great accommodation packages, often with more options made available than travel agents have to offer.
• Direct bookings with bus and taxi companies. Get the latest on their schedules and special offers.
• No misunderstandings generated by the "chinese whispers" method of travel agents using 3rd parties to coordinate bookings.
• No extra commissions to be paid out. Immediate exchange rate conversions as your credit card is paying the end user.
• Rapid response to your queries. An e-mail is generally must faster and cheaper than a fax and unlike a phone call you can send your e-mail after hours - a great advantage when your time zone is 6 or more hours out of phase with theirs.
• Discounted lift tickets and so much more.

The moral of this story...forget travel agents and do it yourself... and even when the snow is not perfect - the worst day on the mountain is still better than the best day in the office.

Till next year and the hope of a return to good snow and strong dollar...

Did you catch the videos? Click here.

Some great links to help plan your next trip to Canada...

• Silver Star accommodation: Pinnacles Suite Hotel: http://www.pinnacles.com
• Kelowna to Silver Star bus service: Vernon Airporter: vernonap@vernon.com
• Official Silver Star snow report: http://www.silverstarmtn.com/weather/snowreport.html
• Fernie accommodation: Rocky Mountain Vacations: http://www.fernievacations.com
• The ultimate in Fernie snow reporting: Craig's page: http://far.redtree.com/cgmrep.html
• Cranbrook taxi service to Fernie: Star Taxi: gap@cyberlink.bc.ca
• Official Fernie snow report : http://www.skifernie.com/snowreport/
• On snow Whistler accommodation: http://www.whistlerweb.net/rentals/glaciergetaways
• Ownerdirect accommodations http://www.ownerdirect.com/index.htm
• Discount lift passes for Whistler http://www.alluradirect.com
• Steve Smart: ski instruction Whistler http://www.performanceskiing.com
• Official Whistler snow report: http://www.intrawest.net/Weather_HTML/Whistler_weather.html

Click here to see more about my previous trip to Canada.