Alberta's grandeur and beauty are obvious from the moment of arrival. Rolling foothills, intimidating mountains and prehistoric hoodoos are a few of Alberta's more distinct natural landmarks. Most impressive are Alberta's Rocky Mountains, which facilitate the world famous resort towns of Banff, Jasper, Canmore, Kananaskis, Lake Louise and Waterton.

Albertans endure long winters and they have learned to make the most of them. If you want a change of pace from alpine (downhill) skiing, you’ll find cross country skiing at over 70 Nordic hubs or tramping through the woods on snow shoes. There are plenty of options in the mountains, foothills, forests and plains—even in the municipal parks.

There is nothing quite like the untouched wilds for pure freedom, and the Canadian Rockies offer countless acres of freedom in the form of untracked powder. As the home to some of the finest skiing and snowboarding anywhere, the Canadian Rockies call to snow riders from around the world. More than 120 million years in the making has seen to that.

Famous for its dry, fluffy snow and brilliant cloudless winter skies, Alberta offers unparalleled skiing and snowboarding. With thousands of hectares of powder and new snowfall almost every day, the Canadian Rockies resorts featured with Pure Vacations are beyond compare anywhere in the world.

For those adventurous souls looking to rise above it all, nothing compares with heli-skiing and boarding. Pure Vacations heli-ski packages have years of experience and offer adventurous package experience. Lift off from our resorts helipad and enjoy.

Cross country skiing was introduced to Canada in the late 1890s, it soon became a popular recreational activity—and good exercise. Cross country skiing is widely acknowledged as a top aerobic fitness activity and very poplar in Alberta. Cross country skiing in the Rocky Mountains? Sounds like a contradiction in terms, but Banff and Jasper have many kilometres of track set and untracked trails through the lower elevations of the mountain valleys. Especially breathtaking—and an easy trek—is the shoreline trail around Lake Louise.

Not to be denied is the increasing popularity snowshoeing has also become a huge Alberta. It’s easy to learn, inexpensive and you can snowshoe just about anywhere you can cross country ski. This is now extremely popular with pure vacationers.