UKC

Hi all,
I've been living in Chamonix for 3years and love it - the size of the town, close to other destinations, tourist hotspot, and of course the mountains (not without it's drawbacks though
Hoping to move to Canada next year potentially permanently, any ideas on towns that fit the bill for someone who loves Cham? I'm assuming BC has the most choice. Any tips on where to google would be appreciated.

Thanks! Jon

In reply to myrockface:
Only been to the Canadian Rockies once & nowhere we visited seemed quite like Chamonix, but Canmore or Banff would be options worth checking

In reply to myrockface:

Whistler?

In reply to myrockface:

Neither Canmore nor Banff have the "feel" of Chamonix. You don't get the mix of climbers and tourists and there isn't the same cafe/bar culture. Skiing from both towns requires car or bus travel and the wider valley's give the impression of a more open setting. If I was picking one over the other then I'd go for Canmore as Banff is VERY touristy. Both are close to Calgary and there is a "Yuppie" feel to the towns.

Jasper might be a better option and is a little smaller and less touristy although these are all on the East side of the Rockies so can get very cold.

Whistler is on the western coastal mountains and very close to Vancouver. Its years since I have been there so I can't really comment but again, unlikely that anywhere will really feel like Cham. Interior BC, places like Panorama or Big White might be worth a look.

My instinct would say that B.C. is more liely to give you the feel of Cham but Alberta might give you better climbing.

In reply to Removed User:

what about Lake Louise ? long time since I was there but felt like it was in the hills & skiing is close by. Not sure if there's many climbers there though & it is (was ?) quite small.

In reply to myrockface:

Squamish? Know a couple of folks who moved over to BC and they all seem to be gravitating towards squamish over a period of time.

In reply to myrockface:

Thanks for all the replies, interior BC (okanagan), plus Banff & surroundings is definitely where i'm looking at the moment. A few towns around Kamloops or Revelstoke area. Of course i'm not looking for Chamonix in Canada but somewhere comparable in terms of climbing / skiing opportunities, work potential, and just awesome people

On a side note, even living in the center of Cham it can still take me 1.5-2 hours to get from my door to top of Grand Montets or up the Aiguille du Midi, so really don't mind the idea of driving 45min to get onto a lift system if it's shorter queues and easy access powder / less busy climbing routes

In reply to Doug:

I don't think Lake Louise would be big enough or have the right athmosphere.

In reply to myrockface:

B.C. Has a better economy going at the moment than Alberta so that might be a factor.

In reply to myrockface:

If you're looking for chamonix esque (even remotely) forget the okanagan. can't comment on winter time, but was there this summer. it gets VERY hot, and the mountains are a good drive away.

squamish however has an excellent feel to it. still a drive to the bigger climbing peaks, but there are mountains close by. if you're after rock it's preeeetty good.

anywhere in bc will be good for objectives doable with a car, but not quite like cham.

In reply to myrockface:

Sadly there arent any Canadian towns full of pretentious loudmouthed idiots , posh kids and small dogs crapping on the pavements with rude french folks everywhere...

In reply to muppetfilter:


Oh but there are........

In reply to muppetfilter:

Like i said not without its drawbacks it's not exactly the worst place to live though!

In reply to myrockface:

Promise you won't tell anybody about this place? It's much smaller than Chamonix and is quite remote --- Heck, BC is remote, but there is a 737-800 size airport less than an hour away. There's good skiing and I think plenty of good climbing is there too, but you'll have to do the first ascents. I was in Fernie for a wedding three years ago and we had a fine time downtown at a couple of bars. Employment might be a problem. Believe it not, the area's major industry is coal, but China seems to be in a bit of a downturn, so they are closing the coal mines in the Rockies.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernie,_British_Columbia

In reply to myrockface:

I lived in Banff for a year in 1997 (yes I know it was a long time ago). I also lived in Lake Louise for two months.

The biggest mountaineering community is likely to be in Canmore. This is because it is just outside the national park. Accommodation options within the park are quite limited. Often apartments are tied to employers. The people you meet will tend to be transient in nature. You are likely to meet more long termers and more reliable / experienced climbing partners in Canmore.

Having said this it does not have a ski hill going into it. Banff has a relatively small resort nearby but most skiers travel by bus from Banff to Lake Louise or Sunshine village.

I did visit Jasper in summer. It is pretty small but is likely to have a small but very active scene.

The other option is Whister. I have never been. I have heard very good things. Especially for mountain biking, skiing and climbing.

However, I think the reality is that there is nowhere like Chamonix in Canada. The vibe is going to be very different.

In reply to myrockface:

Tremblant. But you're not getting BC quality skiing.

In reply to myrockface:

Culturally, Revelstoke and Squamish are both good bets.

Squamish has loads of touring around, but Whistler is a bit of a drive away for the full resort treatment. Ridiculous amounts of climbing, but a pretty long wet winter season too.

REvelstoke has more of a hippy mountain-town thing going on, loads of nearby (adventurous) skiing, but climbing would be more of a schlep.

I think Chamonix is a fairly unique place. You probably have to think more like Colorado than Canada...

In reply to myrockface:

Canmore is the place to head for.

The skiing is probably better in some of the BC towns such as Revelstoke or Fernie, but there is still reasonable skiing to be had- just not the massive amounts of powder regularly dropping as it can be a little drier.

From a climbing perspective Canmore is well suited for both ice in winter and rock in the summer, from adventurous multi-pitch to sport cragging.

There's a real climbing community in canmore- lots of psyched folks who live there long-term, with the climbing wall acting as a hub for this.

Cheers
Will

In reply to dsh:

Tremblant?! One ski hill and small crags about 45 minutes away.

In reply to Lloydfletch:


He was asking about the town. Definitely the mountains there are not even close to Alpine.