Banff ridge
Ruth Callaghan, retired Environment Canada. An independent weather and visibility guide, not affiliated with any lift or attraction operator.
An independent weather and visibility guide, not affiliated with any lift or attraction operator.
The ride up
The gondola is only a way to gain the ridge. Eight minutes in the cabin. The summit itself is a short walk after that.
Eight minutes
The cabin climbs without a view guarantee. Windows fog. People film the trees. The useful look starts when you step out, not while the floor is moving.
2,281 metres
That is the station elevation, not a slogan. Wind up there is a different wind from Banff Avenue. Take a layer even when the valley feels mild.
Sanson Peak
A boardwalk leaves the upper station and reaches the old weather observatory on Sanson Peak, on Sulphur Mountain. The walk is the part I care about: you can turn around and see whether the valley is actually open.
What disappoints
Cloud means the ticket is spent on grey. Saturday means a queue that has nothing to do with the sky. The restaurant at the top is priced as a celebration, not as lunch. None of that changes the weather. If the deck is down, stay in town.