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Take the Next Step in your riding or skiing goals at Marmot Basin
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There are many reasons someone might want to switch from snowboarding to skiing. Take Amber Grant for instance. She was getting fed up with the hassle of cat tracks and the hard falls that come with snowboarding. So ger husband, Ben, convinced her to try a lesson in the Next Step program for skiing at Marmot Basin.
Although it seemed daunting, she quickly made the leap to conquer Marmot Basin in Jasper National Park on skis, an incredible destination for its Rocky Mountain scenery and awe-inspiring peaks.
Adam, her personal instructor started her out slow, practicing with her one on one, side by side on the bunny hill until she felt comfortable going up the chairlift for her first time on skis. Yes, it can be intimidating getting off the chairlift the first time you're on skis, but with the instructor focusing on her, Grant quickly felt like she could do this.
Check out Marmot Basin's Next Step ski and ride program
“It was more freeing than snowboarding,” Grant said. “Adam was always close, and it was also refreshing to not be in a group.” One-on-one lessons are often the way to go and can help tremendously when you’re an adult learning a new sport.
Photo:
Jeremy Allen
Grant was impressed with Marmot Basin's wide variety of terrain for first-time skiers. "I love Marmot Basin. It's well-marked, and you won't go wandering off into a sketchy place,” important if you’re a newbie to the sport. “The (chairlift) lines aren’t long, the resort is well run, the instructor was super nice and very eager to help,” she added.
But if you are looking for big mountain terrain, it’s here. The ski patrol’s marked boundaries make it very clear so that you don’t go somewhere you shouldn’t be.
Photo:
Jeremy Allen
The Next Step Package isn’t just for beginners, it’s also a good way to take your skiing or riding to the next level. Grant’s happy she chose private lessons because she felt that, in only a few hours, she gained a lot of skill and confidence. “It didn’t feel like you had to ask questions, he gave all the important tips.” Starting on the bunny hill helped her quickly graduate to the Eagle Express where she could get in a few turns on some green runs.
Photo:
Jeremy Allen
The Next Step program offers private lessons from $549 a day, or group lessons starting at $130 for two hours. And if you’re keen to get your skills up to snuff quickly, it’s a payoff that you’ll appreciate. - Tweet this.
Photo:
Jeremy Allen
All of the instructors are trained to teach in a variety of ways, whether it’s boosting confidence on steeper terrain or just learning tips and practice exercises for linking your turns if you’re new to the sport. There are many options and before you know it you’ll be gliding down the slopes and giving yourself a pat on the back.
Photo:
Jeremy Allen
We’d also love to give a big shoutout to our host. We were lucky enough to be treated to a night at the Jasper Park Lodge, a historic rustic, luxury resort set on a lake in Jasper National Park. The property has some cool amenities, like the planetarium dome theatre where you can get a virtual tour of Jasper's Night Sky preserve, via the Jasper Planetarium.
Photo:
Jeremy Allen
The lodge is the perfect spot for apres good times; the drinks, the food, the warm fire will keep you cozy. We suggest trying their specialty cocktails, nachos and then hitting the hot tub and indoor/outdoor pool to calm your over-exerted ski legs. You could spend a lot of time here, and we're pretty sure, you'll go home feeling completely relaxed.
Photo:
Jeremy Allen
The Jasper Planetarium is a cool place to check out the night sky virtually.
When You go
Here's how to sign up for the Next Step program at Marmot Basin.
Tourism Jasper will help get you here. Learn more.
Want to stay at the historic Jasper Park Lodge. Check out the details here.
Did you know that you can start your skiing adventure at Snow Valley in Edmonton? Read about it here.
(Seekers encourages you to fly sustainably)
SnowSeekers suggestion #RoadTrip2020! Link Marmot Basin/Jasper, Grande Prairie/Nitehawk (home to a surf park, yes surfing in winter) and Powder King.
Learn more about what Northern Alberta has in store for you this winter by visiting our #SkiNorthAB page, where more stories and videos will be coming out all season long.
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