Activities in Fernie

Cat Skiing

If you want to see a different side of the mountain try the exciting option of Cat Skiing, a great way to get off piste and in to the back country with minimal effort. Fernie’s cat skiing is mostly on lightly wooded slopes known as ‘glades’ in North America, with the tree cover thickening in to belts every so often with chutes through the gaps so you’ll need to be either an advanced or good intermediate ability skier. Exactly how much skiing you can expect to do will depend on the ability of the group you’re in and snow and weather conditions when you hit the slopes but usually 8 to 10 runs are possible, clocking up 10 to 12 thousand feet of vertical during the day. There are three cats available, each of which can hold up to a dozen people.

Dog Sledding

Dog sledding is a wonderful experience which you’ll never forget. Travelling behind a team of huskies you’ll swish through the Rocky Mountains racing across alpine meadows and cedar forests. The whole family can take part and the experience is made more enjoyable still with a snack of home baking during your trip! Adults and older children will be able to try driving the sledge themselves and everyone will be welcome to give the dogs a good belly rub at the end of the ride. All in all it’s an experience you’ll never forget. You can enjoy either a full day or half day dog sled tour.

First Tracks

First tracks are a very special experience – get access to the mountain before everybody else and get to leave first tracks through the snow. To take part you need to sign up for first tracks the afternoon before you want to try it – ideally the day before a big snow storm is forecast, but make sure you do so promptly before the available places all go.

Ice Fishing

You can try the millennia old experience of ice fishing at Fernie. You’ll fish for brook, cutthroat or rainbow trout through holes in the ice which are cut for you by ice fishing tour guides, who’ll also get you to the fishing holes by four wheel drive vehicle or snowmobile. Trips last all day and along with the fishing you’ll receive hot drinks and at lunchtime there’ll be a hot meal cooked camping-style on site.

Kids Night Out

Twice a week (Wednesday as well as Saturday) your kids can enjoy Kids Night Out when they have loads of fun in the Childcare Centre while you can enjoy a meal, shopping or another activity knowing they’re safe and having a great evening.

Activities include:

  • Sledging
  • Playing football on the snow
  • Arts and crafts
  • Storytelling evenings
  • Movie and music nights
  • Games
Snowmobiling

For something very different to downhill skiing and boarding it’s great fun to go on a snowmobiling excursion out in to the wilderness. Almost any adult can ride a snowmobile with their simple controls and the tour guides are always there to help when needed, as well as leading you into the wilderness areas of the Rockies where you’ll not only find great trails to whizz along but also some splendid views. There’s a wide range of tours to try ranging from two hours long to all day tours. Every week on a Thursday there’s a special gourmet lunch tour if you want to combine an hour of snowmobiling before stopping for a superb gourmet lunch. It gets better still because after lunch you can opt for a wonderful spa treatment or get back on your snowmobile and head back around the Island lake and the mountain before your adventure ends.

Prestige Tours organise the snowmobiling excursions and their dedicated team go that extra mile to make sure the experience is as memorable as possible for you with a top notch service and keeping tours flexible according to your preferences.

Snowshoeing

Snowshoeing is great fun and a magical experience walking over pristine powder while the guides explain how the local animals in the Rocky Mountains have evolved to surprise the extreme winter conditions. You’ll be provided with a warm beverage and home-cooked baking during your hike and return feeling enriched by your experience as well as having a better understanding of winter ecology.

Stargazing Snowshoe Fondue

Snowshoeing is a wonderful experience (so long as the weather is good!) in the daytime, but on a pristine starry night it is even more special, with the winter wonderland floodlit by moonlight as you snowshoe over open meadowland. Guides will help you identify the natural fauna of the Canadian Rockies at night and the feeling will be dreamlike as you travel across the light crisp snow, identifying the constellations above and the tracks of wildlife that have walked across the land before you. The evening comes to a scrumptious end with a gorgeous chocolate fondue.

Torchlight Descent and BBQ

A wonderful evening begins with a barbecue at a site at mid-mountain after which guides take you holding torches down the Elk Run.