The new resort of Valemount in British Columbia, as yet still in planning stage, is hoping to knock fellow BC ski resort Revelstoke off its top spot as the North American resort with the most top to bottom vertical distance of skiing.
Close to the Alberta ski resort of Jasper, in western Canada's Cariboo Mountains, Valemount will promise a shade over 2km of descent in an area already popular for heliskiing.
According to the company behind the project, Valemount Glacier Destinations, the development will be completed in three phases. The first will connect the resort base at 1,160m with the Twilight Glacier at 2,530m, delivering a vertical drop of 1,370m. But with the headline figure of 2,000m plus vertical drop not aimed for until the second or third phases, and an estimated 15 to 20 years before completion, it could be some time before anyone gets to ski that drop...
Doubters of the project's chances of success point to the fact that the start of construction has already been put back by a year. Compared to well-established BC rivals such as Whistler, Valemount is also hard to get to, with the nearest major airport five hours away at Edmonton.
With construction due to start in summer 2018, Valemount hopes to welcome its first visitors in December of the same year.
