Edelweiss Resort - Snow And Ski

Edelweiss is fairly small, with limited accommodation and facilities available at the base camp; however, the nearby town of Wakefield offers visitors an interesting selection of shops, nightly entertainment, and additional amenities and lodging options in a pleasant setting.

Edelweiss has 18 slopes that are split up among beginners (40 per cent of trails) intermediates (40 per cent), advanced (18 per cent) and experts (two per cent). The longest run at the ski resort is a fairly tame 1.5kms, but an additional 36kms of cross-country trails provide more distance.

Slopes at Edelweiss are connected by four lifts, with the ability to transport 7,600 people per hour. Snowboarding is permitted on all trails, and snowboarders also have access to a terrain park equipped with a half-pipe.

Edelweiss features the necessary facilities of a ski school, first-aid centre, ski shops and a single base lodge. The town of Wakefield is located just a short distance from the resort and offers a far wider selection of accommodation and amenities. Likewise, nightlife at Edelweiss is restricted to the main cafeteria and the bistro bar; however, Wakefield features far more opportunities for after-hours antics.

The ski season at Edelweiss runs from November to April, with optimal snow conditions in February. The most convenient means of getting to the resort is to fly to Ottawa and transfer by bus to Edelweiss.

Skiing in Edelweiss

Edelweiss ski resort offers a diverse assortment of ski and snowboard trails for all levels of ability, and is situated conveniently close to Ottawa, the Canadian capital. The resort is particularly well known for its exhilarating night skiing and cross-country routes, as well as its fabulous tubing park that is ideal for youngsters.

Skiing and snowboarding is available on 18 pistes at Edelweiss, with 40 per cent reserved for beginners and a similar percentage for intermediates, while advanced skiers get 18 per cent, and experts receive only two per cent. A system of four lifts has the ability to transport as many as 7,600 skiers and boarders to the slopes every hour.

Although the longest slope at Edelweiss is a mere 1.5kms, there are 36kms of cross-country trails in addition to the ski runs. The resort is also known for its spectacular night skiing, and excellent snow park and tubing facilities.

Edelweiss is open for skiing from November to April. The month of February presents the best natural snow conditions, and snow cannons ensure that slopes are well covered throughout most of the season. The easiest way to get to Edelweiss is to fly to Ottawa International Airport and take a ski bus to the resort, or a steam train to Wakefield and a bus or taxi to Edelweiss.

Après-ski in Edelweiss

Nights are relatively laid-back at Edelweiss, with entertainment limited to the cafeteria and bistro bar. However, nearby Wakefield offers more choice for après-ski, including the legendary Blacksheep Inn, a live music venue offering folk, country, world and blues music.

The resort itself comes with a ski school, a first-aid area and ski/sports shops; while the nearby town of Wakefield, with its pleasant atmosphere and interesting boutiques, offers more in the way of conveniences and accommodation.

Facilities at Edelweiss include a base lodge, offering 20 rooms, a cafeteria and bistro bar, a first-aid centre, a ski school and sports shops. For a wider selection of amenities and accommodations, visitors should head to Wakefield, which is peppered with shops and lodging options, including hotels, bed-and-breakfasts and rental cottages.

For excursions from the ski resort, the lively city of Ottawa, with a plethora of cultural, historical and recreational attractions to choose from, is only 40kms away. Equally enticing, but entirely different, is the fascinating Outaouais region, with its atmospheric rural villages and beautiful scenery.

Transportation to Edelweiss

Edelweiss ski resort is located approximately 40kms from Ottawa, the Canadian capital, and a short distance from the town of Wakefield, in the Outaouais region. The easiest method of getting to the resort is to fly to Ottawa International Airport and utilise bus transportation to the resort, but rail travel and self-drive are also popular transportation methods.

Driving from New York involves a 750-kilometre journey that takes between eight and nine hours. Take I-80/81 to highways 401 and 416 to Ottawa, followed by highway 5 for Edelweiss. From Montréal, take highway 40 (west) on to route 417 to Ottawa, and then highway 5 for the ski resort. The journey should take about three hours. From Toronto, the journey to Ottawa is 450kms, via highways 401, 37 and 7 (five to six hours).

Ottawa International Airport is the closest airport to Edelweiss and receives flights from Canada, the USA, and major cities across the world. Buses provide transportation from the airport to Edelweiss, or you can hire a car and reach the resort by crossing the Ottawa River and following highway 5. Slightly farther afield, Montréal-Dorval Airport has additional flight options.

Roughly four trains daily arrive in Ottawa from Toronto, taking about four hours to complete the journey. From Montréal, trains leave for the Canadian capital every three hours, reaching Ottawa two hours later. One train per day travels from New York to Montréal, from where you will need to change trains to get to Ottawa.

Greyhound buses connect cities across Canada with Ottawa, and both day and night buses run to the capital from New York, taking approximately 11 hours, and Chicago, taking 19 hours. Ski buses run from both the rail and bus stations in Ottawa to Edelweiss.