Fortress Mountain

Fortress Mountain is a decent but small resort, that lies in the shadow of some very impressive rock faces. Located only 40 miles from Calgary, Fortress attracts a fair amount of weekend city dwellers, but don't be put off, as it's a cool place to ride. There are great off-piste areas and full on tree-riding, whose marked trails cover three sides of the mountain. Even though it's rated as more of an intermediate's resort, beginners and advanced riders should not feel left out. Those who can handle themselves at speed have plenty of hard-core riding to go for, especially on Backside, where you can find a nice double diamond black trail to test you. The mountain's layout helps to maintain a good snow covering, as well as providing some excellent powder terrain, which can be ridden into May.