When the ski resort at Fortress Mountain closed in 2004, Alberta lost one of its most interesting places to ski. Since then, the area has been closed for hiking and the only access has been provided through a cat skiing operation in the winter.
However, this is about to change as Fortress Mountain is scheduled to re-open in December 2023.
Located in Kananaskis Country just over an hour’s drive from the city of Calgary, Fortress Mountain is blessed with 600 – 900cm (20 – 30 feet) of dry Rocky Mountain powder and an impressive 700 m (2,300 foot) vertical drop.
It has the highest base elevation of any ski resort in Canada at 1,800 m (5,905 feet) and the area once hosted events for the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympic Games. It has also been one of the more popular Alberta movie locations where famous scenes were filmed from the Hollywood movies Inception, The Bourne Legacy, Brokeback Mountain and The Revenant.
From open bowls to forested glades, Fortress Mountain has it all. It has more advanced piste than nearby Nakiska Ski Resort and some of its terrain rivals Sunshine Village and Lake Louise in nearby Banff National Park.
Short Fortress Mountain Documentary:
This must-watch short film really shows off the epic terrain and scenery around Fortress Mountain. It was made last year by the Blackcrows, an independent French freeski brand from Chamonix.
2. The Mountain Ski Chase Scene From Inception:
Fortress Mountain is most famous for the mountain ski chase scene in the Hollywood blockbuster Inception. A local Calgarian has made a short video that shows the exact spots on Fortress where both Inception and The Revenant were filmed.
3. Behind The Scenes of the Inception Ski Scene:
The story of the incredible set and the filming process at Fortress Mountain for the movie Inception. Another good short video details the construction process of the Fortress complex from the movie.
While Fortress Mountain has been scheduled to reopen a few times before, let’s hope that it actually happens as advertised in December 2023.
He started Mindful Ecotourism in 2016 leading forest meditation workshops in Stanley Park near his home in Vancouver and today he leads hiking adventures in the mountains of Western Canada in the summer and South America in the winter.
Browse his upcoming workshops, hiking adventures or download one of his free educational guides.
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