Let’s be real: winter mountain sports don’t always feel like something just anyone can try. There are reasons these sports — particularly downhill skiing and snowboarding — tend to be considered exclusive. Gear is expensive. Lift tickets, lessons and gas to get to the hill add up quickly. Ski-apparel brands are typically designed for able-bodied athletes. If you didn’t grow up with ski lessons, or if a circumstance has altered the body you’re in, maybe the experience of whipping downhill on a glorious, bluebird day feels out of your reach. But that just isn’t the case anymore: adaptive programming has made winter mountain sports more accessible to individuals with physical and cognitive challenges, ski hills offer discounts and promos to lower the barrier to entry and there are options when it comes to renting gear or finding it second-hand. Because the mountains aren’t just for a certain few. The mountains are for us all.
How Adaptive Downhill Skiing “Saved” Erin Brown
Re-learning how to hit the slopes after an amputation gave this skier a newfound confidence.
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Chatting with Paralympic Skier Kurt Oatway
The Calgarian won a gold medal for Canada at the 2018 Winter Paralympics.
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How Adaptive Lessons Took the Slippery Out of the Slopes For My Son
With the help of adaptive ski lessons for her son, writer Lisa Kadane’s family can now enjoy skiing together as a family.
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How Matthew Corkum Took Up Skiing in His 30s
Matthew Corkum shares how he got into downhill skiing with the help of Rocky Mountain Adaptive.
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Accessible Mountain Dining Near Calgary
Mountain restaurants with great wheelchair access, serene choices for neurodiverse diners and destinations catering to dietary restrictions.
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Accessible Mountain Accommodations Near Calgary
These five hotels in the mountains offer ADA-approved rooms, or go above and beyond that to provide guests with an accessible experience.
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3 Questions for a Blind Cross-Country Skier About Ski For Light
We spoke with Peter Quaiattini, a passionate cross-country skier who is blind and depends on the assistance of sighted guides to navigate the trails, about accessible Nordic-ski gathering Ski For Light.
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How to Hit the Slopes Near Calgary This Winter (Without Breaking the Bank)
These are some of the ways to make getting out to the mountains more affordable, from specialty cards that get you lift ticket deals to pre-owned equipment shops.
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How Canmore-Based Charity Spirit North is Breaking Down Cultural Barriers
Spirit North strengthens relationships, increases diversity in outdoor sports and encourages Indigenous youth to become leaders in their communities.