Banff Sunshine Village Upgrading Angel Express to Bubble Six-Pack

Banff Sunshine’s popular Angel Express—the resort’s oldest lift—will be upgraded from a quad to a bubble six-pack.

One of Banff Sunshine Village’s most popular chairlifts is getting a significant upgrade in the near future, according to Liftblog. This Western Canada resort, which straddles the border between Alberta and British Columbia, is replacing its 35-year-old Angel Express quad with a bubble six-pack. The new lift, which is expected to run in the same high-alpine alignment as the current lift up approximately two-thirds of Lookout Mountain, will be Sunshine’s first-ever six-pack and second bubble lift.

The resort plans to open the new chairlift for the 2024-25 or 2025-26 season, depending on construction feasibility.

Our Take

The Angel Express serves much of Banff Sunshine’s high-alpine Lookout Mountain terrain, and it provides the most convenient access to this area from the top of the out-of-base gondola. With a bubble replacement coming its way, this critical lift will receive much-needed insulation from the elements on that cold, wind-exposed lift line. The Teepee Town Luxury Express quad, which is currently Sunshine’s only bubble lift, gets super backed up during peak times, and by both turning Angel into a bubble and theoretically upping its capacity by turning it into a six-pack, the resort has the chance to significantly relieve Teepee Town and make for a much better overall experience in this area.

Considering a ski trip to Banff Sunshine Village this year? Check out our full Western Canada ski resort rankings, as well as our comprehensive Banff Sunshine mountain review. You can also check out our Banff Sunshine review in video form below.