The Wild Side of the Rockies

This morning you meet up with your certified guide and fellow travelers that will accompany you throughout this journey. We start heading west towards the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. Even before reaching our trailhead, we start seeing our first well know summits like the Three Sisters - Ha Ling Peak, Mount Lady Macdonald, Rundle or Cascade Mountain. Continuing deeper into Banff National Park to do our first hike on Stanley Glacier trail. After a safety briefing, we start this short walk through an old burn forest that will take us to an alpine meadow with great views of Stanley Glacier. We make our way to our hostel near Lake Louise where we’ll be able to prepare our meals in the communal kitchen and reminisce about the day’s adventures while planning the hikes to come.

Hike

Today, we head to a less explored and possibly even more stunning area of Banff NP. Starting on the shores of Moraine Lake in the Valley of the ten peaks we hike through the Larch valley to reach Sentinel Pass on the shoulder of Mt Temple. From here we can descend on the other side of the pass reaching Paradise Valley to complete a loop trail taking us back to Moraine Lake road or return the way we came. Either option we choose will be the right one, as beauty will be all around us. Returning to our hostel in time to watch the sun dipping low behind the mountains and prepare our dinner in great company.

Hike

With the Victoria Glacier as a backdrop to its emerald green silence, Lake Louise is one of the most famed and visited landmarks in the Canadian Rockies. We head out early to beat the crowds and enjoy a serene moment on the shores of Lake Louise. After feasting our eyes and filling our camera rolls with this natural gem, we head off for the stunning Plaines of six glaciers trails. Skirting along the flank of Mt Whyte the trail is a steady 5,5 km climb that rewards you with exceptional views of Lake Louise and a quaint little tea house. An extra 1,5km will get you a unique vantage point on Abbott Pass and the Victoria Glacier. If we feel like something a little bit more challenging, we can opt to climb to the top of the Big Beehive before hiking down to Lake Agnes and back to Lake Louise. With 905m of vertical, this hike is sure to get those muscles burning but the culmination and summiting are well worth the efforts.

Hike

Today, we keep pushing west to reach Yoho National Park. Yoho, a Cree expression meaning amazement and wonder. With its massive icefields, impressive waterfalls and jade green lakes Yoho is a special place with an incredible density of must-sees. We start our exploration of the park by visiting Emerald Lake, one of its more well-known attractions. After admiring the lake and perhaps enjoying a coffee on the Lodge’s terrasse, we head out to Hamilton lake for an 11km hike that will take us past Hamilton falls on the way to a beautiful alpine tarn. On the way back to our accommodation, we can stop at the natural bridge and at the spiral tunnel viewpoint to have an up-close look at this engineering marvel. Transfer back to Field for our first evening in this cozy little mountain town.

Hike

This morning we tackle one of Yoho’s signature trek: the Iceline Trail. The trail starts next to the majestic Takakkaw Falls. At 373m they are the 2nd highest in Canada. We’ll take the time to admire them at leisure before, during and after our hike. According to how we’ll proceed we’ll also get to see Laughing Fall s and Twin Falls. Taking us up the east side of the President’s range this hike offers incredible views of the falls, of the Waputik Icefield and the Daly glacier to the east. After reaching a Plateau near Yoho pass, we have a few different options for the return route. We can choose to do the complete 20km loop through the little Yoho valley or shave off a few Kms cutting through Celeste Lake. We return to our accommodation to relax and gaze at the mountains we’ve just explored while enjoying our dinner.

Hike

Today we hit THE road. And when I say THE road, I am barely being biased here. The Icefield Parkway is known as being one of the most spectacular stretches of asphalt on earth. Started in 1931 as a depression relief project it was completed in 1940. Its 233kms meander through the Rocky Mountain passing by massive Icefields and over 100 glaciers. We will make as many stops as needed to experience all the amazing sights this drive has to offer. From the Num-Ti-Jah lodge on the shores of Bow Lake to the iconic Wolf profile of Peyto lake without forgetting the Crow’s foot, Saskatchewan and Athabasca glaciers. We will make sure you see all the secret spots including a short hike on Parker Ridge trail for a stunning view of Saskatchewan Glacier. We stop for the night near Sunwapta Falls for one last hotel night before heading to our wilderness lodge tomorrow.

Hike

Continuing our way to Valemount, we stop in Jasper for some free time to explore the town and to do the necessary shopping to prepare for our upcoming 3-day excursion. Leaving Jasper, we stop on the way to check out Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Rockies. Reaching Valemount we finalize our packing and start hiking to reach our wilderness lodge for the next 2 nights. Our luggage and our food will be transported by helicopter to the hut. You will find hard to believe how stunning is the surroundings of our hut when you will travel along the road and during the hike to get there! Tucked away in a remote corner of the Rockies, the hut will be our basecamp for the next 2 days of exploration.

Hike

We will spend the next two days completely immersing ourselves in the incredible nature that surrounds the hut. Your certified guide will be able to adapt the next two days’ outings in accordance with the weather, the trail conditions, the presence of animals and the group’s strength. With charming meadows, challenging mountain passes and undisturbed alpine prairies this area is a unique playground that offers 360 degrees of bliss and it’s yours for the next 2days!!!

Hikes

As we head back towards Valemount our hearts and minds linger a little not wanting to leave this alpine haven. It is always hard to leave such a place, the connections and realizations we’ve made will stay with us for a long time. Luckily the uplifting beauty of the Icefield Parkways taking us back to Banff will help to mend or bleeding hearts. Arrive in Banff in the late afternoon just in time for some free time in town before enjoying a farewell dinner with your crew.

Hike

After the last breakfast, you might have time to explore Banff before we make our way back to Calgary for the return flights or post-tour accommodations.