Best of the Rockies Trip Notes
The classic hiking trip in the Canadian Rockies
7 Days/6 Nights
Make your Rockies walking holiday the best it can be and join the only trip in the Rockies that is planned, and operated by a local Canadian Rockies based company. Drawing from our many lifetimes of experience walking mountain trails, from the red rocks of southern Alberta to the wilds of Jasper National Park, we have created what we think is an itinerary that packs the biggest punch for the first time hiker in the Rockies. The trails have been selected for their diversity of scenery, variety of terrain, easy accessibility and most of all, because they rank highest on our “reward for effort” index. They are but a small sample of what’s to be found in the Rockies – but each hike ranks as one of the best!
Of course, covering all of the “Best of the Rockies” in one short week is really quite impossible. We should have included trails in Waterton National Park and around Jasper but have chosen not to – because of the driving distances involved. We want the “Best of the Rockies” to be not just the best walking and hiking trails in the Canadian Rockies but also to be the best use of your limited time. Don’t spend time driving when you can be walking!
Your 7 day adventure begins with a great hike in Kananaskis Country, a mountain refuge located just east of Banff National Park. It’s very familiar to local Albertans and features classic high ridge hikes and grey limestone cliffs. From here you’ll explore Banff itself and the world famous Sunshine Meadows, straddling the Continental Divide between Alberta and British Columbia. Finally you’ll conclude with the classic hikes in the Lake Louise area
2010 Dates |
Trip Cost |
June 21-27 |
Per person double occupancy: $2,500.00 Optional Insurance: $125.00 |
Inclusions
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Program Itinerary
Day 1: After arrival in Canmore we meet that evening for a welcome reception where we'll spend some time getting to know each other. We’ll go over plans and options for the following days, look at maps of the area and check to see that you are properly outfitted. Overnight Canmore Lady MacDonald Country Inn.
Day 2: Your guide will meet you at the hotel for breakfast, following which we’ll head out on our first hike - one of the many parks covering Kananaskis country. Perhaps Yamnuska Meadows or Indefatigable Ridge. We like to keep plans flexible and we like to choose a hike that's not too hard to let you acclimatize to our higher elevation and dry air. Overnight Lady MacDonald Country Inn.
Day 3: After breakfast we’ll head west and into Banff National Park where we’ll take a shuttle bus ride up into the world famous Sunshine Meadows. The bus ride up this winding mountain road takes us right to edge of the alpine where we’ll begin walking in meadows that will make us think of the Alps and “Sound of Music”. The lakes and flower filled meadows here along the continental divide are ones you’ll remember a long, long time! Overnight tonight in Banff at Homestead Inn.
Day 4: Today’s hike takes us into Kootenay National Park and the Stanley Glacier Trail. You’ll walk through a remarkable valley of “Fire and Ice” – “fire” being the remains of a 1968 wildfire, almost regrown now, and “ice” being the Stanley Glacier overhanging the cliffs at the head of the valley. Overnight Homestead Inn.
Day 5: Enroute to Lake Louise! A one hour drive to Lake Louise brings us to the Canadian Rockies’ most famous trailheads, the trails along Lake Louise, the Plain of Six Glaciers and Lake Agnes. It’s a popular area but for a very good reason – the scenery is absolutely breathtaking! We have a number of route choices here but at the end of the day all trails will lead directly back to our hotel for the night, the rustic Deer Lodge, located just a few minutes walk from the shores of the lake.
Day 6: For our final day of hiking, we’ll have a difficult choice to make: either Moraine Lake and Sentinel Pass or the Iceline Trail in Yoho National Park. It’s a difficult choice to make because we consider both of these trails to be in the list of top 3 hiking trails of the Canadian Rockies! Overnight Deer Lodge.
Day 7: Breakfast at Deer Lodge with complimentary shuttle to Calgary included in the morning.
How difficult is it? How fit and experienced need
you be?
This program is designed for fit walkers. No previous mountain hiking experience required.
This Canadian Rockies walking trip involves hiking for up to 6 to 7 hours per day, usually with distances of 10-14 kilometres. The final walk may be longer with a possible distance up to 21 km. Elevation gains will vary from 300 m up to 800 m. (2,800 ft) on the final day. You will need to carry a daypack large enough for spare clothing, your camera, lunch and something to drink each day.
Guides and Group Size
Your guides are experienced professional hiking guides with certification from the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides and from the Mountain Parks Heritage Interpretation Association. They are chosen for their enthusiasm and interest in sharing their knowledge of these mountains.
The minimum group size will be 4, maximum 10.
Accommodation and Meals
Accommodation is double occupancy. Each of the accommodations we’ve chosen have been selected for their unique character and relatively easy access to other amenities. Canmore, Banff, and Lake Louise are all very interesting communities and we have found over the years that most people who visit the Canadian Rockies also want to get a feel for the local culture. Canmore is known for its arts community and local galleries, Banff for its tourism heritage going back to the 1880’s and Lake Louise for its spectacular scenery. All 3 have excellent choices for restaurants and pubs – which is why we have not included dinner, except for the last night’s farewell dinner. The Lady Macdonald Inn is a small country style Inn run by a longtime Canmore couple. The Homestead Inn in Banff is a small hotel/motel in downtown with a great restaurant and local’s pub upstairs with easy access to everything in town. The Deer Lodge in Lake Louise is a rustic lodge with an excellent restaurant and best of all, is just a few minutes walk from the lake itself.
We will be happy to book rooms for you in before and after the tour.
All breakfasts are included as are picnic lunches and trail snacks. Dinner on the final night is included. Please specify any special dietary requirements you have on your application so we can incorporate them into our lunch menus.
Transfers to and from Calgary
We will arrange a shuttle for you from Calgary or Calgary Airport to Canmore and from Lake Louise back to Calgary. Once the final group is confirmed your guide will plan a group shuttle departure that fits most arrivals. If your arrival does not fit this departure we will arrange a shuttle for you with one of the scheduled services. Return to Calgary will be arranged in the same manner. Driving time from Calgary to Canmore is approx. 1 ¼ hours and driving time from Lake Louise to Calgary is approximately 2 ½ hours.
Climate
This trip operates during the main months of summer, though snow can linger at high elevations until well into the season. Weather is unpredictable at any time of year, but is generally quite warm in July and August. Daytime highs range from 15-25 C and nighttime temperatures can drop to 5-10 C. Temperatures in June and September can be cooler with nighttime temperatures occasionally dropping below freezing. As with alpine environments throughout the globe, the higher you go, the lower the temperature becomes. Ensuring that you have the correct clothing for an alpine environment is crucial. Please see below for information on clothing and equipment requirements.
Insurance in the National Parks
Please ensure that your health plan will cover you in case of illness or accident whilst here. Obtain extra travel insurance if necessary.
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