The Canadian Rockies
- Banff, Lake Louise, Yoho and Kootenay National Parks
Day 1: Arrival Day
We will meet all guests in Banff in our hotel for a briefing and our welcome dinner.
Day 2: The Grand Circuit Hike in the Lake O'Hara Basin
Our day begins with a 30 minute van transfer from Banff to Lake Louise, where the Lake O'Hara Lodge shuttle will pick us up for another short transfer by bus on a fire road. From there, we have many options. There are several loop hikes ranging from 12 to 15 kilometers covered in about 6 hours of hiking.
With only 250 vertical meters to cover, this will be a gentle introduction to hiking in the Canadian Rockies.
Overnight in Lake Louise.
Day 3: Iceline Trail in Yoho National Park
A short, 45-minute drive to the trailhead at Takkakaw Falls allows the group to reach one of the most breathtaking vistas of the trip. We begin to climb steadily out of the valley up to an avalanche slope in order to reach the Alpine terrain lying just below the hanging glaciers on the Vice President. Post glaciated terrain of moraines and braided streams open up to unimpeded views of the Wapta icefields to the east and to the north.
22 Kilometer loop hike. 700 vertical meters of elevation gain.
8-10 hours of hiking time including breaks and lunch. Hotel in Lake Louise
Day 4: Moraine Lake, Banff National Park
We trek on the well-established park trails system that begins at the Moraine Lake Lodge and climbs up through the mature evergreen forest of Larch into the Alpine Zone. Depending on the weather and the group's ability, several options are available to lengthen the trek. Our destination for the day is Wenkchemna Pass via Eiffel Lake. We then loop back to Moraine Lake via Sentinel Pass and then back to Lake Louise for the evening.
21 km loop with 730 meters of vertical gain. 8-10 hours of hiking depending on trails chosen.
Day 5: Helen and Katherine Lakes region
Our trailhead is located 30 minutes away on the Banff-Jasper Highway surrounded by some of the most majestic scenery in the park. Hiking in the high alpine, our trail takes us high on a ridge on the eastern side of the Bow Valley with stupendous views of the main range peaks surrounding Lake Louise and the Wapta Icefields. This is an active area for large mammals such as the brown bear and mountain goats. We return via the same trail before driving back to Lake Louise for the evening. 550 meters of vertical gain, 6 hours of hiking.
Day 6: Bow Lake area
35 minutes from Lake Louise, the beautiful Num ti jah Lodge sits on the shores of Bow Lake where our day-hike begins at the headwaters of the Bow River which then flows southward towards Banff National Park and Calgary. Our walk brings us towards the base of the Bow Glacier, which descends from the majestic Wapta Icefields. Under glacier-polished cliff-bands, where glaciers terminate in melt water tarns, we weave our way up a series of protected benches taking in the beautiful alpine scenery and rugged terrain. After our last hike, we will transfer to Banff for our last evening and farewell dinner.
300 meters of vertical gain, 6 hours of hiking.
Day 7: Departure Day
Individual departure of all guests from Banff.
