Parks & Mountains of Western Canada

14 days (Vancouver)

Destinations visited: Canada, Vancouver

Grading:

Adventure touring level

Grading Definitions

Discovery & Cruising

These are our least demanding trips. These journeys of discovery and cruises involve little or no extended activity and are suitable for people with a basic level of fitness and good health. The itinerary may take place in remote areas (with basic facilities) and may involve long travel days on various types of transport. Sightseeing may be conducted on foot and all participants should be capable of carrying their own luggage from vehicle to hotel rooms. These adventures do not go above 2500m and rarely involve camping.
Suggested preparation: Once or twice a week, we recommend you walk on undulating terrain for an hour, for at least 2 -3 months prior to departure.

Adventure Touring

Suggested preparation: Two or three times a week, we recommend you walk on undulating terrain for an hour or more, for at least 3 months prior to departure.

Introductory

These trips involve trekking or walking, cycling, rafting or sea kayaking for up to five or six hours a day at a slow but steady pace and should never be misinterpreted to mean they are easy trips. These trips do not spend time at altitudes above 4000m and are usually a week in duration. You will need a reasonable level of fitness and good health.
Suggested preparation: 30 minutes of aerobic type exercise, (either cycling or jogging) three times a week for three months leading up to your trek. For trekking, hill walking with a daypack in variable weather conditions is also recommended. For a cycling adventure, road cycling twice a week for three months prior to departure is recommended.

Introductory to Moderate

These trips involve a combination of what is described in our INTRODUCTORY and MODERATE levels. The emphasis is on introductory activity with several moderate stages

Moderate

These adventures involve trekking, cycling, rafting or sea kayaking for up to 6 or 7 hours a day at a steady pace. These trips may spend successive days at altitudes not generally exceeding 5,500m and are usually between 10 and 15 days in duration. You will need a good level of fitness and be in good health.
Suggested preparation: 45 minutes of aerobic type exercise, three to five times a week for the three months leading up to your trek. Hill walking with a pack in variable weather conditions or road cycling is also recommended depending upon the activity you plan to undertake.

Moderate to Challenging

These adventures involve trekking, cycling, rafting or sea kayaking for up to 6 or 7 hours a day at a steady pace. These trips may spend successive days at altitudes not generally exceeding 5,500m and are usually between 10 and 15 days in duration. You will need a good level of fitness and be in good health. Suggested preparation: 45 minutes of aerobic type exercise, three to five times a week for the three months leading up to your trek. Hill walking with a pack in variable weather conditions or road cycling is also recommended depending upon the activity you plan to undertake.

Challenging

These adventures involve trekking, cycling or rafting in remote areas in variable weather conditions for up to 8 to 10 hours a day (possibly more subject to weather conditions and altitude). This may include spending successive days at altitudes not generally exceeding 6000m. These trips may often be over three weeks in duration. You will need an excellent level of fitness, be prepared to carry a daypack weighing up to 8kgs (and in some cases a full pack) and be completely comfortable in adverse weather conditions.
Suggested preparation: One hour of aerobic type exercise, four to five times a week for three to six months prior to departure. Hill walking with a pack in variable weather conditions or on/off road cycling is also recommended.

Entry Mtn/Exploratory Treks

These adventures are classed as expeditions. They involve either extreme trekking and or basic mountaineering. Expect remote and poorly defined trails in variable weather conditions for up to 12 hours a day (possibly more subject to weather conditions and altitude). This may include a number of demanding high pass crossings and evacuation may be difficult from remote areas. Suitable for first time mountaineers wishing to take the step from trekking into the realm of mountaineering. Prior experience trekking at altitude is preferable but not essential and you should be comfortable in adverse weather conditions. Prior technical mountaineering experience is not necessary. Terrain will involve low angle snow slopes. Ropes may be used during treks for glacier travel and steeper sections of ice and snow. When mountaineering, basic mountaineering instruction is given by our mountaineering guides.
Suggested preparation: For grade 8-10 mountaineering expeditions you will need to be very fit and healthy. A minimum of 1 hour of aerobic exercise per session, four to five times a week is essential. Running and cycling in hilly areas is particularly beneficial as are multi day walks on the weekends. This is the ideal time to try out your boots and other gear to make sure you are prepared and ready for your expedition. If you are considering Intermediate or advanced level trips, you will need to discuss your preparation leading up to the trip with our expert staff.

Intermediate Mtn Expedition

Participants should be competent and self sufficient in the outdoors and have experience in multi day trekking at altitude. Prior experience on an entry level mountaineering expedition is highly recommended. The terrain will involve low to moderate angle snow slopes and traveling on crevassed glaciers. Experience using ice axe and crampons is preferred but not essential.
Suggested preparation: For grade 8-10 mountaineering expeditions you will need to be very fit and healthy. A minimum of 1 hour of aerobic exercise per session, four to five times a week is essential. Running and cycling in hilly areas is particularly beneficial as are multi day walks on the weekends. This is the ideal time to try out your boots and other gear to make sure you are prepared and ready for your expedition. If you are considering Intermediate or advanced level trips, you will need to discuss your preparation leading up to the trip with our expert staff.

Advanced Mtn Expedition

These are our most challenging expeditions. Clients must have prior mountaineering experience. Most are participatory expeditions & involve load carrying, setting up of camps, cooking and campcraft. Altitude is generally greater than 6500m. Some of these expeditions also involve “technical” climbing and are for experienced alpine climbers / mountaineers only. Technical expeditions involve steep climbing at high altitude (including rock climbing). Participation on one of these expeditions is subject to acceptance by one of our high altitude mountaineering guides.
Suggested preparation: For grade 8-10 mountaineering expeditions you will need to be very fit and healthy. A minimum of 1 hour of aerobic exercise per session, four to five times a week is essential. Running and cycling in hilly areas is particularly beneficial as are multi day walks on the weekends. This is the ideal time to try out your boots and other gear to make sure you are prepared and ready for your expedition. If you are considering Intermediate or advanced level trips, you will need to discuss your preparation leading up to the trip with our expert staff.

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Explore western Canada's best national parks on foot

This comprehensive journey from Vancouver to Calgary uncovers the natural splendours of some of Canada's finest National Parks. At night we stay in comfortable hotels while during the day our fully supported walks reveal the diverse landscapes that this area is famous for from the prairies to the heights of the Rocky Mountains. We discover a vast wilderness of countless alpine lakes and pristine conifer forests set beneath a backdrop of high peaks and tumbling glaciers. A land of elk, moose, caribou, bighorn sheep, black and grizzly bears of which our guides can spin a tale or two. We also visit the oldest and biggest Buffalo jump that Blackfoot Indians have run for thousands of years. Time in the beautiful Canadian cities of Vancouver and Calgary round off this superb touring adventure.

Highlights

Sightseeing in Vancouver
Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park
Waterton Lakes National Park
Unique landscapes and abundant wildlife
UNESCO World Heritage Site: Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump
Banff & Kootenay National Park
Lake Louise

Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive Vancouver

If you are arriving on the group flight you will be met by your guide and transferred to the hotel. You may also elect to have a prearranged transfer that can be organized with us before departure. In the evening there will be a short group briefing where you'll meet other participants of your group and details of the itinerary will be discussed. Overnight in Vancouver.

Day 2 Hiking the North Shore Mountains in Vancouver

The Coast Mountains rise dramatically on the north side of Vancouver and there are numerous excellent walking trails that begin within the actual city limits. The mountains are known for their steep sided canyons with suspension bridges spanning the chasms, temperate rain forests with huge Douglas Firs, and for the dramatic views they offer of the city of Vancouver. An excellent way to begin a hiking trip! Overnight Vancouver

Day 3 Sightseeing Vancouver, to Manning

Vancouver is the most attractive city in Canada – its natural beauty derived from its superb location between the Coast Mountains, Fraser River and the Pacific Ocean. We spend the morning sightseeing in Vancouver including Chinatown, the old Gastown, Stanley Park, the Aquarium and the Lions Gate Bridge. From Vancouver we drive up the Fraser Valley towards the Cascade Mountains crossing the Allison Pass. Overnight Manning

Day 4 Cascade Mountains

The Skyline loop trail begins at Lightning Lake with a gradual ascent to the ridge. The rewards of this climb come with a spectacular view of the Cascade Mountains whose foothill meadows are adorned with an amazing display of wildflowers. From Despair Pass we hike down to Strawberry Flats to the trailhead and continue on to our hotel. Overnight Manning.

Day 5 To Nelson via Greenwood

We leave the Cascade Mountains and enter the northern tip of the American Great Basin Desert, which extends as far south as Mexico. The hot and dry climate is perfect for growing apple, apricots, peaches, grapes and cherries. We enjoy lunch on the patio of a vineyard. Further on we may pause for a swim in one of the several warm lakes before continuing on to Nelson where we make a short stop in the historic town of Greenwood for coffee and cake in an old style bakery. The day ends at the picturesque town of Nelson on the west arm of Kootenay Lake. Overnight Nelson

Day 6 Kokanee Glacier Park

Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park is an undeveloped wilderness area with over 30 high altitude lakes and an extensive network of trails. The Park covers a variety of climatic zones, with vegetation ranging from dense forest to alpine grassland. It is rugged and hauntingly beautiful. From Gibson Lake we ascend to the alpine lakes where we are presented with a fantastic view of Kokanee Glacier. Overnight Nelson

Day 7 To Fernie in the Rocky Mountains

After breakfast there is an optional visit to Ainsworth Hotsprings on the outskirts of Nelson after which our journey continues on to Kootenay Lake with a 45 minute ferry ride. Crossing the water reveals astounding views of the Selkirk and Purcell Mountains as we approach Fernie in the Rocky Mountains, where the visual outlook just keeps getting better. Overnight Fernie

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Day 8 To Waterton Lakes National Park

Crossing the Crow's-nest Pass we enter the Province of Alberta, where just south the rugged, windswept mountains that characterize the Waterton Lakes National Park rise from gentle prairie grassland. Here, several different ecological regions meet and interact in a landscape shaped by wind, fire, flooding, and abundant plants and wildlife. In the early afternoon we hike through sub-alpine forests and emerge onto slopes where the plentiful food supply attracts bears and mule deer. The trail leads to the shores of the upper lake where the Krumm-holz forest (a crooked wood or elfin timber) hems the shoreline. The gnarled trees lend a fairy-tale look to the area. Overnight Waterton

Day 9 Waterton Lakes National Park (optional walk up to 8 hours)

Waterton Lakes has its own special scenery: red canyons, hundreds of deep blue lakes, bear grass (vegetation found nowhere else in the Rockies) as well as caves and coves that were formerly used by whisky smugglers. This dramatic landscape is supplemented by diverse wildlife including mountain goat, Bighorn sheep, black and grizzly bear and cougar amongst other species. Today's walk begins at Cameron Lake where we ascend a forested hillside with switchbacks to Summit Lake (1930 metres) and then on to Carthew Pass (2360 metres). The trail then descends to the Carthew Lakes where it winds along the shoreline to Alderson Lake. The final seven kilometres of trail descends through the forested valley with views of Waterton Lake and the town of Waterton itself. This is probably the most demanding walk on the trip and is completely optional. There are shorter alternative walks which offer a superb experience. Overnight Waterton

Day 10 To Banff via Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump

En route to Kananaskis Country we pause to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump - a museum dedicated to the First Nations People. The site preserves North America’s oldest and largest Buffalo Jump, used for thousands of years by Blackfoot Indians to run bison. Enjoying the sweeping prairies we drive back along the foothills into the Rockies and time permitting, meander through a high alpine meadow. Overnight Banff

Day 11 Day Walk to Burstall Pass (optional walk 5 hours)

Today's hike takes us to Burstall Pass in the southern tip of the Banff National Park where the views are splendid. The trail climbs steeply as we ascend and some sturdy walking boots are an important investment that you should make before departure. At the top, the trail plateaus out into a hanging valley where the views are expansive; Mount Assiniboine, only 20 km away; to the south, Mount Sir Douglas; to the east, Mount Birdwood and an eagle's-eye view of the valley of Burstall Creek. Mt. Assiniboine however always steals the limelight with its great ridges and sheer faces that have earned it the name of Canada's Matterhorn. Overnight in Banff.

Day 12 Banff and Kootenay National Parks

Today we will tour the area surrounding Banff and cross back into British Columbia and Kootenay National Park for an easy day hike to Stanley Glacier. This trail traverses areas recently burnt by forest fire and then enters a steep-sided valley with Stanley Glacier lying above us. It is an exciting contrast of fire and ice! Overnight Banff

Day 13 Lake Louise and Sentinel Pass

The vicinity of Lake Louise offers some excellent walking opportunities. We embark on one of the classic day hikes in this Canadian Rockies region. We start our walk at Moraine Lake near Lake Louise and walk up the Larch Valley for an incredible view over Moraine Lake and the Valley of the Ten Peaks as well as Sentinel Pass. We walk under the watchful Mount Temple; at 3543 metres it is the third highest peak in Banff National Park, and down the beautiful Paradise Valley along Paradise Creek. Overnight Banff

Day 14 Conclude, Calgary

We watch the Rocky Mountain vistas dissipate as we drive on to our final destination at Calgary where our trip concludes.

Additional Information

Inclusions

13 breakfasts & 12 lunches
13 nights hotels/lodges ranging from 2 to 4 star category
private transport for road journeys
experienced guide who also drives
all entries to National Parks and sight seeing as specified

Summary

14 day trip
13 nights hotel/lodge

Trip Main Activities

Adventure Touring
Day Walking

Group Size Min

Group Size Max

Accommodation Summary

Equipment Required

Specialist gear required include walking boots and day pack (a comprehensive gear list is provided in the pre-departure information provided on booking).

What You Carry

In your daypack you will need to carry extra warm clothing (depending on the altitude, location and weather), a rainjacket, water bottle, film and camera gear, valuables and personal items such as sunscreen, lip-eze etc.

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