CANADA - Rocky Mountain Pioneer
In the Footsteps of 19th Century Pioneers and Fur Traders - Banff and Yoho national parks - The dramatic Columbia Icefields - 4-day Canadian canoe journey on the Athabasca River
2 nights hotels. 11 nights camping, 7 days MODERATE trekking, 5 days Canadian canoeing, max altitude - 2789m /9150ft. All meals except 1 dinner and 1 lunch included.
moderate
After a short transfer from Calgary, our exploration of this region begins with a series of exciting day hikes in the mountains of the Banff and Yoho national parks. Staying in comfortable fixed campgrounds for the first week, we have the chance to trek to outstanding viewpoints above Lake Minnewanka and Emerald Lake. Travelling north on the Icefields Parkway, we stop off to hike on Parker Ridge above the Saskatchewan Glacier. Arriving at Jasper, we have a couple of days for exploration, including the chance to hike by way of Maligne Lake to a high peak beyond. We then turn our attention to the second part of our trip, the descent of the Athabasca River. As an introduction to Canadian canoeing, we have a day of instruction on the quiet waters of a lake, learning basic canoe strokes and safety routines. Perfectly suited to novice canoeists, the Athabasca River is not a steep whitewater river by any means, but will provide plenty of interest en route. The 4-day section of the river that we will be tackling runs from Hinton to Whitecourt, traversing a real wilderness area, no towns, no houses, nothing but pristine nature and plenty of opportunity to spot beaver, elk, bear and moose. This is your chance to follow in the footsteps of the 'voyageurs', the early explorers of the Canadian Rockies.
This trip includes a week of day-hikes from campground bases close to Banff, Jasper and in the Yoho National Park. On each of 7 days, we will have a guided hike, varying in duration from 2 or 3 hours to 6 or 7 hours, depending on the time available to us. We will usually be following well-established routes and, for the most part, the paths are excellent. The trip also includes 5 days in Canadian canoes, undergoing a day’s training and then making a 4-day descent of the Athabasca River. This is relatively easy canoeing, suitable for beginners, with a few straightforward white water sections. During this descent, all of the group’s equipment will be carried in the canoes. During the trip group members will be invited to participate in camp chores including the cooking of meals.
The trip pages are only a brief summary of the details available within our trip dossiers. It is important that you read the full day to day description and further information for this trip before making your booking.
Download a dossier for CANADA - Rocky Mountain Pioneer
