Canadian Rockies

There can be few places on Earth where so much dramatic mountain scenery is to be found as in the Canadian Rockies, where a string of incredible National Parks stretch north-west from Calgary.

​

Almost everywhere you look there will be magnificent mountains and startlingly blue lakes and rivers. The landscape is truly monumental and has a feeling of immensity and wilderness no longer found in Europe. To give you some idea of the scale, the distance from Banff to Jasper is about the same as from London to Stoke on Trent - apologies to those of you not resident in the UK! Yet there are only two settlements along the whole route and only one of those is of an appreciable size. The mountains tower above us, sometimes over 2,000m directly from the roadside.

From its humble beginnings as a 26 square kilometre hot springs reserve, Banff National Park now consists of 6,641 square kilometres of unparalleled mountain scenery nestled in the heart of the magnificent Canadian Rockies. Each year, millions of visitors come to Banff to marvel at the emerald waters of Lake Louise, walk amongst the flower-filled havens at Sunshine Meadows, and drive beneath the towering jagged peaks lining the Icefields Parkway.

 

The tour begins with four nights near Lake Louise, a perfect jumping off point for exploring ​​the seven national and provincial parks that comprise the 26,583 sq. km Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site.​ The National Parks near to our accommodation include Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay.

​

Snow-capped peaks, glistening glaciers and sweeping vistas are just part of the allure of Banff National Park. The wilderness is also home to some of North America's wildest creatures, including grizzly bears, caribou and wolves.

​

The iconic vista of Lake Louise, from the hotel at its head, is perhaps one of the best known views in the Canadian Rockies. But there are many more interesting sights. With fair weather we might take the opportunity to climb through the forest to the north of the lake to see Lake Agnes, nestled in a glacial basin among the high peaks. As well as photography, this also offers the reward of some delicious apple pie from the Lake Agnes Tea House.

​

A short drive takes us to Morraine Lake, an excellent location for a dawn panorama across the turquoise waters to the serried summits of the Valley of the Ten Peaks.

​

Further south, Vermillion Lakes - just outside the town of Banff - has stunning views at dawn or dusk towards Mount Rundle. If the weather is still, the lake reflects the sky and mountain beautifully.
 

The word Yoho is the Cree word expressing awe, very appropriate for a national park filled with gem coloured glacial lakes, waterfalls, snow-covered peaks and dense forests of western red cedar and western hemlock.

​

Emerald Lake is the true gem. Weather permitting we will take the easy, level trail to its far end for magnificent views across the water towards Mount Wapta. Some of the oldest fossils of soft bodied creatures were found in the Burgess Shale, high on its slopes. Over 120 marine animal species, dating back as far as 530 million years, gave new and very significant insights into the development of life on Earth. 

Other Yoho marvels include a natural rock bridge over the Kicking Horse River, hoodoos and some of Canada's highest waterfalls, such as the elegant Takkakaw Falls. There are also historic railroads (with spiral tunnels within mountainsides) and steep rock faces where mountain goats roam.

 

The Kootenay National Park (1,406 sq. km) is part of the Central Rockies Ecosystem, a vast protected area of global significance. For thousands of years this area was part of the traditional lands of the Ktunaxa (Kootenay) and Shuswap First Nations people. Archaeological evidence suggests the mountains were used primarily as seasonal hunting grounds. Groups also travelled across the mountains periodically to hunt bison on the plains east of the Rockies. Some sites have spiritual significance.

 

We will then travel north for six nights' stay in Jasper. Jasper N.P. is reached via the Icefields Parkway. This road offers unparalleled beauty as you travel alongside a chain of massive icefields straddling the Continental Divide. The Columbia Icefield borders the parkway at the southern end of the park.

Jasper ​​​National Park is the largest of Canada's Rocky Mountain parks. It spans 10,878 sq. km (4,200 square miles) of broad valleys, rugged mountains, glaciers, forests, alpine meadows and wild rivers along the eastern slopes of the Rockies in western Alberta. This feels even wilder than the parks to the south. If one studies a map it is quickly apparent that there are no roads at all in the northern half of the Park. True wilderness.

 

There are, however, more than 1,200 kilometres (660 miles) of hiking trails; there is so much to explore! But it's not all on foot - phew! A number of spectacular drives take you up into the heart of the mountains. Chief amongst these is the route to Angel Glacier on Mount Edith Cavell. Named after its shape, which suggests outstretched wings, the glacier clings onto the steep northern face of the mountain. The glacial lake at the foot of the mountain is often filled with bergs, great subjects against the vivid blue water.

​

A longish drive from Jasper takes us Maligne Lake (pronounced maleen), a watery highway stretching far into the distance. En route we will visit Maligne Canyon, deeply incised into the limestone bedrock, and Medicine Lake which has no outfall yet mysteriously drains in the summer.

Large numbers of elk, bighorn sheep, mule deer and other herbivores, as well as their predators make Jasper National Park one of the great protected ecosystems remaining in the Rocky Mountains. This vast wilderness is one of the few remaining places in southern Canada that is home to a full range of carnivores, including grizzly bears, mountain lions, wolves and wolverines.

 

All in all, this tour represents a very special landscape experience.