Biking, Walking & Rafting in Banff & Jasper National Parks

Breath taking. It’s an interesting word, really. Looking up at the ice-draped Rockies is “breath taking.”

But putting on the crampons, stepping out on the glacier, feeling it crunch under your feet. Being humbled by the enormity is a different kind of breath taking. It’s the difference between “taking it in” and “diving in.” Rafting on a glacier-fed river. Rock climbing. Spa treatments. Crystalline lakes. Moose. Bighorn sheep. The more you get into the Canadian Rockies, the more you’ll get out of it. Some vacations are about catching your breath. This one’s about losing it.

Trip Overview:

• Natural and historic treasures discovered by foot, bike and boat
• Walk on massive Athabasca Glacier with informative mountain guides
• Bike to impossibly blue Lake Louise and Maligne Lake
• Float Class II rapids of the Athabasca River
• Spot signs of marmots, deer, beaver and coyote
• All Meals included except for 1 dinner
• Priced from $3,298

Location: Alberta, Canada

2012 Dates: June 23, June 30, July, 7, July 14, July 21, July 28, August 4, August 11, August 18,
August 25, September 1

2011 Pricing:

$ 3,298 per person
Single Supplement $ 600
All meals included except for 1 dinner

Day 1: Valley of the Five Lakes Hike

Day 2: Maligne Canyon Biking & Athabasca River Rafting

Day 3: Kerkeslin Biking Athabasca Glacier Walk

Day 4: Bow Falls Lookout Hike & Great Divide Biking

Day 5: Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse Hike

Day 6: Johnston Canyon Biking

Routes for All Abilities

Every trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next-and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.  Your choices range from a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the most difficult. 

Day 1

Valley of the Five Lakes Hike

Meet your trip leader at 8:30 a.m. at Rundlestone Lodge in Banff. Please arrive in your hiking clothes and have a daypack containing your rain gear and other items you might need on today’s walk (e.g., sunglasses, camera, swimsuit, etc.). See “Arriving & Departing” for additional logistics information.

Welcome to the Canadian Rockies! After meeting we shuttle up the scenic Icefield Parkway to Jasper National Park. Once there, stretch your legs in pristine mountain wilderness at the Valley of the Five Lakes. Hike along the shore of the valley’s jade-green namesakes and through the habitats of mule deer, elk, beaver and coyote. In midsummer you may be lucky enough to see mountain orchids in bloom. For the brave of heart a dip in Lake Four is a bracing way to inaugurate your Canadian adventure.

Our home for the next two evenings is The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, ranked among the world’s best resorts by Condé Nast Traveler. After settling in, we gather for a wine reception followed by an elegant dinner at the hotel.

Lodging: The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge

Day 2

Maligne Canyon Biking & Athabasca River Rafting

This morning we shuttle to Maligne Lake, one of Jasper National Park’s best-known attractions. The Canadian Rockies’ longest and deepest lake, Maligne is world renowned for its intense blue-green color. Here your leaders fit your bike and give a brief talk on biking techniques and safety.

Then you’re off on an exhilarating, predominantly downhill ride interspersed with a series of rolling hills. The route provides great opportunities for spotting bear, moose, deer and elk. Stop along the way for a short hike at Maligne Canyon—250 feet deep in places, yet sometimes scarcely more than 3 feet wide. It’s said to be the most inspiring and interesting canyon in the Rockies.

Next we head to the chilly Athabasca River, where a guided Class II float provides a different perspective on the landscape, as well as more chances to see wildlife. Climb into sturdy rafts and follow a route used by early fur traders and explorers, riding the Athabasca’s mellow glacier-fed rapids. Back at the hotel, take advantage of the amenities: canoe on Lake Beauvert, investigate the picture-perfect surroundings on horseback or indulge in a spa treatment. (These activities are not included in the trip price. Advance reservations are recommended; see “During Your Trip” in your Travel Planner for more information.) This evening you’re on your own for dinner; sample the fare in downtown Jasper or choose from among our lodge’s several restaurants.

Lodging: The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge

Day 3

Kerkeslin Biking Athabasca Glacier Walk

After breakfast, pedal along a quiet road to Athabasca Falls, one of the Rocky Mountains’ most powerful and breathtaking cascades. The force of the water has carved intricate features into the soft limestone, including potholes and a small canyon.

After a picnic lunch we head to the austere terrain of the Columbia Icefields, the largest of the chain of ice fields along the Great Divide separating Alberta and British Columbia.

The meltwater generated by this giant ice field eventually flows down to feed the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. In the company of certified mountain guides, we strap on crampons and set out on an interpretive walk on Athabasca Glacier, a massive river of ice riddled with deep-blue crevasses. The slow-moving giant, which rolls along at a blistering 50 feet a year, is in places more than 900 feet deep—about the height of a 60-story building.

Today ends at the modest Num-Ti-Jah Lodge, situated on the shore of stunningly blue Bow Lake. Jimmy Simpson, a mountain guide associated with many legends and tall tales, founded this historic pioneer lodge.

Lodging: Num-Ti-Jah Lodge

Day 4

Bow Falls Lookout Hike & Great Divide Biking

This morning you can sleep in and enjoy the cozy lodge or head straight out the front door to the shore of Bow Lake for an optional hike. Walk along the beautiful waters before traversing the lake’s alluvial fan to the face of a thundering 328-foot waterfall, fed by the Wapta Icefield and Bow Glacier high above.

Today’s bike ride in the shadow of the Continental Divide traces the Icefields Parkway over rolling hills, with sweeping views of glaciers and forests. The route offers some of the most stunning scenery of the entire trip, not to mention a generous six-foot-wide shoulder that keeps vehicles at a comfortable distance. Beginning at a high pass at the edge of the treeless alpine tundra, it’s a mostly downhill ride to our picnic lunch. Then it’s time for a spin along a car-free route to the top of the Continental Divide—from here, a raindrop that falls on the western slope will roll on to the Pacific Ocean and one that falls to the east will end up feeding the Atlantic.
Pedal on to the Post Hotel & Spa, lauded on Condé Nast Traveler’s Gold List and winner of a Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Award. This luxurious retreat is praised for its impeccable service, superlative cuisine and stylish interiors—not to mention the newly renovated 3,200-square-foot Temple Mountain Spa. (Spa treatments are not included in the trip price; see “During Your Trip” in your Travel Planner for details.) This evening we savor an epicurean meal in the renowned dining room, praised by Travel + Leisure as one of the best hotel dining experiences in North America.

Lodging: Post Hotel & Spa

Day 5

Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse Hike

A ten-minute shuttle brings us to lovely Lake Louise, a World Heritage site located at 5,680 feet and one of the most photographed areas in the Rockies. You’ll understand why when you see the reflection of Mount Victoria in its shimmering blue-green waters. Walk along the shoreline before ascending through the barren rocky landscape created by Victoria Glacier. Keep an eye out for mountain goats, pikas and hoary marmots that make their homes in the boulder fields, and be sure to take in the spectacular vista behind you.

After a 1,200-foot climb you arrive at the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse, nestled among pine trees with amazing views of Mount Victoria and six surrounding glaciers. The teahouse was built in the 1800s by the Canadian Pacific Railway with the help of Swiss guides. It’s still a cozy spot for a lunch break—fancy some chocolate cake? Then forge ahead to Lake Agnes along the Highline Trail and past Mirror Lake, also known as “the Goat’s Looking Glass.” Back at the hotel we reconvene for a celebratory farewell dinner.

Lodging: Post Hotel & Spa

Day 6

Johnston Canyon Biking

Head out this morning for the final ride of the week. From the hotel, bike past towering peaks, virgin forests and the teal water of the Bow River, so named because the early Cree Indians found wood for making hunting bows near its banks. In Johnston Canyon, a short scenic hike takes you to a series of stunning waterfalls. After a picnic lunch we shuttle back to Banff, where we say our goodbyes.