This sublime backpacking tour encapsulates much of the unique ambiance of the southern Canadian Rockies. Representative landscapes are revealed to you along the way as you crest each pass and enter each valley: Primeval forests, flower-strewn meadows, turquoise lakes reflecting rugged peaks and glaciers.
Walking is never boring in this wonderland with unbelievable flowers in July and August to be followed in September by the blazing fall colors of the larches which punctuate and define the alpine meadows.
You and your hiking companions will be another attraction. The relaxed ambiance on the trail and around the campfire will add a whole new dimension to your holiday in the mountains. With its mostly moderate distances and opportunities for ridge hiking, the tour can be a great first time backpacking experience in the Canadian Rockies. Not only is there exquisite scenery but you will also be sharing the trail with like-minded people from around the globe. It all adds up to an active and exhilarating mountain holiday.
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Availability (2024):
INTERNATIONAL NUMBER: +1 778 348 1676
You can also send an email to info@adventures.com, or use the contact form here below.
Find out more details about the tour and its highlights
Guide information: There will be a maximum of nine guests and a minimum of four. Your guide will be a fully-trained professional, licensed by Parks Canada.
Restrictions:
No prior hiking experience is needed for this hike but participants will be carrying backpacks of as much as 16 kg (35 lbs) for as long as six hours.
Participants must be in the good physical condition and able to carry a backpack over hilly terrain for a succession of days. The trails are generally good. By using food drops at Tumbling Creek, backpack weights are moderate.
Transportation: Trips originate and end in Canmore, Alberta.
Weather: Summer temperatures average 15 to 25 degrees Celsius.
Meals & Dining:
The guides will supply all meals and trail snacks from lunch on Day 2 to lunch on Day 7. Groups generally go out for dinner in Canmore on the final evening (own cost).
Trail cuisine is prepared from lightweight wholesome ingredients including custom-made dehydrated dinners. For guests with dietary restrictions, we are able to modify the program food pack to meet your individual needs.
At 7.30pm we meet at the office in Canmore. We'll go over the trip with you and check to see that you are properly outfitted.)
At 7.30pm we meet at the office in Canmore. We'll go over the trip with you and check to see that you are properly outfitted.
We start from the Paint Pots just off the Radium Highway (75km from Canmore), a source of red ochre clay, used for body paint by the indigenous people. Following first Ochre then Helmet Creeks, a gradually ascending trail leads us through mature fore...)
We start from the Paint Pots just off the Radium Highway (75km from Canmore), a source of red ochre clay, used for body paint by the indigenous people. Following first Ochre then Helmet Creeks, a gradually ascending trail leads us through mature forests of spruce and fir which open up as we arrive at the campsite. Here we find ourselves at the base of a spectacular cirque dominated by one of the largest waterfalls in the Rockies... 352m Helmet Falls. Looking carefully we may spot mountain goats grazing the precipitous slopes that rim the cirque. Distance, 14.6km. Elevation gain 330m.
Today and for the rest of the trip, we are never too far from the lush sub-alpine meadows that this trail is famous for. With light packs, we head the short distance to Goodsir Pass and its magnificent mountain vistas and rock-garden like meadows. Fr...)
Today and for the rest of the trip, we are never too far from the lush sub-alpine meadows that this trail is famous for. With light packs, we head the short distance to Goodsir Pass and its magnificent mountain vistas and rock-garden like meadows. From there we can climb higher through the larch forests bordering the pass to walk along the easy mountain ridges above. Distance 6 - 10km. Elevation gain 450m-650m.
Get ready for a heady dose of beautiful alpine scenery! Today the trail takes us to the base of Limestone Peak and the northern end of the 'Rockwall', our point of reference for the remainder of the trip. Before us lies a huge area of meadows that fo...)
Get ready for a heady dose of beautiful alpine scenery! Today the trail takes us to the base of Limestone Peak and the northern end of the 'Rockwall', our point of reference for the remainder of the trip. Before us lies a huge area of meadows that follow the Rockwall south. A five-minute side trip takes us to Wolverine Pass, a giant cleft in the Rockwall. From here we look over the Beaverfoot Valley to the spectacular spires of the Bugaboos some 70 kilometers away to the west. After this, we drop a short distance into the head of Tumbling Creek and our camp. Distance 12.4km. Elevation gain 700m., loss 560m.
Today is relatively easy involving a scenic climb to Tumbling Pass with the Tumbling Glacier not far to the side. Tumbling Pass is a narrow cleft and the meadows are dotted with larches that seem to be designed for our aesthetic pleasure. From the pa...)
Today is relatively easy involving a scenic climb to Tumbling Pass with the Tumbling Glacier not far to the side. Tumbling Pass is a narrow cleft and the meadows are dotted with larches that seem to be designed for our aesthetic pleasure. From the pass, we have the opportunity to do some ridge walking in order to enlarge the already marvelous vistas. Then it's a long descent into Numa Creek where we camp once more. Distance 7.1km. Elevation gain 330m, loss 715m.
Today's objective is Floe Lake, one of the most beautiful spots in the Rockies and a highlight of this trip. We reach it via Numa Pass, the highest point on the trail. Here, we are surrounded by high peaks whilst meadows and forests drop into the val...)
Today's objective is Floe Lake, one of the most beautiful spots in the Rockies and a highlight of this trip. We reach it via Numa Pass, the highest point on the trail. Here, we are surrounded by high peaks whilst meadows and forests drop into the valleys below. Amazingly the view gets better as we descend, for below us appears Floe Lake, its blue waters speckled with ice that fell from the glacier above. The hard work is behind us now as we settle into this spectacular lakeside camp. Distance 10.2km. Elevation gain 860m, loss 315m.
In the summer of 2003, the valley below the campsite was burnt out in a large forest fire. This provides us with the unique opportunity to hike in a forest in its regenerative phase. We descend for 10km through the burnt forest to the Radium Highway...)
In the summer of 2003, the valley below the campsite was burnt out in a large forest fire. This provides us with the unique opportunity to hike in a forest in its regenerative phase. We descend for 10km through the burnt forest to the Radium Highway, surrounded by flowering perennials taking advantage of the extra sunlight. Hiking in this valley we come to understand how fire is a positive force of regeneration! Transportation is awaiting us at the trailhead and we head back to Canmore for hot showers and an evening of reminiscence and celebration! Distance 10.7km. Elevation loss 690m.
Deposit and taxes
Pricing does not include: 5.00% GST.
A 35% deposit is required to hold your reservation.
Balance of payment is due 57 days before trip commencement.
CANCELLATION POLICY & DETAILS
You have 24 hours from when you make your booking to change or cancel with no charge to you (provided your booking does not depart within 15 days).
If canceling your public or private program anytime between the time of booking and up to 57 days before the program start, you will receive a full refund less a $100.00 (plus tax) administration fee and less a 4% service fee. The 4% service fee is calculated on the total amount being refunded for the canceled program. This includes the program fee, any program add-ons (such as gear rental) and taxes.
Cancellation less than 42 days before the program start and during the program results in a loss of the entire amount paid. We will gladly accept a substitute guest should you not be able to attend provided they meet the prerequisites for the program.
Between 56 days and 42 days before the program start, 60% of the program cost will be refunded.
We will gladly accept a substitute guest should you not be able to attend provided they meet the prerequisites for the program. Cancellations must be received in writing (letter, fax or email).
