Canada

Arrive on independent flights to Calgary and transfer by coach to Banff, nestled in the heart of Canada’s first national park, Banff National Park. This evening enjoy a welcome reception and dinner at our hotel.

Start the morning with breakfast and a lecture and continue to Lake Louise for a photo opportunity and a ride on the Lake Louise Gondola. Enjoy lunch and the views from the top of the Gondola before returning to the Rimrock Hotel for an afternoon and evening at leisure.

Depart Banff early this morning and travel westward along the shores of the Bow River, past the soaring mountain citadels of Banff National Park, through Yoho National Park, to Golden, British Columbia. Drive south through the Rocky Mountain Trench, with the Rockies to the east and the front ranges of the Columbia Mountains to the west. Board our helicopter and enjoy a short, scenic flight to our first lodge, where we are outfitted with all the equipment we’ll need for our hikes. Lunch is followed by our first helicopter ride and hike. Fly back to our lodge for a relaxing evening and dinner.

Enjoy two full days of hiking with our expert mountain guides, who lead us to different scenic spots each day, depending on conditions and the interests of the group. Summit the challenging Mount Nimbus, traversing a suspension bridge 2,000 feet above the valley floor and climbing the most extensive via ferrata in North America. Hike Conrad Glacier, zip lining, crossing rivers over cabled bridges, navigating wild canyons and maneuvering around waterfalls. Or enjoy more leisurely walks and hikes. At the end of each day, fly back to our warm, cozy lodge for beverages and snacks, followed by a delicious dinner with fellow hikers and guides.

Today take a helicopter ride to Grizzly Ridge for an all-day hike to the high country in the nearby Bugaboos Range, enjoying a picnic lunch along the way. After dinner perhaps enjoy the warmth of the sauna, get vertical on the lodge’s climbing wall or get horizontal curling up with a book on a couch by the fire.

Enjoy two more full days of heli-hiking. Join the Skyladder Via Ferrata hike climbing fixed metal rungs in the morning to reach the deep valleys above, where we hike gaze over dazzling blue-and-white glaciers. If conditions permit, try a glacier trek through a labyrinth of snow and ice, using ropes, crampons, ice axes and harnesses. Alternatively, opt for a more leisurely hike or walk, or remain at the lodge to relax on the lawn and bask in the sun, enjoying magnificent views of the surrounding glacier-covered peaks and the iconic Bugaboo spires. Both evenings, we return to the lodge for drinks, snacks, dinner and the opportunity to share tales from the day’s adventures.

Following breakfast, take one last helicopter ride to meet our coach for the drive through the Kootenay region and Banff National Park back to Calgary. Arrive at the airport and board early-evening flights back home.