Rocky Mountains of Canada: The nature sanctuary

Rocky Mountains of Canada– The immensity is difficult to imagine and, also, to describe. And if that immensity is perfect, so much the worse. The Canadian Rockies, immeasurable and with one of those endless beauties, is the best example of the unimaginable – gigantic blue, gray, black and white barrier, marked by sharp peaks -, rise like a huge wall without interruption at 2,500 meters above the soft undulations of the meadow. Such a wall had to retain for a long time the most enterprising pioneers. Even today, as it grows over the horizon without any steps appearing, one feels a vague apprehension … But, suddenly, a narrow valley marks the beginning of one of the most beautiful walks in the world: the crossing of the Canadian Rockies. A journey of about 300 kilometers through the National Parks of Ban ff and Jasper. You can see a thousand photos of both, but you’ll never know what’s there until you’ve walked them. They are more than 20 thousand square kilometers in which only a couple of towns and some scattered houses are seen united by a road, the 93. The rest is an endless succession of almost virgin spaces, lakes of turquoise waters, always snowy mountains They invite hiking and living surrounded by grizzly bears, waterfalls and glaciers. Almost nothing.

Rocky Mountains:  Wild habitat

You can not cite all the lakes, nor all the torrents, nor all the rivers, nor all the waterfalls that make Rocky Mountain parks – Banff, Jasper, Yoho and Kootenay – a paradise for lovers of wild nature. Here the animals are in their own house and soon one gets used to seeing a deer stick its snout to the glass of the car. Of all the Canadian parks, Banff is the star. Declared a National Park in 1885, it is the oldest reservation in the Rockies and includes wooded areas, glaciers and mountains that reach 4,000 meters above sea level. More than 1,500 kilometers of marked trails that, with different levels of difficulty, allow you to walk between nature in its pure state. The starting point to start an unforgettable route is the city of Calgary, 130 kilometers from Banff. There it is easy to get a car, which is the best way to discover the parks because it allows you to move freely. Anyway, it’s good to know that several coach lines connect Calgary with the Rockies area.

Inescapable scales

Banff Park is the most accessible and visited part of the Canadian Rockies, but that does not make it less attractive. The first obligatory stop is Lake Louise. A tongue of ice from the Victoria Glacier sinks into the bowels of the lake and keeps it at an incredibly low temperature, even in summer. The blue waters, the virtuous white of the glacier and the color of the riverside woods are responsible for drawing the ideal landscape. A tip: the best time to contemplate it is at the dawn of the day. It is good to know, also, that these surroundings are ideal for excursions, both in summer and in winter. And it is that the homonymous city limits to the west with the National Park Yoho, where waterfalls are visited like the one of Takakkaw and Lagos by which it is possible to sail in pirogue, like the Emerald. From Lake Louise, Icefields Highway, literally Ice Fields, goes north to the town of Jasper. The 230 kilometers that separate both points are part of one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. The road follows the line of the peaks in a route plagued by glaciers, alpine valleys, lakes, peaks, waterfalls and the most diverse fauna (bears, moose, badgers, beavers, martens, coyotes …) that does not hesitate to approach the visitor . They all inhabit these rugged territories where it is possible to go through trails and glaciers, including skiing, climbing their jagged peaks or breaking into their forests aboard a snowmobile or dog sledding, without the presence of wild animals being a problem. A stop halfway up allows you to contemplate the immense Columbia glacier, ideal to spend a few days, bathe in the lakes, visit caves, make various excursions, descend by canoe or climb mountains.

The natural jewel

Jasper National Park is the largest park in the Rocky Mountains. Its 10,800 square kilometers of surface cover more than a thousand kilometers of trails that run through different ecosystems. The Ice field Center Visitor Center  explains that diversity with the help of models and audiovisuals. In Jasper, the views of the Athabasca glacier, whose waters form a beautiful waterfall, are impressive. Its 23 meters of fall are not much for the average of the Rockies, but the flow and the size of the river make them one of the most powerful. In the same town of Jasper you can take a funicular to Whistler Mountain, from where you get a wonderful view of the Ice Fields and Robson Peak, the highest of the Canadian Rockies. Jasper offers many other attractions, but the most important one is Maligned Lake. This lake, of disturbing beauty, can be crossed by boat or on foot. If you decide on the second option, you must be very attentive and be very careful with the bears. It is recommended, therefore, to go singing in areas where there is a lot of vegetation, so as not to surprise them and … so as not to be surprised.

Hotels: Between lakes and mountains

The Fairmont Banff Springs hotel is already a classic in the Canadian Rockies. Certainly few hotels in the world can compete with the majesty, hospitality and landscapes that this hotel offers. On the banks of the beautiful Bow River, it has the air of a great Scottish castle and offers luxury comfort, unique views, an impressive golf course, Spa and an excellent restaurant. Another movie option is the Post Hotel & Spa. Nestled in an exceptional valley of Banff Park, it is very close to Lake Louise. It is a seductive mountain refuge whose delicate and romantic interiors hide spacious suites. It also offers the possibility of taking clients to the places where they want to start their helicopter excursions. A more discreet but equally luxurious option is the Royal Canadian Lodge. Already in Jasper, two special options. The first, The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. What can be said of him when he knows that he is preferred by some members of the British royal family in his frequent visits to the Canadian Rockies. A leader in the global hotel industry, the resorts of the luxury Fairmont Hotels & Resorts chain, spread all over the world, carry a distinctive stamp and have a reputation for excellence. In the case at hand, it is a large complex of luxury cabins in a fairy tale setting. All the cabins are large, the rooms spacious, the service excellent and the views unforgettable. The second option is the Alpine Village Jasper, which remains open from May to October. In the heart of a large, thick pine forest, next to the Athabasca River, its 48 wooden cabins offer spectacular views of the Athabasca River itself with Mount Edith Cavell as a wonderful backdrop. Here it is usual to receive the visit of various animal groups, such as moose, because they do not fear the presence of humans. Awesome its outdoor pool, hot water.

Give yourself a Rocky Mountains bike for the new year

Supermarkets already show nougat and porousness, the change of time makes the days shorter, the cycling season en route has given way to mud and cyclotrons … The minds of many begin to concentrate on 2017, now that we enter the penultimate month of an intense 2016. And as always, begin the purposes for a new year, always full of good intentions, which often remain closed in the trunk of memories.

Today we want to encourage you to consider something that, surely, will make you turn 2017 into an unforgettable year. And you will not have to wait for New Year’s Eve, but you can put yourself on the job from tomorrow. Get the bicycle! Come out to shoot, to enjoy a unique sport that allows us to travel more or less long while we are in direct contact with everything that surrounds us: nature, friends, environment … There is no excuse, every time we are more Spaniards than We enjoy the pedal and all the good times that it gives us.

Are you afraid of road safety? Despite the accidents that occur, Spain is a good country to ride a bicycle. Although there is still a long way to go, especially with regard to legislation and penalties for abuses; but it is also true that, through the awareness campaigns of the cycling collectives, steps are being taken in this direction.

If, however, the road and traffic impose respect, you should know that not everything is asphalt. The mountain bike is offered as the great alternative in this regard. Every time there are more tracks and optimal paths in which to start in this discipline, which will allow you to discover magnificent places and live unique moments. Both on the Internet and in clubs or MT groups you can indicate a multitude of routes to follow that suit your interests or your skill and experience, with all types of terrains and degrees of difficulty. Based on all this, your safety will depend almost 100% of yourself, not to make nonsense about the bicycle, and, indispensable, to equip you with a good helmet of mob. Whether in the mountains or on the road, do not forget, keeping your head protected saves many lives.

Is it an expensive sport? Like everything, depending on what you aspire. Any sport involves expenses, but the great offer that exists thanks to the expansion of the market that have led to the online sales pages , allow us to find and compare prices that fit our possibilities. Nowadays, for example, it is relatively easy to buy cheap mountain bikes if we search the web on websites such as Bikes Radical.

Do not you like to go out alone? Do not worry! Surely you can encourage more people to go out with you, the friendship and the camaraderie that is forged on the bicycle are a wonderful experience. And, if not, with that you investigate a little you will find groups close to your town or city with which to share routes. In addition, in many regions the train will allow us to move to other places and thus increase our adventure radius.

Additional Information

The car is possibly the best means of transportation to move through the Rocky Mountains. As I said before, it is best to get to Calgary Airport , and from there to Banff, where our visit begins (much better than driving from Vancouver, since they are 800 kilometers). Yes, travel by car a good part of these Rocky Mountains means to make many kilometers, so you always have to go well provided with food, services, etc …

Another option to consider is the famous Rocky Mountaineer, the train that runs through the Rocky Mountains, the largest private rail service in North America. From Vancouver you can travel on this train to places like Jasper, Banff or Calgary. This trip is usually two days, and the train has wagons vantage points with glass domes to contemplate the wonders of the landscape.

Finally, if you attend for a moment to a map of Canada you will see how the entire western end of this huge country is dominated by the beautiful landscapes and national parks included in the famous Rocky Mountains. A system of mountain ranges so great that it runs along the western coast of North America, crossing even Alaska and reaching the southwestern United States.

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