THE ESPLANADE TRACK
Hut to Hut Hiking Vacation
One of the world's best ridge walks!
Linking alpine cirques, lakes and meadows, the Esplanade Track follows the skyline of one of British Columbia's most beautiful ranges. Running parallel to the Canadian Rockies, the Track offers exceptional panoramic views of the Rockies' most famous peaks: Robson, Columbia and Assiniboine.
Add comfortable huts, home cooked meals and light daypacks to get a walking experience that is pure mountain enjoyment!
Access is exclusively by helicopter, a great way to start and finish the trip.
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2008 Dates
July 12 - 18 with
Maria Cashin
August 2 - 8 with Deanna Anderson
Cost
$1975 Canadian includes hiking
guide, 2 nights accommodation in Canmore, 4 nights hut accommodation, all meals except dinner on Day
1 and 6,
helicopter access, and local transfers.
Not included: Gratuities &
5% Goods and Service Tax (GST)*.
Cancellation insurance available for $105.
Additional nights can be booked in Canmore for an extra charge.
* a 50% rebate of the GST is available to
non-residents of Canada.
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Meeting Place and Time
Unless you are otherwise notified we will meet you at 7.30pm in the lobby of the
Westridge Country Inn the evening of Day 1. The
Westridge Country Inn is located at 1719
Bow Valley Trail, Canmore, tel. 1 800 268
0935, local 678 5221, email
info@westridgecountryinn.com.
Please ensure that you have your hiking equipment with you.
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Program Itinerary
The Esplanade Track is known for its beautiful and extensive sub alpine meadows and lovely ridges. The huts are located in alpine basins filled with meadows, lakes and scattered stands of spruce and fir. Linking these basins (and the huts) are long flat topped ridges with marvellous panoramas of the peaks of both the Canadian Rockies and the Selkirk Mountains. If that's not enough, small peaks rise adjacent to the track providing non-technical hiking objectives for those who want to get a view that is just that much better.
Day 1: At 7.30pm we meet in the lobby of the
Westridge Country Inn in Canmore. We'll discuss the itinerary with you then check clothing and gear to make sure everyone is properly equipped for the trip. We'll answer your questions, check the weather forecast and get ready for an early departure the next day.
Day 2: After breakfast we drive 2 hours west on the Trans Canada Highway through Banff and Yoho National Parks then past Golden in British Columbia to the helicopter staging area which is just west of Glacier National Park. Following a helicopter safety briefing we fly in groups of five to the valley to the west of Vista Hut. Carrying a day pack we then begin our hiking experience crossing flower strewn meadows and a ridge to reach our day's objective: Vista Hut. Vista hut is located at 2150 meters (7050 ft) at the head of Schlicting Creek.
Lunchbreak, Esplanade Track
Day 3: Today we will continue our traverse and cross to the Meadows Hut. We hike up through Vista Basin, gaining 300 meters (~900 ft.) to reach an elevation where the trail sidles to the south crossing another alpine basin to the base of Lorenzo's gully and a final 200 meter ascent to Waikibi Ridge. From here it's all down hill as we descend into the Carroll Creek basin, leaving the barren alpine ridge behind for lush, flower-speckled meadows and mountain lakes. After descending 500 meters we reach Meadows Hut which is next to Boulder Lake at an elevation of 2200 meters (7200 ft.). We will have hiked close to 8 km but due to the twists, turns and climbs in the trail it
may seem like more.
Meadow Hut on the Esplanade Track
Day 4: A great day for a hike –
we will make our way to the summit of Mount Cupola for a truly unique
view. Many kilometres to the north is Mount Robson, the highest
peak in the Canadian Rockies. From Mount Cupola there is a panoramic view all the way south to Mount Assiniboine. All seven of the highest peaks in the Rockies can be viewed at one time!
We then stay on the ridge tops to reach the basins leading down into Wisted Creek and Sunrise Hut, the final Hut on our traverse located at 2130 meters (7000 ft.).
We will have walked for 8 km and gained and lost 520 meters.
Ridge walking on the Esplanade Track
Day 5:Today we leave our extra gear at Sunrise Hut and head out for a day trip up and around Cairn Peak or Corn Peak for more great views. It is essential that we get our fill of fine views, wonderful meadows and tempting
lakes (at least for swimmers). We'll hike for 6 km and ascend up to 500 meters.
Day 6: This the last day of living high above the valley bottoms. We rise early and watch the sunrise over the Rockies to the east. After a relaxing morning around the lodge, we fly again by helicopter to the parking area. We then drive back to Canmore arriving mid to late afternoon. Then it's time to meet at a local restaurant to celebrate life in the mountains and plan for more!
Day 7: Complimentary breakfast at the hotel
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How difficult is it? How fit and experienced need you be?
This tour involves hiking for up to 5 hours per day, distances up to 8km, elevation gains of up to 500m (~ 1500 ft.) Participants will be carrying a daypack containing spare clothing, camera, lunch and something to drink each day.
This program is designed for fit walkers. Any training you can do before you arrive will enhance your experience. No previous mountain hiking experience required.
Marmot, Esplanade Track
Visit our Trip Difficulty Comparison Chart.
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Guides and Group Size
There will be a maximum of twelve guests and a minimum of four. Your guide will be a fully-trained professional hiking guide.
Accommodation and Meals
The first and last nights of each trip will be
spent at the Westridge Country Inn. The
Westridge Country Inn is located at 1719
Bow Valley Trail, Canmore, tel. 1 800 268
0935, local 678 5221, email
info@westridgecountryinn.com.
Accommodation is double occupancy. No single
supplement applies unless you wish to guarantee a single for yourself.
Accommodations in the field will be the Sunrise, Meadows and Vista
Huts. These are simple but functional backcountry huts. These huts have single and double bunks and bedding is supplied. Heating is by wood stove and propane is used for cooking and lighting. There is no running water but each hut has a sauna for relaxing after the day and for washing.
We supply all meals and trail snacks from breakfast on Day 2 to breakfast on Day 7 except for supper on Day 6. Food is pre-packed and flown into the huts with us where it is prepared by our experienced back country cooks. Please specify any special dietary requirements you have on your application so we can incorporate them into our menus.
Vista Hut on the Esplanade Track
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Getting to Canmore and Transportation
Canmore is situated 100km (65miles) west of Calgary on the Trans-Canada Highway. It is well served by scheduled bus lines both from Calgary (airport and downtown), Banff (20km west) and points further west. Calgary International Airport is well connected to major cities throughout North America and Europe.
Once in Canmore we will supply all transport needed for the trip.
Frequent shuttles connect Calgary International Airport and Canmore. Greyhound Bus
Lines (1 800 661 8747) serves Canmore from points east and west along the Trans-Canada
Highway. Call 609 8790, 609 0300, 609 1490 or 609 8505 for taxis in Canmore.
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Clothing and Equipment
What you bring will have a big impact on the quality of your experience. Please take the time to read the information below. Make sure you have all the equipment beforehand
and reserve rentals in advance
if necessary.
Yamnuska
Mountain Adventures does have rental and
retail equipment such as sleeping bags, mats,
and backpacks.
Rental Gear List. Contact us in advance to reserve.
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Gear and Clothing Sales
Yamnuska Mountain
Adventures now has a range of backpacking equipment
and clothing for sale including recommended light-weight packs, sleeping bags, sleeping mats and
clothing. Clients signed up for a
Yamnuska Program receive 5% off retail items, with
larger discounts available on our package deals.
Details on packing light & recommended items.
Catalogue and purchase information. |
Equipment List
You will need to bring:
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BOOTS: These should be 'broken-in' and have good ankle support and tread, with 'Vibram' soles or equivalent. Your boots will make or break your holiday so some time spent getting used to them is time well spent.
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DAY PACK: Enough room to carry
your personal clothes and equipment for the week. (rentals available).
-
TREKKING POLES these are highly recommended (rentals available).
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SUNGLASSES
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Small FLASHLIGHT or HEADLAMP with
extra batteries.
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WATER BOTTLE (1 Liter)
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SUN BLOCK & LIP BALM
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SMALL TOWEL
Clothing List
Clothing must be durable to withstand mountain conditions, multi-purpose to keep packs light and compressible to leave room for lunch food in your pack. Cotton clothing is NOT recommended as an insulating layer as it causes rapid heat loss when wet.
UPPER BODY LAYERS
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Wool or fleece HAT
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BALL CAP OR OTHER SUNHAT
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3 TO 4 WARM LAYERS (1.
Light weight polypro top. 2. medium or expedition weight polypropylene top. 3. fleece jacket or sweater 4.
optional additional warm layer)
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T-SHIRT for warm dry sunny days
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RAIN JACKET with HOOD (sufficient to withstand a day of rain or snow)
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GLOVES or MITTS
LOWER BODY LAYERS
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3 pairs of wool blend SOCKS
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SHORTS (quick drying, preferably not cotton)
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HIKING PANTS (comfortable and quick drying, not cotton)
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RAIN PANTS (sufficient to withstand a day of rain or snow)
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WARM PANTS FOR EVENINGS (fleece or polypro pants)
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RUNNING SHOES OR OTHER LIGHT WEIGHT FLAT FOOTWEAR (for use around
the huts).
Optional Gear
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GAITERS (optional for early and late season, help to keep feet dry when hiking in rain, mud & snow)
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LIGHT POCKET KNIFE
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CAMERA AND SPARE FILM
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PERSONAL TOILET ITEMS (keep to a bare minimum, no scented items as we will be in bear country).
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INSECT REPELLENT
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Insurance
In the Esplanade Range you may have to pay for evacuation should you hurt yourself or fall ill (not astronomically expensive). Ensure that you have adequate travel insurance or that your health plan will cover you whilst here.
To Book
Please book as early as practical to avoid disappointment. A deposit of $726
CDN
(including GST) is required at time of booking. Final payment is due eight
weeks before the start of the trip. To avoid unnecessary cancellation penalties we suggest
you take our cancellation insurance for an extra non-refundable $105, this
can only be purchased at the time of booking.
For detailed Booking Instructions and Conditions, click here.
Please note that you will be required to sign our waiver before commencing the trip. Click here for waiver copy.
Please don't hesitate to contact us if you need to know anything else about this hike!
Sunset from the Esplanade Track
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