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.

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. Both trips are scheduled for when the wildflowers are at their best.

Day 1: At 7:30 pm we meet in the lobby of  your hotel in Canmore. We'll discuss the itinerary with you and 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 the most southern point of the trip, Sunrise Hut sitting at 2130 meters (7000 ft.).  After getting settled and receiving some brief instructions on hut use, we will head out for a hike to explore the surrounding area.

Day 3: We spend today hiking and scrambling peaks around the Sunrise Hut. There are many great trails to explore and some excellent alpine meadows and vistas from which to discover more of the wonders of this incredible range. We will spend the night once again at the Sunrise Hut.

Day 4:  A great day for a journey!  We leave the valley basin, gaining elevation to reach our trail for the day along Paradise Ridge.  The barren alpine of the ridge allows for panoramic views of the surrounding flower-speckled meadows, alpine lakes and the majestic Mount SIr Sandford, the highest peak in the Selkirks.  Eventually we descend through Vista Basin, losing 300 meters (approx. 900 ft.) to reach our final destination, Vista Hut at 2150 meters (7050 ft.).

Day 5: This is the last day of living high above the valley bottoms. We rise early and watch the sunrise over the Rockies to the east. Enjoy the morning relaxing around the lodge or take a short hike in the area.  We then fly again by helicopter to the parking area and drive back to Canmore via Lake Louise arriving late afternoon. Then it's time to meet at a local restaurant to celebrate life in the mountains and plan for more!

Day 6: Complimentary breakfast at the hotel.

Logistics

Meeting Place and Time

Unless you are otherwise notified we will meet you at 7:30 pm in the lobby of your hotel in Canmore on the evening of Day 1. Detailed accommodation directions will be included in your booking confirmation.

Please ensure that you have your hiking equipment with you.

Guides and Group Size

There will be a maximum of twelve guests and a minimum of six. 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 one of our partner hotels in Canmore.  We will arrange a pick-up from the hotel on the first night for the meeting at the Yamnuska office. Typical hotels used for this program are the Radisson Hotel, the Canmore Rocky Mountain Inn, and the Chateau Canmore hotel. We will provide detailed accommodation directions when you book on this program. Additional nights before or after the program can be booked in either Canmore ($189/night), or at the Banff Park Lodge ($289/night). Please give us a call at the office if you would like us to make these arrangements for you.

Accommodation is double occupancy. No single supplement applies unless you wish to guarantee a single for yourself for the pre and post trip hotel (extra $80/night). Accommodations in the field will be the Sunrise, Meadows and Vista Huts (shared accommodation only). 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 the evening meal in Canmore 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 with your booking so that we can incorporate them into our menus.

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 403 609 8790, 403 609 0300, 403 609 1490 or 403 609 8505 for taxis in Canmore.

Gear

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.

Equipment List

You will need to bring:

• 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.
• DAY PACK: Enough room to carry your personal clothes and equipment for the week. (rentals available).
• TREKKING POLES these are highly recommended (rentals available).
• SUNGLASSES
• Small FLASHLIGHT or HEADLAMP with extra batteries.
• WATER BOTTLE (1 Liter)
• SUN BLOCK & LIP BALM
• SMALL TOWEL

Clothing List

Clothing must be durable to withstand mountain conditions, multipurpose 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

• Wool or fleece HAT
• BALL CAP OR OTHER SUNHAT
• 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)
• T-SHIRT for warm dry sunny days
• RAIN JACKET with HOOD (sufficient to withstand a day of rain or snow)
• GLOVES or MITTS

LOWER BODY LAYERS

• 3 pairs of wool blend SOCKS
• SHORTS (quick drying, preferably not cotton)
• HIKING PANTS (comfortable and quick drying, not cotton)
• RAIN PANTS (sufficient to withstand a day of rain or snow)
• WARM PANTS FOR EVENINGS (fleece or polypro pants)
• RUNNING SHOES OR OTHER LIGHT WEIGHT FLAT FOOTWEAR (for use around the huts).

Optional Gear

• GAITERS (optional for early and late season, help to keep feet dry when hiking in rain, mud & snow)
• LIGHT POCKET KNIFE
• CAMERA AND SPARE FILM
• PERSONAL TOILET ITEMS (keep to a bare minimum, no scented items as we will be in bear country).
• INSECT REPELLENT

Booking Information

Please book as early as practical to avoid disappointment. A deposit of  $899.64 CDN (including HST) is required at time of booking, $620 plus HST is NON-REFUNDABLE. Final payment is due twelve weeks before the start of the trip.

Special booking conditions apply to this program due to the use of backcountry lodges.

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.

Insurance

In the Esplanade Range you may have to pay for evacuation should you hurt yourself or fall ill (not astronomically expensive). It is wise to ensure that your health plan will cover you in case of illness or accident while here.

Yamnuska offers a "Visitors to Canada Plan and Gold Trip Cancellation and Interruption Plan" through Travel Guard insurance. These plans offer comprehensive coverage for all your travel needs including trip cancellation/interruption, emergency medical expenses, and personal effects loss. For more information and to purchase this coverage visit Travel Guard's website.