Rockwall Highline

Day 1: Paint Pots – Helmet Falls 

We will meet in our classroom in Canmore at 7:00 am for introductions, trip review, and equipment issue/check. After packing up, it’s an hour drive north to the Paint Pots parking lot where we begin our hike.
The famous Paint Pots is a source of red ochre clay, used for body paint by the indigenous people. Following Ochre then Helmet Creek, a gradually ascending trail leads us through mature forests of spruce and fir which opens 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, the 352m high Helmet Falls. Looking carefully, we may spot mountain goats grazing the precipitous slopes that rim the cirque. Distance, 14.6km. Elevation gain 624m. 

Day 2: Helmet Falls – Tumbling Creek 

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. 

Day 3: Tumbling Pass – Numa Creek 

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 chance to do some ridge walking to enlarge the already marvelous vistas. Then it’s a long descent into Numa Creek where we camp once more. Distance 7.1km. Elevation gained 330m, loss 715m. 

Day 4: Numa Creek – Floe Lake

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. 

Day 5: Floe Lake – 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! Distance 10.7km. Elevation gain 308m, 1000m loss.

Itinerary Disclaimer: Please note that the itinerary listed above may be subject to change based on mountain conditions and/or campsite availability. Every effort will be made to operate tours as planned, but changes may occur. We do our very best to follow the same trails as listed in the itinerary, with only minor changes to the daily distances and/or campsites. Your confirmed itinerary will be provided in your pre-trip email, 1 week prior to departure. In the rare case of  a significant change to the itinerary, you will be notified immediately. Please feel to contact us with any questions.

Meeting Place and Time

We will meet you at our Yamnuska Mountain Adventures classroom at 7:00 am (MST) on Day 1.

Our classroom is located at #100, 50 Lincoln Park, Canmore. See this map for location.

For your greater convenience, we offer a pre-meeting shuttle service within Canmore. Please let us know in advance where you will be staying if needing this service.

Please ensure that you have your hiking equipment with you.

This trip is rated moderate. By using a food drop at Tumbling Creek, backpack weights are moderate. Participants will be carrying personal clothing and gear plus a fair share of food and group gear (tents, stoves, etc). By keeping personal gear light, pack weights need not exceed 16kg (35lbs) on the 1st and 4th days, thereafter weights drop. Please read our Traveling Light & Making Backpacking More Fun for information and suggestions for clothing and equipment.

Prior hiking experience is not a prerequisite but is recommended. Participants must be in good physical condition and able to carry a backpack over hilly terrain for a succession of days. The trails are generally good.

We will hike a regular and steady pace that conserves energy but you must be in as good as possible hiking shape before you come. We cannot emphasize enough that training pays great dividends in enjoyment. We suggest you train by walking and/or cycling and/or hiking (ideally in hilly terrain).

Guides and Group Size

Yamnuska Mountain Adventure guides are certified through the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides. Our professional guides have extensive experience in the Canadian Rockies. Guides also have advanced wilderness first aid training and heritage interpretation accreditation. Guides carry emergency equipment including a first aid kit, bear spray, and radio.

There will be a maximum of eight guests and a minimum of three.

Accommodation and Meals

On the trail you will be sharing modern, lightweight 2- and 3-person weather-proof tents.

Accommodation in Canmore is not included. A variety of accommodation options exist in both Canmore and Banff, including campsites, hostels, all levels of hotels as well as condo-style accommodation with kitchens or suites.  We recommend that you book your own pre and post-trip accommodations well in advance as all levels of accommodations in the Bow Valley fill quickly.

Excess luggage can be left at your hotel or our office.

We supply all meals and trail snacks from lunch on Day 1 to lunch on Day 5.

Trail cuisine is constructed from lightweight ingredients including our Yamnuska custom-made dehydrated dinners.

For guests with dietary restrictions, we are able to modify the program food pack to meet your individual needs.  As food pricing and preparation for these diets is more costly, there is a surcharge.  Our kitchen staff will assess your restrictions to inform you if the diet can be accommodated and what surcharge would apply. Vegetarian meals will not be surcharged.

Please let us know the details by filling out a Food Questionnaire when you sign up for the program.

Getting to Canmore and Transportation

Canmore is situated 100km (65miles) west of Calgary on the Trans-Canada Highway. Calgary International Airport is well connected to major cities throughout North America and Europe. Once in Canmore, we will supply all the transport needed for the trip.

Frequent shuttles connect Calgary International Airport and Canmore. Banff Airporter is the best way to get between Calgary Airport and Canmore/Banff. When you book with Yamnuska Mountain Adventures you will receive a 15% discount on Banff Airporter Scheduled Services.

Park Passes

Please note that program venues may be within National Parks and/or Kananaskis Country. For programs where transportation is not provided by Yamnuska/Canadian Rockies Hiking by Yamnuska, guests will be required to purchase their own pass.

National Park passes are available both online at https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/voyage-travel/admission and in-person at National park gates and some information centres.

Kananaskis Country conservation passes are available online at https://www.alberta.ca/kananaskis-conservation-pass.aspx

Equipment and Clothing

We supply group camping and cooking equipment, as well as an emergency communication device, trip food, bear spray, water purification equipment, and a full expedition emergency first-aid kit. You will need to bring personal backpacking equipment and clothing. When purchasing gear consider both functionality as well as weight. Lightweight packs, sleeping bags, sleeping mats, and clothing are readily available and will lighten your load substantially.

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 your clothing and gear before you arrive, and reserve any rentals with us in advance. Your guide will go through your clothing and gear with you prior to the trip.

Clothing List

When hiking in the mountains, it is important to be able to adjust to the changing conditions. We recommend bringing clothing that can be layered to achieve comfort as you change from periods of activity to periods of rest. We discourage cotton clothing as it causes rapid heat loss when wet.

You will need to bring:

• Wool or fleece hat/toque 
• Sunhat – Wide brim or baseball style
• Long underwear top and bottoms – Lightweight synthetic or merino wool
• Socks – Preferably a synthetic/merino wool blend. Bring at least three pairs.
• Light Synthetic Shirt
• Jacket – A midweight synthetic jacket
• Insulated Jacket – synthetic or down jacket
• Waterproof / Breathable Rain Jacket
• Rain Pants – Also waterproof/breathable. Ideally with side zips, so they can be put on without taking off your boots.
• Hiking Pants – Preferably windproof and quick drying. No blue jeans or cotton pants.
• Light Gloves / Mitts
• Light Footwear – Crocs, Tevas, or running shoes for the occasional creek crossing and use around camp.

Equipment List

You will need to bring:

• Boots – Spend some time walking around in your boots before you arrive for your trip and get used to how they feel. They should have good ankle support and tread, with sturdy soles. Your boots will make or break your holiday so some time getting used to them is time well spent. Ensure they have been waterproofed or have a good waterproof liner material.
• Gaiters – Recommended early & late season. Really help to keep feet dry, keep socks and pants clean from mud and keep debris out of your boots.
• Large Backpack – This should be between 55 and 75 Liter capacity depending on the bulk of your personal gear and length of the trip. In it, you will carry your clothing, sleeping bag, and mat, plus your share of group camping gear and food which is typically an extra 10 – 20 litres of space. Lightweight packs with good suspension are recommended. If bringing an additional day pack, this should be very light and compressible in order to fit inside the bigger pack on the approach hike.
• Pack Cover – This should be waterproof and large enough to cover the outside of your pack to keep the contents dry in a rainstorm. You can also line the inside of your stuff sacks with plastic bags to keep gear dry.
• Sleeping Bag – We recommend a ‘3 season’ bag rated 0ºC to –6ºC as temperatures can drop to below freezing at night. Make sure you bring a stuff sac lined with a plastic garbage bag that will reduce your bag to its minimum size (i.e. one with compression straps). This will provide enough space in your pack for everything else.  A down bag will be lighter and more compressible for the weight than a synthetic bag.
• Sleeping Mat – Lightweight “Therm-a-rest” mats are recommended (Not Required on Wapta Ice Hike and Lake O’Hara Hiking Tour).
• Pillow – A small, compressible pillow or a spare stuff sack into which you can stuff extra clothes to create a pillow.
• Trekking Poles – Must be collapsible.
• Sunglasses – With 100% UV protection and a hard case.
• Headlamp – With fresh batteries
• Water Bottle / Bladder – 1-2 litre capacity.
• Blister Kit – Moleskin, Second Skin, etc.
• Personal First Aid Kit – Our guide carries a group first aid kit so keep this small. Band-Aids, Tylenol/ibuprofen, etc.
• Camera
• Sun Block & Lip Balm – Extra strength with UV protection.
• Personal Toiletries including hand sanitizer– Keep to a minimum with no scented items.
• Insect repellent

Contact us if you have any questions or concerns or check out our latest video on how to pack your backpack.

Please book as early as practical to avoid disappointment. A 35% deposit CDN (including GST) is required at the time of booking. The final payment is due eight weeks before the start of the trip.

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 a waiver copy.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you need to know anything else about this hike.

The Simpson Group offers a wide range of travel insurance options including Trip Cancellation/Interruption, Travel Medical, and Personal Effect Loss for both Canadian and International Travelers. Other providers offer similar services and we encourage you to select an appropriate level of coverage. We highly recommend purchasing this insurance to cover and protect you against unforeseen events. The two basic types of insurance that most travellers need to consider are Medical and Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance.

Insurance Risk 
One of the ways to mitigate risk is by purchasing appropriate insurance. Simpson Group Insurance Services who are travel & health risk specialists, work with technical and high-risk insurance solutions both in medical and non-medical spheres.  We highly recommend that you review your insurance needs to cover and protect you against unforeseen events. It is wise to ensure that your health plan will cover you in case of illness or accident during your trip. Simpson Group have a team standing by to answer any of your questions.

Emergency Medical Evacuation
While there is typically no charge for search & rescue in the National and Provincial Parks for active pass holders, costs such as air & ground ambulance after the rescue are not covered by your park pass. The chance of a large bill associated with this risk is a real possibility.

For Canadians
A common myth is that healthcare across provinces is fully covered. There are many things which do not carry interprovincial agreements. Ambulance services, medical evacuation, and some services which one province charges more than another you’d be responsible to pay the difference.

For Internationals
A common myth is that healthcare in Canada is free. Although it is less expensive than US healthcare, charges for non-residents can still be very high. Proper medical health insurance is essential if you were to get injured. Most coverages exclude rock climbing, mountaineering, ice climbing, backcountry skiing and the like. Simpson Group can make sure all those risks are well covered.

Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance
We recognize that our guests’ schedules may change for many reasons, business, family, flight delays, injuries, and other unplanned events.  For these eventualities, Trip Cancellation/Interruption insurance is a great way to protect your investment. We can assure you that circumstances do arise that prevent guests from participating in trips or courses and trip cancellation & interruption insurance is a relatively easy way to manage your level of risk of unforeseen events.

For all your travel insurance requirements we recommend Simpson Group Insurance Services.  For more information and to purchase a plan, visit Simpson Group’s website.