OUR Alberta 2018 - Page 24

region | rocky mountains

Stunning Scenic Views

VILLAGES , TOWNS & CITIES

Located just over one hour away by car from Calgary ’ s city limits and 10 minutes outside Banff National Park , Canmore is a charming mountain town with artsy tourist shops , great restaurants and plenty of nearby adventure activities . canmore . ca
Nestled in the Canadian Rocky Mountains just one hour and thirty minutes from downtown Calgary , Banff National Park offers outdoor activities while the town of Banff is a tourist hub for eating , drinking , museums and art galleries . banffnationalpark . com
Glacier Skywalk
Via Ferrata
The Canadian Rocky Mountains are a sight to behold , filling your vision with snow-capped mountains , forests , glaciers , jewel-toned lakes , caves and waterfalls . Home to two national parks ( Banff and Jasper ) and tourist favourites Lake Louise , Kananaskis and Canmore , no matter where you visit you ’ ll find plenty of outdoor activities all year . Take your pick from rock climbing , mountain biking , golfing , hiking , skating , horseback riding , paddleboarding , crosscountry and downhill skiing , snowboarding and snowshoeing .
You may have to convince people that your photographs of Maligne Lake in Jasper
( maligneadventures . com ) and Moraine Lake in Banff ( banfflakelouise . com ) aren ’ t photoshopped — the water really is that vivid shade of turquoise ! In the summer , silt from the glaciers ( called rock flour ) turns the lakes an incredible bright blue that can ’ t be missed , but the views are amazing year-round . The best way to see Maligne Lake is on a boat tour , though adventurous types can canoe or hike to it . Moraine Lake is accessible by vehicle or hiking .
Walking on an icy glacier is a unique , one-of-a-kind experience . On a tour of the Columbia Icefields , you travel in a massive Ice Explorer to a place where you can walk on the Athabasca Glacier and breathe in the frozen air . Afterwards , get a bird ’ s-eye view from the Glacier Skywalk ( banffjaspercollection . com ), a glass-floored observation platform located 280 metres ( 919 feet ) above a glacier valley and sparkling waterfalls . Walk along the frosty floor of a mystical canyon and see beautiful frozen waterfalls on a tour of Maligne Canyon in Jasper in the winter ( maligneadventures . com ).
If you prefer to relax while seeing the sights , climb aboard the Rocky Mountaineer Train ( rockymountaineer . com ) for stunning views in the Rocky Mountains that can only be accessed by train . Or , take a leisurely 10-minute ride up Mount Norquay ( banffnorquay . com ) on a chairlift and enjoy beautiful views of Banff , Mount Rundle and Bow River Valley . The enclosed Banff Gondola ( banffjaspercollection . com ) takes you to the top of Sulphur Mountain with heart-pumping views of Banff National Park along the way .
For those who want to tackle a mountain climb but lack the experience , try the Via Ferrata ( summer . banffnorquay . com ) climb . A series of cables , steps , ladders , ropes , and bridges will help you scale the sides of Mount Norquay — and you don ’ t have to be an experienced mountain climber to do so ! Even with no climbing experience , the provided equipment and guide will enable you to ascend the mountain trail .
The largest national park in the Canadian Rockies , Jasper National Park consists of jawdropping views ( don ’ t forget your camera !), from rugged mountains and forests to crystalclear rivers and peaceful valleys . The town of Jasper is a quiet , charming place with a relaxed attitude . jasper . travel
This largely untouched , pristine backcountry of Kananaskis Country is world famous and is made up of areas for outdoor recreation including Bow Valley , Bragg Creek and Peter Lougheed provincial parks . kananaskis . com
Lake Louise is a mountain resort town and is a perfect destination for winter recreation enthusiasts as it boasts one of the largest ski resorts in North America . banfflakelouise . com
Moraine Lake
Athabasca Glacier , Columbia Icefield
PHOTOGRAPHS : ( CLOCKWISE FROM TOP ) BREWSTER TRAVEL CANADA , COURTESY TRAVEL ALBERTA ; KATIE GOLDIE , COURTESY TRAVEL ALBERTA ; SEAN THONSON , COURTESY TRAVEL ALBERTA ; COURTESY TRAVEL ALBERTA
24
region |rocky mountains Stunning Scenic Views VILLAGES, TOWNS & CITIES Located just over one hour away by car from Calgary’s city limits and 10 minutes outside Banff National Park, Canmore is a charming mountain town with artsy tourist shops, great restaurants and plenty of nearby adventure activities. canmore.ca Nestled in the Canadian Rocky Mountains just one hour and thirty minutes from downtown Calgary, Banff National Park offers outdoor activities while the town of Banff is a tourist hub for eating, drinking, museums and art galleries. banffnationalpark.com Via Ferrata The Canadian Rocky Mountains are a sight to behold, filling your vision with snow-capped mountains, forests, glaciers, jewel-toned lakes, caves and waterfalls. Home to two national parks (Banff and Jasper) and tourist favourites Lake Louise, Kananaskis and Canmore, no matter where you visit you’ll find plenty of outdoor activities all year. Take your pick from rock climbing, mountain biking, golfing, hiking, skating, horseback riding, paddleboarding, cross- country and downhill skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing. You may have to convince people that your photographs of Maligne Lake in Jasper 24 (maligneadventures.com) and Moraine Lake in Banff (banfflakelouise.com) aren’t photoshopped — the water really is that vivid shade of turquoise! In the summer, silt from the glaciers (called rock flour) turns the lakes an incredible bright blue that can’t be missed, but the views are amazing year-round. The best way to see Maligne Lake is on a boat tour, though adventurous types can canoe or hike to it. Moraine Lake is accessible by vehicle or hiking. Walking on an icy glacier is a unique, one-of-a-kind experience. On a tour of the Columbia Icefields, you travel in a massive Ice Explorer to a place where you can walk on the Athabasca Glacier and breathe in the frozen air. Afterwards, get a bird’s-eye view from the Glacier Skywalk (banffjaspercollection.com), a glass-floored observation platform located 280 metres (919 feet) above a glacier valley and sparkling waterfalls. Walk along the frosty floor of a mystical canyon and see beautiful frozen waterfalls on a tour of Maligne Canyon in Jasper in the winter (maligneadventures.com). If you prefer to relax while seeing the sights, climb aboard the Rocky Mountaineer Train (rockymountaineer.com) for stunning views in the Rocky Mountains that can only be accessed by train. Or, take a leisurely 10-minute ride up Mount Norquay (banffnorquay.com) on a chairlift and enjoy beautiful views of Banff, Mount Rundle and Bow River Valley. The enclosed Banff Gondola (banffjaspercollection. com) takes you to the top of Sulphur Mountain with heart-pumping views of Banff National Park along the way. For those who want to tackle a mountain climb but lack the experience, try the Via Ferrata (summer.banffnorquay.com) climb. A series of cables, steps, ladders, ropes, and bridges will help you scale the sides of Mount Norquay — and you don’t have to be an experienced mountain climber to do so! Even with no climbing experience, the provided equipment and guide will enable you to ascend the mountain trail. The largest national park in the Canadian Rockies, Jasper National Park consists of jaw- dropping views (don’t forget your camera!), from rugged mountains and forests to crystal- clear rivers and peaceful valleys. The town of Jasper is a quiet, charming place with a relaxed attitude. jasper.travel This largel չѽՍɥѥչ)-ͭ́ չ䁥́ݽɱ́)́ɕ́ȁёȁɕɕѥ)Ց ܁Y䰁 Ʌ ɕAѕ)1՝ɽ٥ɭ̸̹ͭ)11ե͔́չхɕͽЁѽݸ)́əЁѥѥȁݥѕȁɕɕѥ)ѡͥ́́Ё́ѡɝЁͭ)ɕͽ́9Ѡɥե͔)5Ʌ1)ѡ͍Ȱ յ%) =UIQMd)1 IQ =UIQMd)ȁM݅