Photo Credit: Katmandu
FAQs
What if I’ve never gone hiking before?
We are happy to take you on a day hike or an overnight hike, even if you have no experience, we offer trips for all levels of skill and fitness!
If you only participate in limited physical exercise during your everyday life, or you’ve never backpacked before, we’d recommend the Jacques Lake (one night) trip. This way you can test out your abilities while you get a feel for your enjoyment of sleeping in the backcountry.
How heavy will my backpack be?
The backpack you’ll be carrying is around 60 litres, and usually weighs about 10-12kg (22-25lbs). The weight depends a lot on your personal gear, and how much you bring. As well as on the length of the trip you are on.
We will make sure you are well prepared without excess gear to minimize extra weight. Some people prefer to not carry any weight and to hire a porter for extra fees; this option is available with prior notice.
Can we build campfires?
About half of the backpacking trips allow campfires. On the Skyline Trail and in the Tonquin Valley there are no fires permitted, due to the lack of firewood. Sometimes Parks Canada may also place restrictions on certain trails due to extremely dry weather.
What do I need to Bring?
Well they’re out there, but your guide will be equipped with a bear spray and the proper knowledge of how to use it. The guides are also used to travelling in the backcountry and have knowledge of how to minimize encounters with wild animals. Food and anything else that smells enticing (even toothpaste) is stored for the evenings away from camp. Cooking and food prep is done away from camp and travelling in groups helps as well.
What about wild animals like bears?!
What if I have Special Dietary needs?
We will be able to accommodate most special needs, all we need is prior notice so we can plan accordingly..
Yes you can, but only on certain trips, and you’d need to book a private trip. Contact us directly to do this.
Can I bring my dog?
Our age limit for group hikes where other people could be booked is ten years old. If you have younger children we can take them as well but need to talk directly to you so we can have an idea about their ability and to make sure we can organize an enjoyable experience for everyone. The youngest we have taken on an overnight trip is four years old, with success!
Do you take children?
In North America it is culturally acceptable to give your guide or porter a gratuity if you felt that they provided you with good service.
Gratuities
Some examples of some of the meals we have are
Breakfast
Granola, fruit, eggs with hash browns, pancakes, and oatmeal
Lunches
Sandwiches, dried meat and cheeses, crackers, and dried fruit
Suppers include
Stir Fry, Cashew Curry with rice, Pasta or Gnocchi, Pizzas, and Chili,
We do our best to make good filling and energizing food for our backcountry hiking trips.
We provide snacks, soups and hot drinks and the occasional dessert if you are lucky.
What sort of food will we be eating?
We use MSR ceramic water filters for all of our trips and we boil any water we use for cooking or hot drinks.
Water Treatment
All prices are in Canadian Dollars. They do not include 5% goods and services tax that is charged in Canada.
Are the prices in Canadian Dollars?
Usually we are done around 3pm on the final day, this can vary depending on the group, and which hike we are doing. We have been done as early as 2pm or as late as 4pm.
What time do we finish on the last day?
We are always prepared for all weather when hiking in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Typically summer is warm and dry and if it rains it doesn’t tend to last too long. Having said that we have had snow every month of the year and we never know for sure what the weather is going to do.