Hiking In The Canadian Rockies: Canada Trekking Holiday

Our Clients’ Reviews

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It's the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you're interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers. Any feedback collected (Good or bad) from Exodus clients is posted straight onto our website - totally unedited. Read more...

Average Review Rating: from 13 reviews.

Stephen Packard

HIKING IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES

Written September 2012
Really excellent in every respect, the trip content, the guides and the company. The scenery was breath taking and the walking great. Don’t be put off by the ‘challenging’ description it was easier than many Peaks or Lakes walks and the paths mainly well-manicured. Some of the slopes are steep tough so you do need to be fit. We did see wild life and our guides went out of their way to try and find it. Which we did but unfortunately the number of animals sighted was limited but there is nothing anyone could do about that if they’re feeling shy.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Lots of them. The sheer number of great views and the number of peaks was staggering and every day brought more. I think for me the most spectacular was the walk on day 4 taking in Moraine Lake and the Valley of the Ten Peaks.
What did you think of your group leader?
Renée and Catherine our guides made the trip. They were simply excellent and worked tirelessly from dawn until night. Nothing was too much trouble or effort and breakfast, lunch and dinner were magiced up effortlessly without a repeat meal in the whole trip – the standard was excellent too. Their local knowledge of the trails, wildlife and fauna was also top notch making the whole experience even better. Many thanks to them.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Nothing is going to challenge the regular traveller too much but the weather was mixed from very warm to snow so you need to be prepared for it all.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Simply that it was great so don't miss it!
karen ormerod

HIKING IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES

Written September 2012
My expectations were high and this holiday far exceeded them. It was the trip of a lifetime fo me and I loved every second of it.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
There were so many inspirational moments I cant choose one. Every hike revealed the most stunning scenery I've ever seen and its impossible to choose a favourite hike or place.
What did you think of your group leader?
We were lucky enough to get Renee and Catherine to guide our group. I cant speak highly enough of them. They are so professional and knowledgable, there was nothing they hadn't thought of and they made it an easy holiday.
The meals they produced were amazing, not what I expected in a campsite! They were delicious, imaginative and well presented as well as plentiful.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Pack for all conditions. We had snow and warm sunshine but mostly I needed my cold weather stuff. I'd taken a good 3/4 season sleeping bag, thermals and a down jacket and was glad I did.
The only thing I lacked were waterproof gloves, mine got soaked and my hands were cold a couple of times.
Dont take your best stuff! You'll be sat around a campfire each evening so you'll smell of smoke the whole time and might get 'sparked'.
Ladies I wouldn't bother with makeup or hairdryer either, we pretty soon stopped bothering with any of that... although Catherine did bring a hairdryer and we were all welcome to borrow it.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I just had the most fabulous time on this holiday, the group was great, the leaders were great and the Rockies?What can I say about them....more than stunning!
This is the only bit of Canada I've seen but its such an easy place to be. Everything is so well looked after and Canadian people are so polite.
I booked this holiday because it was graded challenging and bits of it were but in my opinion moderate would be a better description. Thats not a complaint though, I have no complaints about this trip. Knowing what I know now, I'd book it quick...whatever the grading.
Exodus deserves its great reputation.
Margaret McLaughlan
HIKING IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES

Written September 2012
It did what it said on the tin! Stunning scenery, well-trodden trails, snow-capped mountains, glorious glaciers and lush lakes ...... my new favourite place.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
There was no one moment just lots and lots of fantastic moments. Every day brought something new and I loved the diversity of the weather as it made each hike individual. One day we were hiking in shorts and t-shirts and the next day every layer is on and it's snowing! Wow ..... I am from Scotland which has 4 seasons in one day and the Rockies were still a wow factor for me.
I suppose I am a sucker for sunsets and the sunsets (and sunrises) in Waterton were some of the best I have seen. The sky at night and magnitude of stars were also amazing.
The hikes were "awesome" and we often got a 360 degree view of the most amazing mountains and scenery ... oh Moraine lake and Valley of the 10 peaks ... just stunning.
What did you think of your group leader?
Renee and Catherine ... what a team ladies. You were well-organised, fun, knowledgable, caring and the food you guys cooked was just amazing. Cheers to both of you as you worked hard from morning to night and you made this trip for me - thank you.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Packing - Layers, layers, layers. The weather was so changeable so expect the unexpected.
My advice is to take enough clothes for one week as when we visited Jasper there were laundrettes and we had time to go and do laundry. Jasper was probably about half-way into the trip.
Sleeping Bag - Take a good one! Mine was a 3 season one and I had to buy a blanket as it got down to -3 one night as you are sleeping at high altitude.
Tents - The tents we had were 4-man tents which were shared by 2 people or by one person if they had paid single supplement (or you were lucky as a single person who hadn't paid the supplement and there was no person of the same sex to share with ;o).
Time - this trip is packed full of hikes and travel so don't expect too much time to yourself. Obvisouly each evening you can have your me-time after dinner but as it was cold we all spent most evenings round the camp fire and as it got dark early (and cold) we tended to have early nights.
Charging phones/cameras - most of the toilets/showers had electric sockets for charging and there was a USB charger on the mini-bus too.
Hikes - The hikes were on great paths and were challenging but achievable and the ascents for a day were normally around 700m - 900m. There were even well-maintained outhouses (long-drop) toilets at the start of every hike.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I LOVE CANADA. Simple as.
This was my first, and I hope not my last, trip to Canada and specifically to the Rockies. The scenery was out of this world and some of the best I have ever seen.
The people were lovely and the locals had so much respect for their country and environment - it was so refreshing and the level of cleanliness was admirable.
And last but not least - cheers to the great group of people who made this trip memorable for me. It's great to get together with like-minded people.
So if you are reading this and are thinking of booking ........ Just Do It!!
Jonathan Harris

HIKING IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES

Written September 2011
Amazing!!!!! Thoroughly Recommeded! You won't beat the spectacular scenery of Banff and Jasper National Parks. Weather, leader and group all first class.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Travelling up the Icefield highway it was lakes, glaciers and mountains 360 degrees as far as the eye could see.
What did you think of your group leader?
Brilliant, let's hope you get Renee as your leader if you go on this trip. She knew her stuff, thoroughly competent and her cooking was delicious. Plus she joined in the banter around the campfire (and half managed to understand some Yorkshire folk!)
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Most of the walks are quite long so you will probably enjoy it more if you are quite fit. I have done many trekking holidays before and this was equally energetic, the walks are mostly circa 20km and involve plenty of altitude gains.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Hope you have a good a holiday as i did!
John Impey

HIKING IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES

Written September 2011
A fantastic trip, thanks to all involved. The Rockies are all they say in the brochure - and more.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
At walking level the inspiration was the quality of the scenery that we could access for "only" a few hundred meters hieght gain. Move on to a high ridge and you see how far the Rockies goes in every direction.
At a social level (I was travelling alone) just as good as previous Exodus trips. I always hope a group of like minded people doing something they love in some of the most impressive scenery on this planet is going to produce a happy and fun party. This was a happy and fun group.
What did you think of your group leader?
Our leaders were Renne and Katie. They looked after everything and produced a great trip. Clearly capable of handling anything that was thrown at them and as they have done the trip many times knew the best routes, the best places to stop, even the best bars! The food was excellent and being out doors did not stop an impressive list of dishes arriving every mealtime and I mean every.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
I was on the September trip and we had clear skies day and night. This resulted in warm/hot days 25 - 28 degrees, but very cold nights with temperatures down to freezing. A Down sleeping bag was a must and evenings in camp needed a serious number of layer to keep warm - preferably a Down jacket. If the weather had not been so clear then it may be less cold in the evenings/night. Go prepared.
Compared to remote trekking, access to the comforts of modern life is available so one can relax about forgetting something on the trip. The minibus can recharge phones etc, supermarkets are never that far from the camp site or are passed on way back from walking each day, even liquor stores. If you need something (exra clothing - see above) then is is usually available to get.
As this is not a trek from A to B to C etc there is the option of not doing all of the walks. Once you have a taste of the scenery you probably will want to do it all - but not compulsory.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Demanding walking - generally on good trails, rewards on gaining a ridge or summit easily out weighs the effort.
If you want serious mountains without any altitude issues then the Rockies are a "must do".
Sally Warren

HIKING IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES

Written September 2011
An excellent trip, great walking and amazing scenery!
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
What was great about the trip was that each day's walking brought something new. The walking was hard at times, but the views always very rewarding and the beer back at the camp felt well deserved. It's pretty hard to beat walking in mountains, with views of glaciers and stunning glacial lakes to keep you company, with clear blue skies and constant sunshine. I think we were definitely seeing it at its best!
The walks were well chosen to offer the chance to see all that the Rockies have to offer. It was remarkable how quickly you could get away from the crowds on the walks - we often had stunning mountain top views to ourselves. There was some serious elevation gain in most of the walks, and we all soon learnt not to believe the Canadian version of 'flat'!
As always, a good group of people to share the experience with.

What did you think of your group leader?
Renee and Katy were excellent guides and looked after us extremely well. The cooking was exceptional - what they produced on camp stove was consistently delicious. They knew the area and walks well and looked after us well on the walks, tending to blisters and generally keeping the show very successfully on the road. Thanks to them both for making the holiday so memorable!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
The walks - particularly at the beginning and end of the trip - are quite long days, with lots of elevation gain, so do take the challenging rating seriously, a decent level of fitness will help. Quite a few of the walks are through bear country, the group does need to walk closely together to keep the bears away.
The campsites all had very good facilities and it was easy to set up and move camp the few times we needed to. It did get cold at night- the campfire was a great help, but pack enough warm layers.
Janet Money

HIKING IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES

Written August 2011
An excellent holiday. It was fun mixing with people from different backgrounds and ages (37 to 66). Everyone bar us was a regular Exodus traveller, and I think we will travel with them again.
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What did you think of your group leader?
Excellent. Audrey was very well organised (and amazingly fit!). We also had Fernando on the trip to learn the ropes, and they made an first rate team, complementing each other very well. Both had a good sense of humour and were immensely patient and encouraging even when the group was feeling a bit low due to occasional wet weather, tiredness and mosquito bites. They were flexible in responding to individuals' requests. The cooking and catering was superb.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
The trip notes suggested that regular walkers in Snowdonia (which we are) could easily manage this trip. In fact we found the altitude made quite a difference, although we did acclimatise as the holiday went on. There were no drying rooms in any of the camp sites, which we understand is standard for Canada.
Apart from the odd thunderstorm, we enjoyed excellent weather. All the walks were first rate, and very different from each other.
Air Canada wre friendly and efficient and the Canadians really are amazingly polite and welcoming. Going through Canadian Security at the airport was a pleasure (a rare one for most of us).

Is there anything else you would like to add?
The trip notes said we would be housed in 4 man tents and this was a consideration when we booked. In fact we were supplied with 2 man tents, which was very cramped for 2 people.
I discovered Ben Gadd's Handbook of the Candian Rockies on the internet and got a copy sent over before the trip (the latest edition is not available from on line booksellers). This is the "bible" (our guides had a copy) and I think should go on the recommended book list.