I am one of 15 women excitedly preparing to hike the backcountry of Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada, in three weeks. Yesterday, a small group of us hiked 14 km in the hills of Collingwood, Ontario, overlooking beautiful Georgian Bay.

I’ve customized our Banff trip to provide us with some physical challenges coupled with downtime in cozy cabins at night, good food and wine. 

Our Tredsup gang hail from all over Canada, plus Colorado, USA. Some are my tennis partners, others are book-clubbers, cottage friends, university mates and a cousin: what we share is the desire to laugh, sing and solve the world’s problems while hiking the jaw-droppingly stunning and pristine Canadian Rockies. 

We will hit the Vista Lake Viewpoint trailhead in Canmore, carrying 8 days of gear in our backpacks. Our Yamnuska Mountain Adventures guides will take us into the park via the Arnica/ Twin Lakes Pass:

• Rating: Strenuous
• Distance: 14.0km
• Elevation gain: 960m
• Time: 6 to 7 hours one way

Our destination is Shadow Lake Lodge www.shadowlakelodge.com, which is completely off the grid and accessible only by foot or bike, the latter by an alternate route. This means no cell-phone service. Hallelujah! We will really unplug for 5 days…what a rare thing to say. I’ve become addicted to my phone. (Note: snag your cabin very early as they fill up quickly. I booked a year in advance.)

From the lodge, we will hike daily on routes such as Haiduk Lake, Whistling Pass, Waterfalls/ Amphitheatre, Ball Pass or even Egypt Lake if we are feeling really adventurous (it’s 25 km). There is the danger of bears, cougars and calving elk, but the beauty of a big group is that we are loud! 

Alberta, like the rest of Canada, got pummelled by winter this year and they had serious snowfall late in the spring. As such, some of our routes may be snow-covered. The risk of avalanches has passed and hopefully they’ll get a few good Chinook winds to alter our current inbound route rating from poor to good! I’m watching Parks Canada’s trail report website daily for changing conditions: https://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/tcond/cond_e.asp?oPark=100092

We’ll hike out from Shadow Lake via Redearth Creek: 

• Rating: Moderate
• Distance: 14km
• Elevation gain: 440m
• Time:  4 to 5 hours one way

get picked up on the TransCanada Highway, and make our way to Banff for a touristy day of spa treatments at the Banff Springs Hotel and dinner, via gondola, on top of Sulphur Mountain. 

GEAR LIST

Even if the weather forecast calls for warm, sunny days, we need to be prepared for a variety of weather conditions: 

• Backpack with good support (mine is 70 L; make sure you get yours fitted properly)

• Daypack (with optional water bladder/Camelbak; should be large enough to carry your lunch and rain gear and a warm layer)
• Rain Gear
• Hat
• Gloves
• Shorts
• Long pants 
• Good moisture wicking shirts/tanks (I love the Icebreaker line of clothing)
• Undergarments (Love Knix as it’s so comfy and moisture wicking)
• Fleece/Puffy jacket 
• Hiking socks and silk liners
• One pair of Sealskinz socks (a life-saver on the West Coast Trail and a great go-to for wet conditions)
• Open-toed shoes or flip flops for inside use 
• Excellent soled, waterproof hiking boots (Sturdy ankle support is key; make sure you wear them in as there is nothing more brutal than blisters)
• Gaiters
• Sun hat
• Sunglasses with UV protection
• Sun block lotion and lip protector 
• Insect repellent 
• Bear spray (buy in Alberta as we cannot take on plane)
• Binoculars
• Hiking Poles (retractable)
• Bum Pad/Seat Cushion (I love my blow-up one; it’s a game changer when you sit for lunch)
• Blister bandages (Moleskin)
• Camera, batteries, and charger
• Water bottle/ Camelbak (I like 3 L)
• Personal toiletries (the Lodge supplies environmentally friendly soap and shampoo)
• Medication
• Book (if you want)
• Headlamp (for late-night pees)
• Bathing suit (spa!)
• Earplugs
• One outfit for night one in Canmore and Banff