Hiking in the Canadian Rockies

Here is my "testimonial" regarding my camping-style trip to the Canadian Rockies. The Rocky Mountains are truly breathtaking—the lakes with their deep, intense colors, the mountain peaks, the trails, and the pine forests... everything is stunning. Some areas are touristy, while others are much more remote. The itinerary is intense! If you’re looking for something relaxing in terms of schedules and hiking, this really isn't the trip for you. The hikes are somewhat strenuous; while not technically difficult, they require stamina—though some are shorter. I’d suggest to the organizers that we start the first day of hiking with a shorter, less demanding trail. The camping logistics deserve a bit more attention. The schedule is very tight; you arrive and have to be ready to eat within minutes—most of the time, there’s no time to shower before the meal. There are excellent free hot showers available, though at the second campsite—we visited three in total—you have to pay (I believe it was $4 for six minutes). Be careful not to get lost at the campsite at night while walking back from the shower! It can be quite terrifying... given the possible presence of bears. Speaking of bears... that’s a daily issue, as it’s forbidden to leave anything that emits an odor inside the tents—and I mean *anything* with a scent. This includes toothpaste, toothbrushes, ointments, creams, cookies, tea, and so on—basically anything you might have brought along for convenience inside the tent. Every single day—four times a day—you have to gather all these items (I recommend bringing a box) and move them in and out of the trailer that’s towed by the van and parked at the campsite; you’ll have to open and close the door... you’ll understand what I mean later! Haha. Also, keep in mind that you’ll have to set up and take down your tent three times during the trip; if it’s raining, it’s a much tougher experience. Our group was wonderful. I was the host—along with same others my age or near— 64 years; I gained a whole new set of sons and daughters, all of whom were very dear to me. Our friendship and affection grew as we hiked and faced both the challenges and the joys together. Everyone was very kind and patient with me. As for the hiking pace, I found it a bit too fast; it could have been slower to allow time for bathroom breaks, changing clothes, taking photos, and so on. However, J. P. (our beloved guide) was always by my side or close by. Our organizer and guide, Morgana, was very professional and strict about everything, yet kind and humane at the same time. She notices your limitations and always tries to help without a lot of unnecessary chatter. Coordinating all the sightseeing spots, lunches, and dinners within such a limited timeframe really takes a lot of energy! Our cook and guide for the stragglers was J. P. , a young man from Lebanon who spoke Spanish, French, and English; he did his best to feed us well. If you’re a vegetarian like me, they always prepare good meals whenever possible—I guarantee you won’t go hungry. We also had two dinners at restaurants, which gave both them and us a bit of a break! Expect to spend around C$30 for each vegetarian dinner. Oh, and some great news: we had the privilege of seeing a black bear up close. It was too busy eating blueberries to even notice us—it was a really cool experience. In short: this experience is well worth it! But if you want a bit more comfort, opt for the hotel version. The mountains are incredibly beautiful, and the lakes... are freezing!! Don't miss the chance to try them out! Namaste to everyone, and sending lots of love to the guys and girls who shared this journey with me. Kula ( Claudia from Brazil )

I am an experienced hiker and a repeat MBA customer. Overall, unfortunately this trip did not meet my expectations for three reasons: ​1. Hiking: While the existing itinerary was good, Rockies is massive in scale and there are many amazing summits. There should be more summit hikes on this trip, particularly given the scale of the Rockies and the length of the trip. All hikes were out-and-back routes, and we were unfortunately unable to do Cory Pass due to trail conditions. Mt. Fairview summit was my favourite. 2. Camping: Although I appreciate that camping is part of the trip, having three different campsites meant repeatedly pitching and taking down tents. I understand that this was necessary to cover different areas of the Rockies and that camping naturally comes with some work, but it made the experience quite labour intensive without necessarily adding to the enjoyment. For me, most days felt rushed. We would get up early, have breakfast, wash the dishes, lock everything, and head to the trailhead. On returning, we would set up the gazebo, cook, eat, wash the dishes, lock everything and then go to bed. By the time everything was done, it was often already time to sleep, leaving very little opportunity to actually enjoy the campsites. In my view, after a long day of hiking, this is when you want to slow down, take in your surroundings, relax, and enjoy the experience. I think there should be more downtime for hikers to relax, enjoy the scenery, and experience the camping itself. Regular campfires and more opportunities to simply unwind and socialise would have made a big difference, as we only had this opportunity once or twice. I felt there was a constant cycle of tasks, which took much of the enjoyment out of the experience, particularly given the £2,000 price point. I am all for pulling my weight, but there has to be a balance. If you go camping on your own or with a few mates, the task list is lighter. Either everyone should be responsible for washing their own dishes, or the local operator should provide an additional person to handle the dishes and other logistics, allowing people to spend more time enjoying the campsite post hiking. No one, including myself, minded washing dishes in groups, or handling other group logistics but it took considerable time and often meant we were either rushing to get to the trail after breakfast or preparing for bed after dinner. There was simply very little downtime for the group to sit around a campfire, connect, socialise, play a game or two, or just relax, which is something I would have really enjoyed in a place like The Rockies. There was also considerable noise every night because the campsites were next to the railway. At times, it genuinely felt like the trains were running through the campsite, with very loud horns every hour or two, due to wildlife in the area. This was a common frustration among the group of 12. Being in the middle of the forest, the constant train horns were particularly disruptive and, at times, felt like a significant sensory overload (I head earplugs). I am a light sleeper and that did not help. If there are campsites away from the railway, I'd suggest this to be considered. 3. Equipment: We were in the Rockies in late August, when the weather was relatively cool and wet at times. Some nights were particularly cold, and I felt that some of the equipment provided was not quite fit for the conditions we experienced. In particular, the sleeping pads were quite narrow and not thick enough for the colder nights (and some were deflating midway through the night). The guides were superb in addressing the issue overnight, especially as it affected everyone, and I really appreciated how quickly they responded. I would recommend bringing your own sleeping bag. Investing in a lightweight, all season sleeping bag would be worthwhile despite the high price tag. My tent mate had several very cold nights using the sleeping bag provided and had to layer up 3-4 layers, so having your own suitable sleeping bag could make a significant difference to your comfort and overall experience. Positives 1. Guides: Morgane was a great guide and I appreciated her experience, passion for nature and respect for her job. Both JP and Morgane were easy to talk to, engage with and socialize. Good people. 2. Food: The food was consistently delicious and well prepared by Morgane and JP. Thank you. 3. Rockies: While the trip did not meet my expectations, Rockies did.

Much Better Adventures put together a fantastic eight day expedition across the Canadian Rockies, and from start to finish it was an incredibly well organised and memorable experience. What really stood out was the attention to detail and the way the trip catered for people with very different levels of hiking and mountain experience. Some members of our group had never really hiked before, while others had plenty of experience in the mountains. Despite those differences, everyone was supported and included, and the itinerary allowed people to challenge themselves while still feeling safe and well looked after. The guides were absolutely brilliant and maintained a really high standard throughout the expedition. They worked exceptionally well together and became a genuine part of our team. They were knowledgeable, approachable and supportive, passing on valuable information, keeping an eye on everyone and stepping in exactly when needed. Their experience and professionalism made a huge difference to the overall experience. The accommodation and camping were also very good. The tents did exactly what they needed to do in the Rockies and gave us a comfortable base after some long days on the trail. The food supplied throughout the expedition was surprisingly good, especially considering the remote locations we were travelling through. We also had opportunities to head into towns such as Banff and enjoy an evening meal, which was a great addition to the experience. Overall, this was one of the best adventure experiences I have had. The combination of incredible scenery, challenging days, fantastic guides and a great group made it something I will remember for a very long time. If I had to find one fault, it would have to be that, despite spending eight days travelling through the Canadian Rockies, we never actually saw a bear! Maybe next time.

Louis and Tarik were the perfect guides. The hikes were stunning, everything was so well organised and the food was brilliant. Louis and Tarik were hard working, knowledgeable, organised, proactive, supportive and most of all, kind. I absolutely loved my trip with an incredible group. I feel very lucky to have been on this trip - memories for life. Be aware that even with ear plugs, the train noise in all 3 campsites is loud throughout the night.

Where do I even start with this trip? Going to the Canadian Rockies was a huge adventure for me and, if I’m being completely truthful, quite a long way outside my comfort zone. I love a physical challenge, but the camping side, being away from home and not really knowing exactly what to expect made me nervous before going. I needn’t have worried. From the moment the adventure started, it became one of those experiences that I know I’ll talk about for years to come. The Canadian Rockies are absolutely breathtaking. No photograph or video really captures what it feels like to actually stand there surrounded by those mountains. We hiked through some incredible places, canoed on Emerald Lake, swam in Lake Eva, camped surrounded by mountains and had so many moments where you just stopped, looked around and thought, “How am I actually here doing this?” But looking back, as incredible as the scenery was, it wasn’t actually the mountains that made the trip so special. It was the people. We started as a group of people heading to Canada for an adventure and came away having shared something that I think will stay with all of us. There were laughs, difficult climbs, tired legs, ridiculous conversations, encouragement when someone was struggling and so many moments that you simply couldn’t recreate. And I genuinely don’t think the trip would have been anywhere near as good without our two guides, Morgane and JP. They were absolutely brilliant. Their knowledge and experience obviously made us feel safe and looked after, but it was much more than that. They became part of the group. Their personalities, humour, encouragement and enthusiasm added so much to the whole experience. They knew when to encourage us, when to let us take everything in and, importantly, how to make the whole thing fun. You can have the most spectacular location in the world, but the people leading an adventure can make or break it. Morgane and JP absolutely made this one. I honestly couldn’t have asked for two better people to guide us through the Rockies. This trip also meant more to me because I was doing it while raising money for a charity that is incredibly important to me. So every difficult climb and every moment where I had to push myself that little bit further had an extra purpose behind it. I went to Canada expecting mountains, hiking and a challenge. I came home with memories, friendships, a massive sense of achievement and an experience that was so much more than I expected it to be. If you’re looking at a Much Better Adventures trip and wondering whether you should do it because it feels a little outside your comfort zone – do it. Some of the best experiences happen when you say yes to something that scares you a little. Thank you Much Better Adventures, thank you to an incredible group of people and, especially, thank you Morgane and JP. I’d go back and do it all again tomorrow.

From start to finish the trip was amazing. The whole trip was well structured from transport to the hikes and food.

What a fantastic 10 days, the guides Morgane & JP were fantastic. The hikes were pitch perfectly for the team we had.

The most amazing itinerary and guides. Louis and Tarik were the best duo for the trip, fun but prepared everyday and lots of passion for what they do. Perfect views, hikes, country. Be prepared to get stuck in to make sure everyone including yourself makes the most of the trip. The trip goes by in a flash but every day is filled with amazing memories, views, and moderate to challenging hikes. Highly recommend to anyone wanting to visit Canada and hike the beautiful national parks in a large group, going on my own I wouldnt know where to start and how to prepare for things like wildlife etc so this was perfect.

"Much Better" than I could have expected from start to finish. Incredible trip taking in the highlights and beautiful landscapes in Alberta and British Columbia. The two guides for our group Ali and Levis went above and beyond to keep us safe, well fed, and most of all engaged as a group with laughter, song, dance, and connection the entire trip. Met as strangers, left as friends.

Great trip which had a range of hikes across the national parks in the Rockies. Guides were energetic, super knowledgeable and food was really good! Would highly recommend!