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    Athabasca Glacier Icewalks

    5.0 (12 reviews)

    Athabasca Glacier Icewalks Photos

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    Excellent tour! Our guide was amazing and very knowledgeable. 3 hour hike up to the glacier. Warning - it's all uphill so be prepared.

    Pete the man (our guide)
    Vera H.

    I really recommend this tour company Icewalks Tour. I did a lot of research before went with this company and so glad I picked this one over the bus tour. The company offer 3-4 hours tour or 6 hours one. Since we have kids and older parents with us, we chose to do the shorter one. With the longer one, you get to see caves and deeper to the glacier path. But for us, the short one was also memorable. It was once in a lifetime experience. The hike was so worth it. Pete, our guide was amazing, very patient, entertaining and knowledgable. Drinking the glacier water was so refreshing. One of the great thing about this company is they provide everything you could think of for the hike. From snow spike for your shoes, jacket, water proof pants, gloves, and the boot. Definitely a five star experience. Surprise! Global warming is real. Set aside our political view, glaciers are melting everywhere, faster than ever been. Pete showed us the evidence. Let's take care of our earth together, preserve it for our future generations.

    One of the many massive crevasses !
    Robin G.

    An absolutely unique and awesome experience! Having never been on a glacier before, we wanted to really experience and treated ourselves to the 5-hour IceWalk Deluxe tour ($175CAD/pp). It was expensive, but definitely worth it!! One of the cooler things we did on the trip, and in general for that matter! We did the morning walk, and started our journey promptly at 9:30am. We arrived around 8:45 to check in, meet our guide, and get our equipment (more on that later). There were 12 of us on the tour with our guide, Forest. Forest was SUPER knowledgeable and friendly - answering questions about the ice, ecosystem, and showing us different things along the way. He made sure all of us were safe crossing any water, or getting too near any crevasses. He also provided support when making difficult crossings and stopped frequently to point out structural changes/interesting facts about the ice. We even got a really neat lesson on how to use an ice screw (so cool!). I'd say that my husband and I are pretty active hikers/athletic people, and although the air was thin (and chilly) I didn't find this particularly strenuous. We were short of breath at times from continual exertion at elevation, but was mostly walking on a slight incline - moderate, at best. Don't worry about it being slippery, because the cramp-ons they provide remedy that! The ice walk is definitely superior to the busses you watch going up/down the mountain - we were able to walk all the way towards the ice wall. Standing at the base, this ice wall looks like it might be 1 mile walk, but in reality it's over 4 miles to the ice wall (8 miles roundtrip) - appearances are VERY deceptive on the ice. Despite it being July 30th - we arrived dressed in layers, especially since it's so cold in the mornings (~50 degrees). I arrived wearing long yoga/hiking pants with hiking shoes/socks, a tshirt, fleece, and a raincoat in my backpack. Once we got on the ice, I wore the raincoat the entire time, it was chilly and the wind-resistance was key. We were warned that the temperatures change pretty rapidly over short time/distances - from +3 to + 18 C (about 40-60 F). Don't forget a hat AND sunglasses (and sunscreen!). It's bright out there! At the base/check in area, after you sign the waiver, they have a bunch of extra equipment you can borrow, including: hiking boots or shoes, rain gear (my husband reluctantly put a raincoat in his bag, and was really grateful once we got started!), gloves and hats, instep crampons.

    Look how blue the ice is. The ice is so dense that only blue color can get through!
    Susan R.

    This was a fantastic experience! Our driver to the glacier, Shane, was so funny and highly entertaining while at the same time very knowledgeable as he explained what we were seeing. It was amazing in every sense of the word. We went at the beginning of October, and that was perfect. There were plenty of tourists but I guess it was nothing like prime time in the summer. It was really windy and cold out there on the glacier so dress for the weather. I'd highly recommend this. Who knew a pile of ice could be so interesting?

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    Review Highlights - Athabasca Glacier Icewalks

    Forest was SUPER knowledgeable and friendly - answering questions about the ice, ecosystem, and showing us different things along the way.

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    Canmore Nordic Centre - Wood Lily

    Canmore Nordic Centre

    4.8(15 reviews)
    3.9 km

    Coming here was a lot of fun. I am a big Olympic junkie and enjoyed my brief visit to this…read morefacility. Canmore Nordic Centre was constructed for the 1988 Winter Olympics. Events like the biathlon and cross-country skiing took place here. They have exhibits near the dining hall with all sorts of memorabilia from those Olympics games. Today, the trails at Canmore Nordic Centre are used for hiking, mountain biking and cross-country skiing. This is a really nice facility to check out. Inside the day lodge are restrooms with showers, a cafe, and a dining area. Canmore Nordic Centre is also used for private events like weddings, meetings and other special events. Canmore Nordic Centre is located west of Canmore at the foot of Mount Rundle. My running group brought us here to run our last trail run for the week. It was a challenging run, but I enjoyed the beautiful views along the way. It was cool to see the flags on display next to the lodge from the different countries that competed in the Olympics. We got to run between them at the conclusion of our run. I even stood on top of the podium for photos after receiving my medal. Afterwards, we relaxed in the lodge and ate a buffet lunch in the dining area. Overall, this was a fun memorable visit. It was fun to take part in a competition on the same grounds that previous Olympians competed on. I would love to come back during winter and do some skiing here someday.

    Nice stop for restrooms and sport rentals. In the summer they have many running/hiking trails, bike…read morerentals, disc-golf course, and a roller ski loop. In winter they offer ski rentals, passes and lessons. They also have a cafe available for food and beverages and plenty of seatingin the lodge. There's a large private parking lot as well. The information desk is helpful for trail closures and wildlife advisories. You can also check their website beforehand for events and such. This facility was developed in 1986 to host the 1988 Winter Olympics. We loved seeing the row of country flags.

    Photos
    Canmore Nordic Centre - Welcome Sign

    Welcome Sign

    Canmore Nordic Centre
    Canmore Nordic Centre - Trail Information

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    Trail Information

    Grassi Lakes

    Grassi Lakes

    4.7(16 reviews)
    5.3 km

    Grassi Lakes are amazing!!!! Truly emerald color and crystal clear waters. Since the easy trail was…read moreunder construction and closed, we took the difficult trail, which was much more steep. Totally worth the climb. Loved it.

    So grateful for the recommendation we received from a local Calgarian Canadian to try this trail!…read moreThe views are absolutely spectacular!! This hike is located near a residential area in Canmore. Follow your GPS navigation which ultimately will take you down a single road, surrounded by tall evergreen trees, and a small dirt lot on the left for parking before you embark on the trail. A few recommendations: Park on the street as the lot fills up quick, bring sunscreen, and take the harder trail. Initially when starting the hike there will be two signs for the "Easy" and "More Difficult" trail paths. Trust me when I say the more difficult path is worth the extra strenuous steps. We had no idea that halfway through the path you stumble upon a gorgeous waterfall and incredible views of a giant lake surrounded by beautiful mountains. Then as you continue on this trail, you'll ultimately come to a clearing with emerald and turquoise lakes which is the perfect spot to stop, indulge in a quick snack, and soak in all those spectacular views. All in all if you take the not so easy trail you'll complete the entire thing within an hour and a half, including those moments where you stop and contemplate just gorgeous this country is. One final tip: bring Bear spray and attach bells to your hiking gear. The last thing you want to do is startle a bear and end up in a frightening situation. Luckily we did not see any bears on the trail, but we did see a Black Bear crossing the road as we were leaving the parking lot! We heard from locals that Canmore has a lot of Bear sightings so just plan ahead, be aware of your surroundings, and enjoy your fantastic hike on this beautiful trail!

    Photos
    Grassi Lakes
    Grassi Lakes
    Grassi Lakes

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    Ha Ling Peak Hike

    Ha Ling Peak Hike

    5.0(6 reviews)
    2.9 km

    I would not listen to the other reviews that say Ha Ling Peak "is for everyone!" or that it's…read more"easy". This trail is definitely difficult for a multitude of reasons -- and yes, there are families on the trail but to actually complete the whole trail (which is what my review is about) there is a scramble at the summit which can be terrifying for those afraid of heights and/or inexperienced hikers, especially with the wind (and hail, when we hiked it) blowing at you. Regardless of the fact that we did this hike because we saw other reviews saying it was a trail for everybody, beginners included, we were able to complete most of it. We were a group of 5 (with our parents) who needed some breaks along the way and so our total hike time ended up being 4 hours. It was a great workout with some unparalleled views so I'd attempt at least a portion of it if you can. I'd just say to really watch for the weather forecast before you go. We had a 30 percent chance of rain at a time earlier in the day but we ended up being pounded with hailstorms at the top of the summit where there was literally zero cover. As long as you time your hike correctly, in terms of the weather, I think it'd be a very pleasant experience! Even so, the hail made it an experience that I will never forget. We didn't see much wildlife coming up, probably due to the fact that it's a pretty popular hike. It's also super dog friendly which is wonderful!

    To get to Ha Ling Peak: - Drive to Canmore, then drive up…read morehighway #742 (the Smith-Dorrien-Spray Lakes Trail) towards Canmore Nordic Centre. - On Highway #742 pass the Nordic Centre and continue on the gravel road until you reach Goat Creek Parking Lot on the right hand side (there is a sign that says Goat Creek Parking Lot). - Park at Goat Creek Parking lot and cross the gravel road, cross the little bridge and you will find the trail head. Labelled as a moderate / Intermediate hike... I'm outta shape so I found it to be more than moderate as the hill is steep ALL the way up and down, plus there is the scramble at the top! but I made it and so can you! Endurance is your best friend here as you will be walking up a mountain on an incline the WHOLE time with not many (if any) flat areas. With that said, there were grandmas and grandpas, kids, dogs, and even parents carrying babies in backpacks on the trail!!! Wow!!! Be sure to wear layers as you will sweat and get hot while in the trees, but once past the tree line it is windy and chilly....so...tank top, t-shirt, wind breaker, grippy gloves (for scrambling), and a toque! (haha - wish I had brought mine!). Bring a backpack with water and lunch and enjoy the view! It took us just under 5 hrs (round trip) to complete (with my MANY stops and VERY leisurely pace!! Plus lunch near the top). The view was spectacular and well worth the hike up. Once at the top you have a view of the town of Canmore, plus a 360 view all around!! My toes and knees did hurt coming down as it is steep... and I even had good shoes on! So definitely wear good shoes (preferably hiking ones) and bring walking sticks if you have them. Highly recommended! p.s. once called "Chinaman's peak"

    Photos
    Ha Ling Peak Hike - The view 2/2

    The view 2/2

    Ha Ling Peak Hike
    Ha Ling Peak Hike - Rock at trail head

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    Rock at trail head

    Athabasca Glacier Icewalks - active - Updated May 2026

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