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\u201cIt’s hard to nail down any one adventure as the ‘most epic’ because Canada is so full of rad things to do that are all epic in their own ways.<\/p>\n
When people talk about these kinds of things, most people will point to mountains to climb, or rivers to raft, and that sort of thing. So, I thought I’d tell you about one of the most uniquely epic adventures I’ve been on.<\/p>\n
The Maligne Canyon Icewalk, just outside of Jasper, Alberta, blew me away. Maligne Canyon is a tall, narrow gorge that sits between two tectonic plates. The walls are sheer and up to 30 meters tall. In the summer, it’s filled to the top with a powerful river, which is fed through a network of underground streams that trickle into the canyon through its walls.<\/p>\n
In the winter, all that water freezes and the river level drops dramatically, leaving only a flat strip of ice along the bottom of the gorge. The water trickling in from the sides of the canyon decorate the walls with spectacular ice formations, and there are several ice waterfalls and caves along the walk.\u201d<\/p>\n
Expedia.ca tip<\/strong>: Jasper National Park is one of those places you need to experience at least once in your lifetime. We suggest looking through the largest telescope in the Canadian Rockies at the Jasper Planetarium, zipping through the waters in a whitewater raft with Wild Current Outfitters, and endeavoring in some savage mountain biking with Vicious Canada.<\/p>\n Expert: Tanya Koob of Family Adventures in Canadian Rockies<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cLast weekend we hiked to the summit of a popular mountain, Heart Mountain, located 30 minutes east of the Town of Banff along the TransCanada Highway. Heart Mountain is appropriately named for the heart-shaped summit you can see from the highway, and this hike sees a lot of foot traffic on the short ascent that can be tackled in a quick 2-hour walk up.<\/p>\n In my family though, we don\u2019t do \u201cnormal,\u201d and so we took our approach to Heart Mountain a little bit differently. First, we did the outing, a challenging hike for most adults, with two 8-year old boys. The approach required climbing a small exposed cliff band and also required a lot of hands-on moments where we ascended steep terrain, holding onto rocks to pull ourselves up, and trying not to look down.<\/p>\n For our descent, we chose to return via the Heart Horseshoe, a multi-peaked loop that took us 4.5 hours to complete (in addition to the 2.5-hour climb up.) It was a long day and the boys tired of going up and down endless peaks, one after another on our long alpine ridge walk. The horseshoe loop turned our day into a real adventure though, and we had a much easier time descending the far side of the horseshoe without the steep scrambling we did on our ascent.<\/p>\n I love challenging kids and giving them opportunities to show us adults what they are truly capable of doing.\u00a0They never cease to amaze me with their energy, endurance, and strength.\u201d<\/p>\n Expedia.ca tip<\/strong>: You have a ton of outdoorsy wonders at your fingertips when you visit the area. Take time to explore Bow Valley Provincial Park, get your feet wet along Bow River, and take stunning photos of Grant MacEwan Peak. Or, if you want to balance wilderness with city life, downtown Calgary<\/a> is just an hour away.<\/p>\n Expert: Jeff Bartlett of Jeff Bartlett Media<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhen I think about my favourite Canadian adventures, my mind settles on winter in the Canadian Rockies. I recently completed the Little Yoho Ski Traverse across the Wapta Icefield, which is an epic 4-day backcountry ski tour across the continental divide. The trip begins at Bow Lake, Alberta, which is one of the most scenic locations in the Canadian Rockies. After three days on the Wapta Icefield, the route descends past Takakkaw Falls to Field, British Columbia. Along the way, we stayed at three Alpine Club of Canada backcountry huts: Bow Hut, Richard and Louise Guy hut, and Stanley Mitchell Hut.<\/p>\n Throughout the trip, we summited Mt. Olive, crossed the Wapta Icefield, and descended the Poilus Glacier. It felt like a wild adventure, too, as we carried avalanche and crevasse rescue equipment. We skied as a rope team, tied into the rope 10 m intervals that is considered the standard for crossing glaciers and their hidden crevasses.\u00a0Our trip went smooth, so they were four of the most rewarding days I have ever spent in the mountains.\u201d<\/p>\n Expedia.ca tip<\/strong>: You\u2019re likely starving once you arrive in Field, and there\u2019s one place you absolutely must try: Truffle Pigs bistro. Once you\u2019ve fueled up, burn off calories while rock climbing around the ethereal Lake Louise area (26 km from Field) or white water rafting along the Kicking Horse River with a group like Glacier Raft Company.<\/p>\n Expert: Jos\u00e9e Bergeron of Backwoods Mama<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe Okanagan Valley in British Columbia is well known for its sandy beaches, delicious wine, and tree-ripened fruit, but it also happens to be an internationally renowned rock climbing destination. Skaha Bluffs Provincial Park is located just south of Penticton, BC and this climbing hot spot boasts 66 separate crags and over 1,000 routes. The great thing about this park is that it\u2019s the perfect spot for an epic family rock climbing adventure. These days, rock climbing is for everyone\u2014families and kids included! This spring we\u2019ve been taking our three kids climbing at Skaha Bluffs and they\u2019ve been building up some serious grit and self-confidence. Rock climbing as a family is an adventure that you won\u2019t forget, and it\u2019s one that you can return to again and again. If your family is looking for something epic to do outside this summer, then rock climbing at Skaha Bluffs Provincial Park is where you want to go.\u201d<\/p>\n Expedia.ca tip<\/strong>: Not only is rock climbing popular around here, but biking and kayaking are also top favs. Of course, if you would prefer to take it easy after hitting the summit, check out the SS Sicamous (the largest stern wheeler in the country) or order some pineapple cheesecake and listen to live music at the Dream Caf\u00e9.<\/p>\nSummiting Heart Mountain \u2013 Bow River Valley, Alberta<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nBackcountry Ski Trip \u2013 Bow Lake, Alberta to Field, British Columbia<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nRock Climbing in Skaha Bluffs Provincial Park \u2013 Penticton, British Columbia<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nHiking Elk Island National Park \u2013 Edmonton, Alberta<\/h3>\n
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