And the mountains echoed

Sujoy Dhar

Ride in a massive Ice Explorer over 85,000 years of history on the Athabasca Glacier and then take a jaw-dropping skywalk over the glacier stepping into an exciting cliff-edge walkway that leads to a platform where a glass floor separates you from a 918 foot drop.

As you feed your adrenaline in this world of glaciers in the Canadian Rockies with a stopover at the iconic Columbia Icefield Glacier, you actually take a journey from Banff to Jasper in Western Canada’s Alberta, billed as one of the most scenic routes in the world.

The journey (which begins from Calgary) is all about exploring a world of ice-clinging mountain peaks (Canadian Rockies), panoramic lakes, waterfalls, sweeping cliff edge views and chance encounters with wildlife. From Calgary to Jasper, the drive covers 428 km and you can spend a night at the Banff National Park and then continue the onward journey to the Jasper National Park, your final point.

Banff National Park is Canada’s first national park and only 90 minutes drive from Calgary, Alberta, towards west. Nestled in the Canadian Rockies, Banff offers an unparalleled landscape consisting of snow-capped peaks and sweeping vistas while the highlight surely is Lake Louise, one of the favourite water bodies of nature photographers and instagrammers. While Banff packages everything from water rafting to canoeing, skiing, fishing and bird watching, you may like to head further towards Jasper with Lake Louise as your first halt.

Lake Louise, with its emerald green water in the backdrop of rugged peaks and glaciers that surround it, wows visitors. Wander around the lakeside path, take pictures or just sit quietly by the lake to savour its beauty. The eastern lakeshore is supplemented by the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise hotel, a hot property that also attracts tourists to the spot.

After Lake Louise, you should not miss a stop at Peyto Lake, another gem in the Banff National Park with its turquoise water fed by a glacier edged by high peaks and coniferous forest.   

During the summer, glacial rock flour flows into the lake, and these suspended rock particles are reasons behind its turquoise colour. Your next big stop is Columbia Icefield, a remnant of the thick ice mass that once mantled most of Western Canada’s mountains. Lying on a wide, elevated plateau, it is the largest icefield in the Rockies. Nearly three-quarters of the park’s highest peaks are located close to the icefield. Here you stop at the Columbia Icefield Glacier Discovery Centre. At Columbia Icefield, board a massive all-terrain snow coach to explore the Athabasca Glacier. The icefield was first reported in 1898 by J. Norman Collie and Hermann Woolley after they had completed the first ascent of Mount Athabasca.

The icefield is atop a triple Continental Divide and so the waters actually feed three oceans of the world. They flow north to the Arctic Ocean, east to Hudson Bay (and thence to the North Atlantic Ocean), and south and west to the Pacific Ocean. After exploring the glacier, you can have a filling lunch at the centre’s Altitude Restaurant overlooking the mighty Athabasca Glacier and also educate yourself about the iconic spot and the effect of global warming on the glaciers at the centre’s museum.

A little further, your coach stops at Glacier Skywalk. The cliff-edge walkway extends along the Sunwapta Valley. The glass-floored observation platform hanging 918 feet over the Sunwapta Valley offers a bird’s eye view of the mountains and glaciers. The final leg of this scenic journey is crowned by Athabasca Falls, about 30 km south of Jasper. The Athabasca Falls is known for its force due to the large quantity of water thundering into the canyon below. The falls, the canyons and the vast canvas formed by the mountains afar offer a view to die for.

And some 20 minutes later, your journey ends in the picturesque town of Jasper. Actually, the journey does not end but a new exploration of natural landscapes begin...