After two weeks in northern Canada and Alaska (see Part I of our report), we traveled south to the Canadian Rocky Mountains. If it weren't for the endless solitude and the huge glaciers, you'd think you were somewhere in the Karwendel or Brenta mountains. The scenery is often reminiscent of the local Alps, but without the typical forest aisles, ski lifts, settlements and tourists, so that you can still experience the mountains here in their natural pristine state.
After two rainy weeks in the north, we really deserved the following two weeks of fine weather in the Rocky Mountains. We started our journey through the "south" on the famous Icefields Parkway. You can marvel at the gigantic glaciers on both sides of this road, even though the ice giants have visibly lost mass due to climate change. And the dimensions of the ice sheets, which reach heights of 2000 meters at this latitude, are still extremely impressive.
The Columbia Glacier
The most powerful is the world-famous Columbia Icefield, the breeding ground of eight huge glaciers, which lies at the end of the Icefields Parkway. One of these glaciers, the Athabasca Glacier, can be reached within a few minutes' walk from the highway - or you can take a "snow coach" directly to the glacier, an offer that is eagerly taken up by the masses of tourists. Some extreme half-shoe hikers are not deterred from taking their oversized ice axe with them for this trip, which will probably never be used - but the ice axe looks adventurous, at least in the photo. Due to the enormous hustle and bustle, it is advisable to only go to the end of the glacier tongue in the evening to have a relaxed look at the gigantic masses of ice without ice vehicles. The dramatic retreat of the glacier over the last century is frightening, and the retreat is documented by numerous annual markers on the way to the tongue.
It's worth spending a little time in the region and tackling both the famous Wilcox Pass Trail (view of the Athabasca Glacier) and the Parker Ridge Trail. Just a few minutes away from the highway and the viewing points, you can enjoy the mighty glaciers and the magnificent scenery almost on your own, even in the high season.
There are also numerous other short tours on the Icefields Parkway, which lead to beautiful blue mountain lakes, fantastic peaks and gigantic glaciers in just a few hours. Here, too, you will quickly find peace and solitude as soon as you leave the main roadside viewpoint.
We spent the next few days in the area around the famous ski resort of Lake Louise, where every coach that drives through the Canadian Rockies stops. Whether you can really call it a "resort" is up to you to decide: Apart from a huge parking lot with various supply stores, a visitors center including a petrol station and several tourist bunkers, there is nothing to see there.
Lake Louise itself is dominated by a huge, castle-like hotel complex dating back to 1890. The lake impresses with its beautiful turquoise color and the ice wall at the end of the lake, which can be reached quickly on foot via the Plain of the Six Glaciers. The view of the lake from the summit of Fairview Mountain is even more beautiful.
A short detour to Morain Lake in the Valley of the Ten Peaks, where the legendary 3/4 couloir is located, is an absolute must. In the evening, it is quiet at the lake, which is otherwise overrun by tourists, and the many peaks, which are strung around the lake like a chain, look particularly beautiful in the evening light.