In the latest instalment of our team's travels we hear from Long Haul and Luxury Specialist, Sue...

Name:

Sue Kinton

Where did you go?

The Canadian Rockies

When did you go?

March 2024

The Rockies in the Winter

Unless you are an avid skier, you would not necessarily think of travelling to the Canadian Rockies in the wintertime. But there is so much more to see and do there for non skiers, even in the winter season… and without the crowds!

Calgary is the Gateway to the Rockies and is about 10 hours of flying time direct from London Heathrow. I visited Heritage Park, a re-creation of Calgary through the years, showcasing Indigenous people’s lives, life in the late 1800s and then in the early 1900s post railway. Each section has authentic buildings and characters in costumes of the time. A great day for all the family.

Also in Calgary, be sure to visit Stampede Park and Calgary Tower.

Onwards to the Rockies, and I visited Banff, Jasper and Canmore. All are stunningly placed between the high peaks of the Rockies. The wildlife were still out and about even though the temperatures were below freezing and we saw plenty of Elk, Big Horn Sheep, White Tailed deer, Mule-eared Deer and even a couple of Bald Eagles. The Bears are all still in hibernation but start to become active in late April/early May.

I had the opportunity to do a fantastic Guided Ice Walk through Maligne Canyon and Johnston Canyon, which although sounded daunting, were very exciting and visually stunning to do.

Other activities I experienced were seeing the frozen bubbles at Abraham Lake, a fantastic Helicopter trip and a hike with Heather Black known as ‘Buffalo Stone Woman’ and her son, who taught us all about the Indigenous Blackfoot people and their relationship with the land, plants and animals of the Rockies. I found this particularly interesting and also very moving.