Canada Road Cycling – Explore the Rockies

Posted by: admin | Monday 28 September 2015 08:01 am No Comments

CANADA ROAD CYCLING TOUR – 6 DAYS

  • North America Lifestyle Tour
  • 6 Days Banff to Banff (from Calgary Airport)
  • Best Travel Times: July – August
  • Price Range: Starting from $3119 NZD

Join our Canada Tour for an alpine blast with 520 km of challenging road cycling through the best scenery in the Canadian Rockies. You will stay in luxury hotels, lodges and cabins for the entire duration of the tour. You will ride the entire Icefields Parkway from historic Jasper to fabulous Banff. Glaciers line your path to road level. Highlights include Lake Louise and the huge icefield that feeds these glaciers, Lake Maligne, one of the world’s most photographed sites.

Our guides have backgrounds in natural history, geology and anthropology of the region. They’re also chefs and are trained in wilderness first aid. We only take 12 guests on our scheduled departures to maintain flexibility and to support almost all levels of cyclists. Most of the time you can ride entirely at your own pace, and you will always have the support of a back-up vehicle. You will stay in specially chosen luxury accommodation in tranquil and beautiful settings.

FITNESS AND PREPARATION

  • GRADE 4 – HARD TOURS

Hard tours are designed for the more experienced participant wishing to push themselves and experience new challenges. Routes will include longer climbs and more technical skills.

  • FITNESS REQUIRED

A good level of fitness is required and you will need to exercise four or five times a week during the build up to the tour.

THE TOUR INCLUDES:

  • Accommodation: a mix of good quality lodges, hotels and B&Bs
  • Meals as listed in the itinerary plus snacks and refreshments while cycling
  • Support vehicles and luggage transport
  • English speaking cycling guide(s)
  • Free T-Shirt

THE TOUR EXCLUDES:

  • International and domestic flights or airport taxes
  • Passport and travel visa (if required)
  • Personal expenses and drinks
  • Tips to guides and drivers
  • Single room surcharge
  • Travel Insurance
  • Bike hire

TOUR ITINERARY

  • DAY 1 – Arrival Day: Banff to Jasper – Cycling / Elevation gain: 58 km / 300 m

We will meet at the Banff train station at 10 am, then shuttle to the historic fur trading post of Jasper, where we will fit the bikes and take an afternoon ride to the Continental Divide at the stunning Yellowhead Pass on the Alberta/British Columbia border. Then we will head to the Pyramid Lake, beneath the Pyramid Glacier, and will stay overnight in Jasper.

  • DAY 2 – Jasper (Jasper National Park and Lake Maligne) – Cycling / Elevation gain: 100 km / 800 m

W will ride into Jasper National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where you can see the largest lake in the Canadian Rockies. It’s one of the iconic images of the Canadian Rockies, and one of the world’s most photographed locations. On our way back to Jasper we explore Maligne Canyon, the deepest canyon in the Rockies with many amazing waterfalls.

  • DAY 3 – Jasper to Sunwapta Falls – Cycling / Elevation gain: 90 km / 1400 m

We will ride up the spectacular Mt Edith Cavell. The 14 km switchback climb takes us to a hanging glacier above a lake filled with icebergs at the foot of the mile-high sheer north face. Then we have an exhilarating descent. The other two highlights of the day are the amazing waterfalls at Athabasca and Sunwapta. We will stay overnight at a resort in Sunwapta Falls.

  • DAY 4 – Sunwapta Falls to The Crossing – Cycling / Elevation gain: 104 km / 1100 m

Today’s climb will be the steepest of our trip. We will follow the Sunwapta River up to the Sunwapta Pass, with a sightseeing stop at the Athabasca Glacier, fed by the massive Columbia Icefield. From the pass the descent is a fast and extremely scenic 15 km to the bottom of the Weeping Wall. From here we will head to the Saskatchewan River crossing, and to our resort hotel.

  • DAY 5 – The Crossing to Lake Louise – Cycling / Elevation: 108 km / 1200 m

Our ride starts with a long climb to the highest point on the Icefields Parkway at Bow Summit. We take a side trip to the Peyto Lake (2133 m) before we continue downhill past spectacular lakes, rivers, glaciers and mountain peaks to Lake Louise, where another challenge awaits us: climbing into the Valley of the Ten Peaks and to world famous Lake Louise.

  • DAY 6 – Departure Day: Lake Louise to Banff – Cycling / Elevation gain: 65 km / 300 m

Our last day’s ride takes us along the scenic Bow Valley Parkway toward Banff. The turquoise Bow River and majestic Castle Mountain are a great backdrop to today’s ride. Finally we will descend into Banff from where you be transferred to the train or bus station, or hotel of your choice.

If you would like to know more about our Canada Road Cycling Tour, contact us and we will answer any questions that you might have.

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