Ice Walks
Canyons that are inaccessible in the summer are transformed into winter wonderlands of ice. The eerie beauty and irresistible challenge of iridescent canyon walls and chambers lure winter enthusiasts from all countries and corners. Guided walks in Banff’s Johnson Canyon and Jasper’s Maligne Canyon can be organized though most hotels and outdoor hubs.
The upside to winter’s blasts of cold weather is both beneath your feet and shimmering high over your head – if you're taking one of the intriguing ice walk tours in Alberta. Most every winter in the Canadian Rockies makes for a great year for ice, so if you've never seen a frozen waterfall, you're in for a real treat.
What is an Ice Walk?
When Rocky Mountain canyon streams, rivers and creeks freeze in the winter, the canyons are transformed into wonderlands of rippling ice forms. They are often cloaked in glowing hues of blue or green. Waterfalls become icefalls, and once-roaring rivers are sheeted with ice that’s often thick enough to walk right on top of.
For the vertically inclined adventurer, ice climbing is a thrill and a challenge. There are mountaineering operators for guided ice climbing, with half, full and multi day trips available. Alternately, there are ice climbing schools, which offer weekend and five day training courses at the beginner, intermediate and advanced levels.
Ice walk tours take you into magical places such as Jasper's Maligne Canyon, Banff’s Johnston and Grotto canyons, or on a night trail to Lake Minnewanka’s historic Stewart Canyon Bridge.
These reasonably-priced tours are operated by guides who know the canyons and their shifting ice floors intimately. They assist you during the descent so that you move confidently in complete safety, and they can explain the phenomenon in detail.
Outfitters provide footgear with special traction soles, but it is cold outside so come prepared - dressed in skiwear including hats, mitts and warm boots. Tours usually include transportation, ice cleats, hiking poles, hot chocolate and — if you’re lucky enough to go on the evening tour — headlamps.
Trip lengths vary, but as an example, a three-hour tour will involve about three kilometers of leisurely walking (less than 2 miles). Walking these canyons with experienced guides is something the whole family can both do and enjoy. Average cost ranges from $50 to $70 per adult for a half-day tour.
What to Expect on Tour
Brenda Currie, manager of Beyond the Beaten Path in Jasper, says the Maligne Canyon walk is a favourite interpretive tour in the natural splendour of Jasper National Park.
“This is one of the best places in North America to do an ice walk, as there is an extensive underground system,” says Brenda. “This may be the first experience you’ve ever had to get inside a mountain instead of watching from outside.”
The cold weather has provided easier access to some of the more interesting spaces. Brenda says it’s been a very good season for ice, so if you plan to take an ice walk for the first time, this is a great time to do it.
Maligne Canyon has a big underground water system in the walls of the canyon, so as the water starts to seep through, it builds up the ice, and creates the frozen ice falls.
“This year, you can expect to walk around and behind the ice walls; a lot depends on the conditions of the ice and the water running through the area,” says Brenda. “It’s a real hands-on experience.”
“Kids just love sliding around on the ice,” she adds. “We will pace the group according to their abilities. If we get a large group we might split it in two.”
What to Bring
Remember, you need to wear clothing on the tour that’s going to keep you warm and dry. Beyond the Beaten Path provides you with the footwear—insulated rubber boots that have Vibram soles and pin-screw spikes on the bottom, with Velcro at the ankle and toe.
Beyond the Beaten Path guides will pick you up at your hotel and, if you are outside Jasper, you can meet them in town at a pick-up point there. It’s about a 10 minute drive to the canyon trail head, then you will be given a talk about what to expect, including the conditions, how to walk, and how to be safe.
“You don’t need to bring anything like water or drinks, but if you want to you can,” says Brenda. “If you are with a family we always have a pack of mitts because you can get wet hands in there. Some folks take more photos than others, so bring your cameras!”
Brenda recommends a day tour if it’s your first time, as opposed to a night tour, where you look at it from a different perspective while wearing a head lamp.
