11 Day Rocky Mountain Adventure

Overview

Visit one of Canada’s most majestic and treasured destinations, Banff! This spectacular 11 day tour will lead you right into the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Beginning in Squamish we will ride the famous Sea to Sky Highway passing through the world renowned Whistler and Pemberton before delving into the deep gorges of the Coast Mountains. The first night will be spent in Lillooet, a city rich with aboriginal history and once regarded as one of the largest cities west of Chicago. From Lillooet, we will voyage into Kamloops and explore the thrilling trails of the Duffy Lake Recreation area or take a refreshing dip in the lake. The journey then continues into the spectacular Rocky Mountains and the alpine town of Jasper.

Jasper and surrounds offer an extraordinary experience where adventurers can take advantage of the stunning outdoors with many different activities.

Spend the next afternoon in one of the world’s most impressive mountain destinations photographing the wildlife, enjoying the healing properties of the mineral-rich hot springs or let the gondola carry you into the alpine for a dramatic bird’s eye view of Banff and Lake Louise. Situated in Banff National Park, Lake Louise is a prized treasure known for its turquoise glacier-fed water.

From Banff, ride into the Elk Valley area of the East Kootenays and into the city of Fernie which is completely surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. Fernie is rich with history from coal mines and saw mills to folklore and campfire tales. For anyone who enjoys the water, Nelson, on the shores of Kootenay Lake’s West Arm, our next destination has the very best to offer you. Wind surfing, wake boarding or water skiing can all be enjoyed within the magnificent views of the Kokanee Glacier.

Next up is Osoyoos, a town in the Okanagan Valley surrounded by desert, vineyards and mountains. Osoyoos has a plethora of activities to offer you on your rest day. From Osoyoos we ride into Hope, a small town at the junction of the Fraser and Coquihalia River. Your trip comes to an end as you ride through the Fraser Valley, into Vancouver and once again along the famous Sea to Sky Highway back into Squamish.

Daily Breakdown

Day 1: Heading off from MVMA Headquarters, we ride 120kms of the scenic Sea to Sky highway passing through the ski town of Whistler before reaching the town of Pemberton. Here we set the bikes to off-road mode and leave the tarmac behind as we hit the dirt and head into the mountains, up endless switchbacks, over mountain tops and around stunning lakes to arrive at the town of Lillooet to end our first day.

Day 2: We will enjoy 150km of scenic paved road riding until we turn off to the Duffy Lake recreation area where we break for lunch. Here we can spend the afternoon riding some fun single and double track trails in the area, including some more technical single track for those seeking to get a good workout. Wash some of that trail dust off with a swim in the lake before riding a short 45 minutes to our nights accommodation in the town of Kamloops.

Day 3: Today is an all paved road day, but don’t let that be a worry as we ride through winding mountain roads and high mountain passes with endless views of the magnificent Canadian Rocky Mountains and riding alongside BC’s most prominent mountain,Mt Robson sitting at an elevation of 3.954 M (12,972ft)

We end our day in Jasper where you will see countless elk roaming the streets of this small mountain town and may be lucky enough to spot some bears out and about in the fields grazing & eating wild berries.

Day 4: Have your cameras ready! Day 4 is another paved road ride through the famous Icefields parkway.  Around every turn on the Icefields Parkway reveals another one of nature’s splendour; from the ancient glaciers at the Columbia Icefields to the mind-blowing colour of Peyto Lake, thundering waterfalls and viewpoints that extend for miles. The tough part will be choosing where to stop to take it all in. You will arrive early afternoon at the famous mountain town of Banff.

Day 5: Today in Banff is a “choose your own adventure” day. The options for activities are endless. You can golf at the world famous Banff springs golf course, fly fish the local rivers, hike a local trail or simply relax and enjoy what this town has to offer. Your guide will also be available to take you on a day trip to the famous Lake Louise & Moraine lake both rich with wildlife. Snap a pic of the turquoise waters and surrounding towering jagged mountain peaks. You have come all this way so take it all in.

Day 6: Although it will be difficult to leave Banff in our tracks we are only just getting started. Say goodbye to the pavement because we have 200km of dirt ahead of us. Sweeping along highway 40 you will feel overwhelmed by the towering mountains that surround you. We follow a series of trails south passing Mt Livingstone and winding your way through open valleys before crossing a 7,000ft summit pass and descending back down into the province of British Columbia and on to the ski town of Fernie.

Day 7: Today is a 300km mostly paved but fun ride through the Kootenay mountains. We will follow the east side of Kootenay lake before catching a small lake ferry to the town of Balfour where we follow a continuation of Kootenay lake through to the hippy town of Nelson also known as “the queen city.”  With over 350 heritage buildings, Nelson has earned a reputation as one of the finest heritage cities in Canada. Dating back to the late 1800s, most historical buildings are within walking distance of each other, so strolling through town is like opening the history books.

Day 8: From nelson we continue on the pavement for 30km to get warmed up for some more off road fun. Winding up and over another small mountain pass we descend down to meet Arrow Lake and the town of Fauquier where we will stop for a snack and fuel up for the 200 km of off road riding ahead. We will have a small section of pavement that will bring us into the province’s best wine region and the town of Osoyoos.

Day 9: Osoyoos boasts having the warmest lake in Canada and is a summer hot spot for British Columbians. On this rest day you can explore many of the area’s award winning wineries by booking a wine tour, play a round of golf or spend the day relaxing by one of the popular beaches of Gyro or Cottonwood. If there is enough interest in the group we can also book a boat and have some fun on the water with your guide as the skipper!

Day 10: We set out refreshed for the famous Kettle Valley Trail, taking us via Princeton, historic Tulameen and past boss lake before ending with an overnight stay at the Harrison hot springs resort where you can choose from the many different temperature pools and enjoy a fresh beverage before bed.

Day 11: We ride all off road along Harrison lake stopping to experience the incredible views along the way before heading back to Pemberton & joining the Sea to Sky highway back to MVMA headquarters.

Difficulty: easy/moderate, with options for more technical riding

Please note: all routes are subject to change depending on weather, fire danger and group skill level. All routes are public forest service roads and open trails and there are options for the more advanced to put their skills to the test along the way with easier options for the less experienced riders.

Riders must have previous off road riding experience and be in good health and physical condition.