Rockwall Highline
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Dates Price Meeting Place & Time Itinerary Difficulty, Fitness & Prerequisites Guides & Group Size Accommodation & Meals Transportation Clothing & Equipment Booking Information |
This sublime backpacking tour encapsulates much of the unique ambiance of the southern Canadian Rockies. Why is this? Perhaps it's the representative landscapes and the way they are revealed to us as we crest each pass and enter each valley: Primeval forests, flower-strewn meadows, turquoise lakes reflecting rugged peaks and glaciers with the occasional added glimpses of wildlife.
Walking is never boring in this wonderland with unbelievable flowers in July and August to be followed in September by the blazing fall colors of the larches which punctuate and define the alpine meadows.
With its mostly moderate distances and opportunities for ridge hiking The Rockwall Highline can be a great first time backpacking experience in the Canadian Rockies, not only is there exquisite scenery but you will also be sharing the trail with like-minded people from around the globe. However we calculate, it all adds up to an active and exhilarating mountain holiday!
2010 Dates
July 31 - August 6, September 13 - 19
Cost
$1295 CDN Includes guides, Park 'Wilderness Pass', out-trip meals, group camping gear and local transfers.
Not included: Canmore accommodation, Gratuities & 5% Goods and Service Tax (GST)*. Cancellation insurance available for $68.
Optional pre and post trip accommodation packages are available from $80 per person per night for shared room lodging ($160 for single occupancy). Purchase with booking. Subject to availability.
* a 50% rebate of the GST is available to non-residents of Canada.
Meeting Place and Time
We will meet you at our Yamnuska Mountain Adventures office at 7.30pm the evening of Day 1.
Our office is located at 200, 50 Lincoln Park, Canmore. See this map for location.
For your greater convenience we offer a pre-meeting shuttle service within Canmore. Please let us know in advance where you will be staying if needing this service. Pickup will occur between 7.00 and 7.20pm.
Please ensure that you have your hiking equipment with you.
Program Itinerary
Day 1: At 7.30pm we meet at the Yamnuska Mountain Adventures office in Canmore. We'll go over the trip with you and check to see that you are properly outfitted.
Day 2: Paint Pots - Helmet Falls
We start from the Paint Pots just off the Radium Highway (75km from
Canmore), a source of red ochre clay, used for body paint by the
indigenous people. Following first Ochre then Helmet Creeks,
a
gradually ascending trail leads us through mature forests of spruce
and fir which open up as we arrive at the campsite to find ourselves a
the base of a spectacular cirque dominated by one of the largest
waterfalls in the Rockies ... 352m Helmet Falls. Looking
carefully we may spot mountain goats grazing the precipitous slopes
that rim the cirque. Distance, 17km. Elevation gain 275m.
Rockwall Highline at Goodsir Pass
Day 3: Day Hike -
Goodsir Pass
Today and for the rest of the trip we are never too far from the lush
sub-alpine meadows that this trail is famous for. With light packs we head the short distance to Goodsir Pass
and its magnificent mountain vistas and rock-garden like meadows. From there we can, if so inclined, climb higher through the larch forests bordering the Pass to walk along the easy mountain ridges above.
Distance 6 - 10km. Elevation gain 430m.
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Hiking beneath the Rockwall |
Day 4: Helmet Falls -
Tumbling Creek
Get ready for a heady dose of beautiful alpine scenery! Today the trail takes us to the base of Limestone Peak and the northern end of the 'Rockwall', our point of reference for the remainder of the trip. Before us lies a huge area of meadows that follow the Rockwall south. A five minute side trip takes us to Wolverine Pass (2380m), a giant cleft in the Rockwall. From here we
look over the Beaverfoot Valley to the spectacular spires of the Bugaboos some 70 kilometers away to the west (weather permitting). After this we drop a short distance into the head of Tumbling Creek and our camp.
Distance 11.6km. Elevation gain 975m., loss 580m.
Day 5: Tumbling Pass -
Numa Creek
Today is relatively easy involving a scenic climb to Tumbling Pass (2260m)
with the Tumbling Glacier not far to the side. The Pass is a narrow cleft,
the meadows dotted with larches that seem to be designed for our
aesthetic pleasure. Once on the Pass we can use the altitude to engage in some ridge walking
in order to enlarge the already
marvellous vistas. Then it's a long descent into Numa Creek where we camp once more.
Distance 8km. Elevation gain 400m, loss 670m.
Day 6: Numa Creek -
Floe Lake
Our last day with any climbing and what a spectacular climb it is! Today's objective is Floe Lake,
one of the most beautiful spots in the Rockies and a highlight of this
trip. We reach it via Numa Pass (2350m), the highest point on the
trail. We are surrounded by high peaks whilst meadows and forests drop into the valleys below. Amazingly the view gets better as we descend once again, for below us appears Floe Lake, its blue waters speckled with ice that fell from the glacier above. The hard work is behind us now as we settle into
this most spectacular lakeside camp. Distance 9.5km. Elevation gain
825m, loss 430m.
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Floe Lake from Numa Pass |
Day 7: Floe Lake -
Radium Highway
In the summer of 2003 the valley below the campsite was burnt out in a large forest fire.
This provides us with the unique opportunity to hike in a forest in its regenerative phase. We descend for 10km through the burnt
forest to the Radium Highway. Up to 3 years ago there was no
view at all from the valley, now we see all the peaks. Closer at
hand we are surrounded by flowering perennials taking advantage of the
extra sunlight. Hiking in this valley we come to understand how fire
is a positive force of regeneration! Transportation is awaiting us at the trailhead and we head
back to Canmore for hot showers
and an evening of reminiscence and celebration! Distance
10.5km. Elevation loss 716m.
How difficult is it? How fit and experienced need you be?
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Hiking in the burn on Day 7 |
This trip is rated moderate. By using a food drops at Tumbling Creek, backpack weights are moderate. Participants will be carrying personal clothing and gear plus a fair share of food and group gear (tents, stoves etc). By keeping personal gear light, pack weights need not exceed 16kg (35lbs) on the 1st and 4th days, thereafter weights drop. Please read our Travelling Light & Making Backpacking More Fun for information and suggestions for clothing and equipment.
Prior hiking experience is not a prerequisite but is recommended. Participants must be in good physical condition and able to carry a backpack over hilly terrain for a succession of days. The trails are generally good.
We will hike a regular and steady pace that conserves energy but you must be in as good as possible hiking shape before you come. We cannot emphasize enough that training pays great dividends in enjoyment. We suggest you train by walking and/or cycling and/or hiking (ideally in hilly terrain).
Visit our Trip Difficulty Comparison Chart.
Guides and Group Size
Yamnuska Mountain Adventure guides are certified through the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides. Our professional guides have extensive experience in the Canadian Rockies. Guides also have advanced wilderness first aid training and heritage interpretation accreditation. Guides carry emergency equipment including a first aid kit, bear spray and radio.
There will be a maximum of eight guests and a minimum of four.
Accommodation and Meals
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Campsite at Floe Lake |
On the trail you will be staying in modern, lightweight 2- and 1-person weather-proof tents.
The first and last night's accommodation in Canmore is NOT included. For your convenience we can arrange bed and breakfast hotel rooms for these and other nights at $160 per night. These will be at the recommended Westridge Country Inn. Double or single occupancy, the cost is the same. For those wishing to defray this cost we will try to pair them with other participants. This accommodation can be booked with the trip online or by calling us. Subject to availability.
You can also make your own arrangements. Check our links page for a range of Canmore accommodations.
Excess luggage can be left at your hotel or our office.
We supply all meals and trail snacks from lunch on Day 2 to lunch on Day 7. Groups generally go out for dinner in Canmore with the guide on the final evening (own cost).
Trail cuisine is constructed from lightweight ingredients including our Yamnuska custom-made dehydrated dinners. Please specify any special dietary requirements you have on booking so we can incorporate them into our menus. In case of more complicated diets a surcharge may apply.
Getting to Canmore and Transportation
Canmore is situated 100km (65miles) west of Calgary on the Trans-Canada Highway. It is well served by scheduled bus lines both from Calgary (airport and downtown), Banff (20km west) and points further west. Calgary International Airport is well connected to major cities throughout North America and Europe. Once in Canmore we will supply all transport needed for the trip.
Frequent shuttles connect Calgary International Airport and Canmore. Greyhound Bus Lines (1 800 661 8747) serves Canmore from points east and west along the Trans-Canada Highway. Call 609 8790, 609 0300, 609 1490 or 609 8505 for taxis in Canmore.
Clothing and Equipment
We supply group camping and cooking equipment plus a full emergency and first-aid kit. You will need to bring personal equipment (backpack, sleeping bag, etc.) and clothing. Yamnuska Mountain Adventures does have rental and retail equipment such as sleeping bags, mats, and backpacks. Rental Gear List. Contact us in advance to reserve.
What you bring will have a big impact on the quality of your experience, we especially urge you to read our notes on lightweight gear and clothing.
Please download the list below and make sure that you will have the items listed.
Clothing and Equipment List (pdf)
Contact us if you have any questions or concerns.
Fishing
There are no fishing opportunities on this trip.
Insurance
In the National Parks there is no charge for rescue, however you may have to pay for evacuation should you hurt yourself or fall ill (not astronomically expensive). Ensure that you have adequate travel insurance or that your health plan will cover you whilst here.
To Book
Please book as early as practical to avoid disappointment. A deposit of $476 CDN (including GST) is required at time of booking. Final payment is due eight weeks before the start of the trip. To avoid unnecessary cancellation penalties we suggest you take our cancellation insurance for an extra non-refundable $68, this can only be purchased at the time of booking.
For detailed Booking Instructions and Conditions, click here.
Please note that you will be required to sign our waiver before commencing the trip. Click here for waiver copy.
Please don't hesitate to contact us if you need to know anything else about this hike.
