Day 1 - Sundance Lodge
Riding: 4 - 5 hours
You will meet at the stable office just outside Banff at 9.30am (free parking available on-site). There you will be met by your guides and horses and will mount up for your first ride of around ten miles. This ride will lead you to Sundance Lodge (your accommodation for the night), via the glacier-fed waters of the Bow River and along Healy and Brewster Creeks. On the way you will stop for lunch - a traditional cowboy cook-out - along the banks of the Bow river. This will provide you with the perfect fuel to give you energy for a day on the trail.
Upon arrival at Sundance lodge, you will be greeted by a friendly lodge host and shown to your room where you can freshen up with a hot shower and get settled in. Your lodge host will take care of your every need during your stay and make sure you feel welcome and at home in the lodge.
Sundance Lodge itself is no basic mountain cabin – here you will be pampered in backcountry luxury, sleeping in comfortable beds and dining on tasty cooked gourmet meals whipped up by your talented host in the professional kitchen.
Day 2 - Halfway Lodge
Riding: 4 - 5 hours
After a tasty breakfast at the lodge, your adventure continues as you journey 9 miles, heading south to Halfway Lodge. The rugged peaks of the Sundance Range will loom over the eastern horizon as you follow the winding historic Erling Strom pack trail. Whilst on this route, you will be following in the footsteps of the early explorers as they trekked across the Canadian Rockies nearly a century ago. Stop along the way for a picnic in the fresh air of an open mountain meadow.
Tonight you will be staying at the cosy Halfway Lodge, located at the midway point between Banff and Assiniboine Mountain. Weary riders and explorers have been stopping at this point to rest since the early 1920s. You’ll first notice the trees begin thinning out as you approach the lodge site and the mountains will peek up above the treeline all around you. Halfway is tucked into a picture-postcard perfect setting, nestled into a quiet valley wreathed by a crown of mountain peaks.
The lodge is simple but comfortable, with propane lanterns and candles providing light and a woodstove to provide warmth - it hasn’t changed much in the last 80 years!
Day 3 - Allenby Pass Trail
Riding: 4 - 5 hours
After a hearty breakfast you can leave your belongings at the lodge and set off on another adventure. Today you’ll make the climb up Allenby Pass on horseback, an elevation of 8,100 feet. For many this is, understandably, the highlight of their trip as you’ll witness some incredibly breathtaking views from up there. The jagged rock formations create an enormous amphitheatre of mountains which will stretch out all around you. Up this high, it's difficult to imagine that Allenby Pass was once at the bottom of the sea, millions of years ago, but has been forced upwards by the huge pressures of seismic activity below the Earth's crust. If you look closely you may still spot small fossils of long passed sea creatures amongst the rubble and rocks.
At the end of the day, you will return to your familiar room at Halfway Lodge, where you are certain to already feel comfortable and at home. As the sun sets behind the mountains, you can sit back and relax with a glass of wine whilst sharing stories and photos with your fellow adventurers.
Day 4 - Halfway Rest Day
Riding: No riding.
Today will be a rest day at Halfway Lodge. You will be able to take an optional guided hike to a shimmering glacier fed lake at the end of the ridge, offering phenomenal views of the valley and landscape below. If you’d prefer to simply rest and relax, then there is absolutely no pressure. This lodge is a beautiful place to spend time quietly, far away from the stresses of everyday life. Take the chance to breath in the fresh mountain air, perhaps whilst sitting on the deck and getting lost in the pages of a good book. You may wish to take some time to groom your horse, who has boldly carried you over all manor of terrain so far - he will certainly appreciate the time taken to give him a good fuss.
Day 5 - Brewster Creek Trail
Riding: 4 - 5 hours
After breakfast today you will say goodbye to your wonderful hosts at Halfway Lodge as it's time to hit the winding trail along Brewster Creek and back to Sundance Lodge. You won’t want to leave this cosy little lodge deep in the heart of the wilderness and a piece of your soul is bound to remain with that quiet retreat in the mountains.
Your guide will lead you back through the backcountry on a scenic and twisting trail, criss-crossing the valley in the historic footsteps of the early pioneers. A stop for lunch along the way and finally you will arrive back at Sundance Lodge again. A very welcome warm shower and a glass of wine will be waiting to greet you here, before enjoying another delicious meal prepared by your lodge host.
Day 6 - Healy Creek Trail
Riding: 4 - 5 hours
Today will be your final morning at Sundance Lodge, which by now will have become a second and very welcome home due to the warm hospitality of your host. Wake up in your comfortable bed one last time and gather around for a delicious breakfast. Saying a final goodbye, you begin the journey back to Banff – a gentle 9 mile ride from Sundance back to the Stables.
You will be lead through the backcountry along winding river trails and through thick pine forests, with the jagged peaks of the Rockies standing ever proudly on the horizon. You’ll stop along the banks of Healy Creek for a lunch of fresh sandwiches, baked goods and fruit.
You’ll return to the stables at approximately 4:30 pm, with plenty of wonderful tales to tell family and friends from your time spent in the backcountry.
* Please note that weather and climatic conditions in the mountains can change quickly and unexpectedly, with snow and rain showers possible even in high summer. For this reason, routes may be changed or amended at the last minute and without warning, but always with the safety of riders and horses in mind.
Note: All programmes and itineraries are weather dependent; in the face of adverse, or unexpected, weather conditions reasonable attempts will be made to provide equivalent riding. All programmes are accurate at the time of writing. However, the team may adapt or modify details, whilst aiming to provide a similar experience.
